Independent on Sunday 1532 Phi

Thank you to Phi…is there a particular reason why he’s appearing on Sunday, which is not his usual spot…? Definitions are underlined in the clues.

… Yes there is. On this date (7 July) 100 years ago, the actor and entertainer named in the bottom row of the grid was born. Solutions include 3 highlights of his career.

Across

8 I try latest in ontology, backing philosophy student (4)

YOGI : Reversal of(…, backing) [I + GO(a try/an attempt at) + last letter of(latest in) “ontology” ].

Defn: …, that is, the philosophy of yoga, a school of Hindu philosophical traditions.

Answer: .., perhaps more of a practitioner than a student.

9 TV show repulsed nonsense and hoax – how peculiar (6,3)

DOCTOR WHO : Reversal of(repulsed) [ ROT(nonsense) plus(and) COD(a hoax/joke) ] + anagram of(… peculiar) HOW.

10 Something in Harry Potter – book having capacity to stay ahead of criticism (10)

BROOMSTICK : B(abbrev. for “book”) plus(having) ROOM(capacity/space to accommodate) plus(to stay ahead of) STICK(severe criticism/scolding).

11 Mass complaints in radio broadcast (4)

SIZE : Homophone of(… in radio broadcast) “sighs”(audible exhalations expressing tiredness, that could be interpreted as complaining).

Defn: …, used non-technically to denote the extent/overall magnitude of something.

12 Weak device for transporting policeman finally engaged in one detective story (9)

WHODUNNIT : W(abbrev. for “weak” in quantum physics, in relation to the weak interaction between subatomic particles)+ HOD(a device for transporting bricks and other building materials) + [ last letter of(… finally) “policeman” contained in(engaged in) UNIT(a singular quantity/one) ].

Whodunn presented the TV mystery game show?  You Know Who, of course.

14 Was first to go round current shop (4)

DELI : Reversal of(… to go round) LED(was first) + I(symbol for electrical current in physics).

15 Ocean feature getting cut, cut, cut? That’s to have added resonance (2-4)

RE-ECHO : “reef”(a ridge of coral, rock or sand just above or below the surface/a feature of the ocean) minus its last letter(getting cut) + “chop”(to cut, with an axe or a chopper, say) minus its last letter(cut).

17 Devoted attendant paid in the end, after rejection (6)

LAPDOG : PD(abbrev. for “paid”/bill settled) contained in(in the) reversal of(…, after rejection) GOAL(an end/an objective as in “a means to an end”).

19 Line out of fashion is a pain for the observer (4)

STYE : “l”(abbrev. for “line”) deleted from(out of) “style”(fashion/a distinctive appearance).

Defn: …/eye.

21 Insensitive sort? My dear chap, ignoring an American is dreadful (9)

PACHYDERM : Anagram of(… is dreadful) “My dear chap” minus one(ignoring an) “A”(abbrev. for “American”).

Defn: …, as a result of having a thick and impervious skin.

24 Many students are confused by term in algebra (4)

YEAR : Anagram of(… confused) ARE placed after(by) Y(symbol/term for an unknown quantity in algebra).

Defn: …/a group of students in the same academic year.

25 About to include Republican in vernacular description of her opponents? (10)

DEMOCRATIC : [ CA(abbrev. for “circa”/about, applied to event dates) containing(to include) R(abbrev. for “Republican”, a member of the Republican political party) ] contained in(in) DEMOTIC(the vernacular/colloquial speech).

Defn: …, that is, a Republican’s opponents.

27 Navigational device – there – surrounded by a flashing light (9)

ASTROLABE : LA(a form of “lo!”/”oh look!”/”there!”, as in “La! What a beauty!”) containing(surrounded by) [A + STROBE(short for a stroboscope/a flashing light) ].

Defn: …, in use before being replaced by the sextant.

28 Undefined quantity in organisational symbol (4)

LOGO : LOG O(log 0, with O representing 0/logarithm of 0/an undefined quantity – the equation N (any number) to the power of X=0 cannot be solved for X).

Down

1 Plunder picked up by boater? One intends to return things (8)

BORROWER : Reversal of(… picked up, in a down clue) ROB(to plunder/to steal goods) plus(by) ROWER(one who rows a boat/a boater, perhaps, as in one who drives a truck is a trucker).

2 Perform unaccompanied, soprano having left for dancing partner (6)

GIGOLO : GIG(to perform at a gig/a live performance by a musician or group) + “solo”(unaccompanied/by oneself) minus(… having left) “s”(abbrev. for “soprano”).

Defn: A male escort paid or financially supported by a woman to be her partner at dancing, but often not just restricted to dancing.

3 Period in month that is not fully realised (4)

IDES : “Id Est”(abbreviated to ie./that is) minus its last letter(not fully realised).

Defn: In the ancient Roman calendar, a day falling roughly in the middle of the month

4 Party dropping first court case (6)

ACTION : “faction”(a party/a group within a larger group) minus its 1st letter(dropping first).

5 Never deviating, drink emptied daily, served with ice (4-6)

ROCK-STEADY : TEA(a drink) + “daily” minus all its inner letters(emptied …) placed below(served with, in a down clue) ROCKS(like “ice”, slang for “diamonds”).

6 Broadcast picked up in time: start of debate covering both opinions (3-5)

TWO-SIDED : Reversal of(… picked up, in a down clue) SOW(to broadcast/to scatter seed over a wide area) contained in(in) TIDE(“time period” in Old English/currently used in combination, to mean “a time” or “season”, as in “Christmastide”) +1st letter of(start of) “debate“.

7/18 Scarecrow left on stick, attracting insect, with zero going around up top (6,8)

WORZEL GUMMIDGE : [ L(abbrev. for “left”) placed above(on, in a down clue) GUM(to stick using, well, gum/glue) plus(attracting) MIDGE(an insect, viz. a small two-winged fly) ] placed below(… up top, in a down clue) [ W(abbrev. for “with”) + anagram of(… going around) ZERO ].

Defn: … who came to life in a series of children’s books.

13 Not expected and possibly profound, eh? (7-3)

UNHOPED-FOR : Anagram of(possibly) PROFOUND, EH.

16 Cross in middle of week over old car, producing curse (8)

EXECRATE : X(a cross-shaped symbol) contained in(in) middle 2 letters of(middle of) “week” placed above(over, in a down clue) CRATE(an old and dilapidated car).

18 See 7

20 Climbing expert brought in first boot accessory (6)

TOECAP : Reversal of(Climbing, in a down clue) ACE(an expert/one proficient in something) contained in(brought in) TOP(first/ahead of everyone else).

22 Marsupial heading off after end of epic fight (6)

COMBAT : “wombat”(an Australian marsupial) minus its 1st letter(heading off) placed below(after, in a down clue) last letter of(end of) “epic“.

23 Facilitate sound but not light, ultimately (6)

ENABLE : “tenable”(sound/able to be defended against objection) minus last letter of(…, ultimately) “light“.

26 Treat for dog, with dog getting energy for nothing (4)

CHEW : “chow”(a sturdy Chinese breed of dog) with “e”(symbol for “energy” in physics) replacing(for) “o”(letter representing 0/nothing).

Defn: Something for a dog who, like all dogs, naturally loves to chew.