Phi is occupying his usual Friday slot, bringing this sweltering week’s suite of mid-week puzzles to an end.
I hope that solvers were able to muster the energy to solve this puzzle, no doubt wafting a fan with one hand and wielding a pen with the other.
I found this to be towards the upper end of the difficulty spectrum for Phi in the Indy. There were a lot of longer entries crammed into this grid, and I found some of the wordplay to be rather elaborate and hard to tease out, such as at 4D and 15A. However, I did manage to parse everything to my satisfaction in the end.
I have not spotted any kind of ghost theme here, but then again, I rarely do? Any offers?
My favourite clues today were 5, 12 and 22, all for smoothness of surface; and 11, for the definition part.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are underlined; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
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||
| 1 | BOWER |
Hat Liberal discarded in recess (5)
|
| BOW<l>ER (=hat; “liberal (=L) discarded” means letter “l” is dropped); a bower is a shady enclosure or recess in a garden, an arbour | ||
| 4 | VITICIDES |
Problems for wine-makers: six detectives probing links (9)
|
| VI (=six, in Roman numerals) + [CID (=detectives, i.e. Criminal Investigations Department, in UK) in TIES (=links, connections]; viticides are wine pests, hence “problems for wine-makers” | ||
| 9 | MINIMALISTS |
Top celebrities enthralled by notes from some contemporary composers … (11)
|
| A-LIST (=top celebrities) in MINIMS (=notes, in music) | ||
| 10 | NOR |
… and not enthralled by countertenors (3)
|
| Hidden (“enthralled by”) in “counterteNORs” | ||
| 11 | HOSEPIPE |
It may dampen expectation about cooked pies (8)
|
| *(PIES) in HOPE (=expectation); “cooked” is anagram indicator | ||
| 13 | POTEEN |
Youngster pursuing work recalled making illegal booze (6)
|
| PO (OP=work, i.e. opus; “recalled” indicates reversal) + TEEN (=youngster) | ||
| 15 | SERVITUDE |
Bondage TV series not entirely scrapped, receiving backing of the French (9)
|
| UD (DU=of the French, i.e. a French rendering of of the; “backing of” indicates reversal) in *(TV SERIE<s>); “not entirely” means last letter is dropped from anagram, indicated by “scrapped” | ||
| 16 | OCTAL |
Sources in Oxford and Cambridge chat endlessly regarding eights (5)
|
| O<xford> + C<ambridge> (“sources in” means first letters only) + TAL<k> (=chat; “endlessly” means last letter is dropped) | ||
| 17 | ENEMA |
Blokes in A&E returned for medical intervention (5)
|
| MEN (=blokes) in [A + E]; “returned” indicates (full) reversal | ||
| 18 | ROOMINESS |
Aussie creatures surrounding excavations? Lots of space (9)
|
| MINES (=excavations) in ROOS (=Aussie creatures, i.e. kangaroos) | ||
| 19 | COWBOY |
Rancher wary, suppressing expression of pain in front of buckaroo, initially (6)
|
| [OW (=expression of pain) + B<uckaroo> (“initially” means first letter only)] in COY (=wary, shy) | ||
| 20 | DIRTY DOG |
Yard probing juicy gossip over Government scoundrel (5,3)
|
| YD (=yard, in addresses) in [DIRT (=juicy gossip, as in to dish the dirt) + O (=over, on cricket scorecard) + G (=government)] | ||
| 23 | IMP |
Independent politician, a source of funny business? (3)
|
| I (=independent) + MP (=politician, i.e. Member of Parliament); as a maker of mischief, an imp could be described as “a source of funny business” | ||
| 24 | NETHERLANDS |
Country swamping the river in neon lights (11)
|
| [THE + R (=river)] in [NE (=neon, i.e. chemical formula) + LANDS (=(a)lights, comes ashore)] | ||
| 26 | YORKSHIRE |
Factory at first trimmed wages after year in part of Northern England (9)
|
| Y (=year) + <w>ORKS (=factory, plant; “at first trimmed” means first letter is dropped) + HIRE (=wages, for service) | ||
| 27 | WEEDY |
Went quietly, finally exhibiting little strength (5)
|
| WEED (=went (to the toilet), peed) + <quietl>Y (“finally” means last letter only) | ||
| DOWN
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||
| 1 | BUMPH |
Dreadful pub documentation (5)
|
| BUM (=dreadful, dud) + PH (=pub, i.e. public house) | ||
| 2 | WINDSCREEN WIPER |
Twist unsettling re: new prices for car accessory (10,5)
|
| WIND (=twist, turn) + *(RE NEW PRICES); “unsettling” is anagram indicator | ||
| 3 | RIM |
Border in order, though not at first (3)
|
| <t>RIM (=in order, tidy); “though not at first” means first letter is dropped | ||
| 4 | VOLUPTUARY |
Hedonist elevated endless desire, elevated attempt to seize gold, on reflection (10)
|
| VOL (LOV<e>=desire; “endless” means last letter is dropped; “elevated” indicates vertical reversal) + UP (=elevated, raised) + [UA (AU=gold; “on reflection” indicates reversal) in TRY (=attempt, go)]; a voluptuary is a person excessively fond of or devoted to bodily enjoyments or luxury, a sensualist | ||
| 5 | TOSS |
Cast will turn up in Cats, so there! (4)
|
| Hidden (“in”) and reversed (“up”) in “catS SO There”; to cast is to throw, hurl, hence “toss” | ||
| 6 | COSMOLOGIST |
One considering the Universe dispersing stoic’s gloom (11)
|
| *(STOIC’S GLOOM); “dispersing” is anagram indicator | ||
| 7 | DANCE ATTENDANCE |
Wait at a late point of the evening, being between turns on the floor? (5,10)
|
| AT TEN (=at a late point in the evening) in [DANCE (=turn on the floor) + DANCE (=turn on the floor)]; to dance attendance on someone is to wait (assiduously) on them | ||
| 8 | SPRINKLES |
Small place initially without facilities for skating? Not quite – touches here and there (9)
|
| S (=small, in sizes) + P<lace> (“initially” means first letter only) RINK-LES<s> (=without facilities for skating?; “not quite” means last letter is dropped) | ||
| 12 | PRIMA DONNAS |
Publicity group is taking care of pop singer and other divas (5,6)
|
| MADONNA (=pop singer, from US) in [PR (=publicity group, i.e. public relations) + IS] | ||
| 14 | VELOCIPEDE |
With Charlie and I involved, excitedly develop European road transport? (10)
|
| {[C (=Charlie, in NATO alphabet) + I] in *(DEVELOP)} + E (=European); a velocipede was an early form of bicycle, originally one propelled by the feet on the ground | ||
| 15 | SPEECHIFY |
Deliver sermon: quick to dismiss God, capturing Church uncertainty (9)
|
| [CH (=church) + IF (=(an) uncertainty)] in SPEE<d>Y (=quick; “to dismiss God (=D, for Deus) means letter “d” is dropped) | ||
| 21 | GUSTY |
Chap clutching stone, feeling effects of gale (5)
|
| ST (=stone, i.e. unit of weight) in GUY (=chap) | ||
| 22 | ETUI |
Case ends in outcome against you and I (4)
|
| [<outcom>E <agains>T <yo>U] + I; “ends in” means last letters only; an étui is a small sewing case | ||
| 25 | LOW |
Water movement lacking force, lacking strength (3)
|
| <f>LOW (=water movement); “lacking force (=F, as in RAF)” means letter “f” is dropped |
Faves: MINIMALISTS, SERVITUDE (backing…rather than backing of), NETHERLANDS, VOLUPTUARY,
DANCE ATTENDANCE and PRIMA DONNAS.
Thanks Phi and RR.
I thought this was Phi on top form. I agree with Kva about favourites and would add HOSEPIPE.
Thank you Phi and RR! I particularly liked the two uses of “elevated” in w VOLUPTUARY and the two dances in DANCE ATTENDANCE. VITICIDES, POTEEN and BUMPH I didn’t know but they were gettable from the clueing, which was very clear. Thanks for the explanation of LANDS. F btw is for force in physics, too.
I thought force in physics was P, and f acceleration, as in P = m (mass) x f
Roger@4. How unfortunate for you to have had a dyslexic physics teacher!
F=ma
Meanwhile, I enjoyed the prima donnas and the gloomy stoic. Thanks, both.