Phi in his regular Friday slot.
As usual, Phi has come up with some slightly obscure definitions, but everything was guessable and Wikipedia is always there for checking. I liked the straightforward 6d (almost a double definition, except for the punctuation), the repetitive dance in 19d, and 15d for the misdirection of “bass” in a surface about fish. My favourite was 18d, though of course I wouldn’t want to encourage disruptive behaviour on a plane. Thanks Phi as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | UPRIGHT |
Piano directly behind you – this type? (7)
|
| P (p = in musical notation, abbreviation for Italian piano = quietly) + RIGHT (directly, as in “right ahead”), after (behind) U (“!you” in text messages).
Extended definition:upright piano = a small piano with the strings set vertically, as opposed to a larger grand piano. |
||
| 5 | CASH COW |
Remains with company after start of critical week? It’s a profitable business (4,3)
|
| ASH (the remains of something burned) + CO (abbreviation for company), after the starting letter of C[ritical], then W (abbreviation for week).
Slang for a business that continues to make profits easily. |
||
| 9 | COTILLION |
Lively dance giving you time in twist with hero (9)
|
| T (abbreviation for time) in COIL (twist), then LION (colloquial term for a hero).
A social dance, which later developed into the quadrille and the square dance. |
||
| 10 | TINGE |
Painting evidently involves a touch of colour (5)
|
| Hidden answer (. . . involves) in [pain]TING E[vidently]. | ||
| 11 | RAITA |
Blokes getting out of clothing, meeting a dish from India (5)
|
| RAI[men]T (archaic word for clothes) without MEN (blokes), then A (from clue text).
Indian side dish made with yogurt, vegetables (typically cucumber), herbs and/or spices. |
||
| 12 | SYCOPHANT |
Chap’s not at liberty to accept unknown supplier of sugar or butter (9)
|
| Anagram (at liberty = free to move around) of CHAP’S NOT, containing (accepting) Y (mathematical symbol for an unknown).
A somewhat cryptic definition: sycophant = a flatterer, sugar = slang for flattery, and to “butter someone up” is to flatter them in the hope of gaining favour. |
||
| 14 | CAPE FINISTERRE |
Target of pilgrimage in rocky Spain etc if not entirely gone astray? (4,10)
|
| Anagram (rocky) of SPAIN ETC IF, then ERRE[d] (gone astray) without the last letter (not entirely).
Extended definition: peninsula in north-west Spain, a pilgrimage site in its own right or as an extension of the Camino de Santiago (pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela). |
||
| 17 | MARCHING ORDERS |
Instructions to leave militant religious groups? (8,6)
|
| MARCHING (moving in formation as an army = militant) + ORDERS (groups of monks or nuns).
Instructions to a military group about their next move, or (colloquially) a command to go away. |
||
| 21 | SCOOBY-DOO |
Cartoon character’s news story curtailed by having opening trimmed (6-3)
|
| SCOO[p] (an exclusive news story) without the last letter (curtailed) + BY (from clue text) + DOO[r] (opening) without the last letter (trimmed).
An animated cartoon dog, created in 1969 for Hanna-Barbera. |
||
| 23 | TAMPA |
You shouldn’t have to go round some current American city (5)
|
| TA (you shouldn’t have! = thank you) around AMP (short for ampere = a measure of electrical current).
City in Florida. |
||
| 24 | IVORY |
Soldiers probing climber for key material (5)
|
| OR (abbreviation for “other ranks” = soldiers who aren’t officers), inserted into IVY (a climbing plant).
White piano keys were traditionally covered with ivory, although to avoid trading in endangered species they are now usually made with some form of plastic. |
||
| 25 | CLIPBOARD |
Good rate given to directors for stationery item (9)
|
| CLIP (slang for a high speed, as in “travelling at quite a clip” = a fast rate) + BOARD (the directors of a company). | ||
| 26 | GESTURE |
Indicate end of these tracks, say, turning back (7)
|
| End letter of [thes]E + RUTS (the tracks made by wheeled traffic on soft ground) + EG (abbreviation for Latin exempli gratia = for example = say), all reversed (turning back). | ||
| 27 | THERAPY |
Charge accepted by those people providing form of treatment (7)
|
| RAP (slang for a criminal charge) contained in THEY (those people). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | UNCORK |
Topless beefcake welcoming keen response to get at the drink? (6)
|
| [h]UNK (beefcake = slang for a muscular man) without the first letter (topless), containing COR (an exclamation of approval or surprise = keen response).
To remove the stopper from a bottle, especially a wine bottle. |
||
| 2 | RETSINA |
Wine bringing hint of shakiness into part of eye (7)
|
| First letter (a hint) of S[hakiness] inserted into RETINA (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye).
Greek white wine flavoured with pine resin: some people like it. |
||
| 3 | GILGAMESH |
Roman poet, half-cut, gambles on hard legendary king (9)
|
| [vir]GIL (Roman poet) with the first half cut + GAMES (as a verb = gambles) + H (abbreviation for king).
Ancient Mesopotamian king, recorded in an epic poem a few thousand years ago. |
||
| 4 | THIN-SKINNED |
Edward supporting name adopted by present family, being sensitive (4-7)
|
| N (abbreviation for name) contained in (adopted by) THIS (present = here and now) + KIN (family), with NED (a short version of Edward) at the end (at the bottom, in a down clue = supporting).
Descriptive of a person who is easily upset. |
||
| 5 | CAN |
Family disposing of large container (3)
|
| C[l]AN (an extended family group) without L (abbreviation for large). | ||
| 6 | SET-UP |
Organisation that’s leading in tennis? (3-2)
|
| A tennis player who has won the first set of a match is described as being “a SET UP“. | ||
| 7 | CENTAUR |
Legendary creature’s heart mostly filled with gold (7)
|
| CENTR[e] (heart) without the last letter (mostly), containing AU (Au = chemical symbol for gold, from Latin aurum).
Ancient Greek mythological creature: the top half of a human, attached to a horse’s body and legs. |
||
| 8 | WHEATLEY |
Question about weird tale by English horror writer (8)
|
| WHY (a question), around an anagram (weird) of TALE + E (abbreviation for English).
I think we’re talking about Dennis Wheatley, who wrote occult novels and thrillers in the mid 20th century. |
||
| 13 | CHIROPODIST |
Historic works surrounding small office of medical specialist (11)
|
| Anagram (. . . works, as in roadworks = rebuilding) of HISTORIC, around POD (a small meeting room or private workspace within a larger office).
A foot doctor. |
||
| 15 | TIDE TABLE |
Fisherman’s info? Start of tall fish story involving bass (4,5)
|
| Starting letter of T[all] + IDE (a favourite fish for crossword setters) + TALE (story), containing B (abbreviation for bass as a singing voice, rather than a type of fish).
Published data predicting the times and levels of high and low tide at a particular location: useful information for fishermen. |
||
| 16 | SMASHING |
Son’s preparing potatoes? Excellent (8)
|
| S (abbreviation for son) + MASHING (preparing boiled potatoes for serving). | ||
| 18 | RIOTOUS |
Unrestrained, like Brazil-NY flight? (7)
|
| A flight from a major Brazilian city to New York could be described as RIO (Rio de Janeiro) TO US (United States). | ||
| 19 | RUM BABA |
Dance with repeated element? Sweet (3,4)
|
| RUMBA (a dance) with the last syllable BA repeated.
Sweet = a dessert, in this case a cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. |
||
| 20 | PAYDAY |
Positive cry for help, being short of money? When will money arrive? (6)
|
| P (abbreviation for positive, electrically speaking) + [m]AYDAY (distress signal = cry for help) without the M (abbreviation for money, in economics). | ||
| 22 | BAYOU |
In US, marshy spot in inlet not wholly dismissed (5)
|
| BAY (inlet in a coastline) + OU[t] (dismissed, in cricket scoring) without the last letter (not wholly).
US word for a marshy area of slow-moving water, especially in the Mississippi River Delta. |
||
| 25 | CUE |
Encouragement to speak with charm, wasting time (3)
|
| CU[t]E (with charm = charming, in a slightly disparaging sense) without the T (abbreviation for time).
A signal indicating the right time to speak, especially in stage performance. |
I had to put my phinking cap on, with a few of these, and I appreciated Phi turning up the amp a bit, (though not quite to 11, yet ), after some recent puzzles, which were (?) a bit too kindly.
Anyone remember those Dennis Wheatley novels being adapted for the big screen? Even as a kid, I thought they were a bit camp.
Nothing to horrify, either, in this puzzle, it’s SMASHING. Hopefully not too SYCOPHANTIC to say, top-notch, both P and Q
I remember The Devil Rides Out movie. Not sure if I’ve seen any others.