Independent 7,723/Phi – Fifteensquared

A nice end to the week from Phi. Started this as I got on the bus to work, and finished just before I needed to get off. Perfect.

Across
1	SUPERCHARGED – PERCH + A in SURGED
8	ELITISM – IT IS in ELM
9	ARCHAIC – ARCH + 1 in A/C
11	TIGHTEN – TIG + (THEN)*
12	TWO DEEP – (TOP WEED)*
13	FLEER – F,LEER
14	RACONTEUR – R + (ON CURATE)*
16	EFFICIENT – F[-unds] in [-d]EFICIENT
19	SLANG – N in GALS rev.
21	TARRIES – A R in TRIES
23	LOCKOUT – LOCK,OUT
24	EXAMPLE – EX,AMPLE
25	MANSION – IS rev. in MANON
26	COME DOWN WITH – WIT + H[-ugging} on COMEDOWN
Down
1	SHINGLE – [-sout]H in SINGLE
2	PAINTER – A in (Harold) PINTER
3	ROMANY RYE – ANY RY in (MORE)*
4	HEART – Double def.
5	RACCOON – C[-opse] + COO in RAN
6	ETAGERE – AGE in ETRE (French for ‘to be’)
7	LEFT-OF-CENTRE – LEFT OF[-f] + (RECENT)*
10	COPYRIGHTING – P in COY + “writing”
15	CATTLEMAN – CAT + (MENTAL)*
17	FARRAGO – RAG in FARO
18	CRIPPLE – C,RIPPLE
19	SECONDI – The last anwer I got, and a very clever clue, the finale of Rossini being the 2nd I
20	ABOLISH – LO (Long Island) in A BISH
22	SEE TO – TEES rev. + 0

6 comments on “Independent 7,723/Phi”

Eileen

#1 - Fri 14th Aug 09, 14:33

Thanks for the blog, Ali.

4dn I think is [love]R in HEAT – &lit, rather than double definition.

mhl

#2 - Fri 14th Aug 09, 15:39

Thanks, Ali. Great stuff from Phi, as ever. 22 down did make me chuckle 🙂

johnson

#3 - Fri 14th Aug 09, 16:24

Got a bit bored doing this one, seemed to feel like we were being steered along in territory we already knew. Which was odd. Almost laughed at 15 down, but not quite. We reckon this one could’ve done with a device or two to spice it up, since the wit was lacking.

nmsindy

#4 - Fri 14th Aug 09, 21:22

Excellent puzzle from Phi, as always. On the easy side, agreed. Speaking of sides, there’s a little connection I think between the four perimeter entries (in a positional sense).