Independent 7183 by Phi
Posted by nmsindy on October 23rd, 2009
Quite tricky for a Phi puzzle, enjoyable as always, solving time, 30 mins
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 (p) ASSES
4 A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME Anthony Powell’s acclaimed series of books. I saw this when I’d some crossing letters. The wordplay perplexed me for quite a while, but, I think, without being 100% sure, that it’s disco = a dance to the music of its DJ, Time = Tim E = Timothy Edwards
10 RE CLA(I)MS
11 S (COT) CH
12 FAIR BANKS In Alaska
15 PA(D)RE Good misdirection suggesting politics and recent controversies.
17 ENDOW Another one where it took a while to see the wordplay. Both fellow and cow END (in) OW
18 R (E PORT) AGE
19 T (ABLE) T
21 C (LOUSE) A U Inspector Clouseau, bumbling detective, associated esp with actor Peter Sellers. CA = roughly LOUSE = scoundrel
24 WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE Another one that needed some crossing letters before it was seen
26 LASER (resal)< ie resale mostly
DOWN
1 AFTEREFFECTS (free staff etc)*
2 STEPCHILD Cryptic definition that took me ages to see
3 SO USA Guessed this from the wordplay. Not 100% sure but think it refers to John Philip Sousa, US conductor etc (1854-1932)
4 A SIA M (former country) IN (inside) OuteR Definition: Anatolia
5 A V OW
6 CUT (A CAP)ER
7 (Con)TEMPT
9 CHEE (SEt BURG E) R (E grub)< cheer = hospitality
13 BOWLER HAT (throwable)*
14 SEPULCHRE (cheers up l)* l = end of funeral
16 DIANETICS (Indicates)* What preceded Scientology
20 B(L)IN 1
22 US (man)UAL
23 (C)ANON
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
3d Sousa was known for his patriotic and military tunes.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
STEPCHILD was a great cryptic definition, layered with multiple ambiguities.
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Thanks, nmsindy, especially for explaining 4,8ac, which I got because I knew the books, but I don’t think I would ever have got the explanation. I’m sure you’re right – great clue!
One of Sousa’s marches was ‘The Liberty Bell’, Monty Python’s signature tune.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Nice crossword, but what on earth is going on at 12ac? It seems quite straightforward to me — def ‘American’ (a reference to Douglas Fairbanks I suppose, a bit thin in my opinion) and banks at the back of fair. Whatever do you mean by ‘In Alaska’, nms?
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:21 pm
When I saw 4ac/8ac I suspected that Widmerpool and Stringham etc would be somewhere in the grid. Perhaps they are, but I can’t find them.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Re comment 4, Wil, the clue was “American city market backed by financial institutions”. I took the definition as ‘American city’ – which is Fairbanks in Alaska (I’d not heard of it but it is in Collins).
October 24th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Given the lovely single ‘word’ anag. of BOWLER HAT, I’m surprised Phi didn’t contrive a clue based on Goldfinger’s Oddjob!