Not for the first time, a puzzle from Phi with a musical flavour. Four musical instruments in symmetrical positions in the corners and a fifth in 11 down. A pleasing solve, with everything clear.
Solving time, 22 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 TIME SIGNAL (I’m stealing)*
6 VI (six in Roman numerals) OL (d)
9 BATTLED (m)ORE
10 STEM Mets<
12 FAST AND LOOSE
15 ACTU (RIA) AL Ria = drowned valley as seasoned solvers know.
17 CHEW spinneY chopper = helicopter choppers = teeth (Thanks, Simon for explaining – comment 2 – that this is C HEW Y)
18 RE ADY DAY with A(one) advanced
19 F(A N L)ETTER Favourite clue with great definition ‘corresponding praise’ !
20 CHEMICAL COSH (lace his choc m)* m = trace of marijuana (first letter). Treatment to pacify.
24 D (Germany) AIL The lower house of the Irish Parliament (from the Irish language – pronounced Doyle)
25 S (IMPLICIT)Y limits = first and last letters of SerenitY
26 LUTE u (university) for a in late (recently)
27 INVIOLABLE (novel alibi)* When I saw ‘viol’ in that I wondered if Phi was going to give other answers including the other three corner instruments, but apparently not. Would probably be very hard or impossible so just a coincidence but in the Indy one looks out for Ninas.
DOWN
1 TUB A (but)<
2 MIT T
3 SELF-ANALYSIS (Asses finally)*
4 GO DOT Samuel Beckett’s play ‘Waiting for Godot”. Dots in Morse code
5 ADRENALIN (inland area)* less a
7 INT ROVER(T)S iT ultimately (last letter)
8 LUMBER YARD dray<
11 GLOCKENSPIEL (Cellos keeping)* less one e
13 PATRICIDAL (rid capital)* ‘of’ in the definition pointing to the adjective
14 STRATE (treats)* GIST
16 IN (fashionable) FLATI(r)ON Flatiron Building in New York
21 CAPRIcious
22 LIMB(o) From ‘out on a limb’
23 LYRE hidden
I was initially inclined to put timber for 8 down, but thefreedictionary kindly provided me with lumber as an alternative, more sensible choice when I went to check it.
Enjoyed this one a lot, although conditions were favourable as I tackled it in the local over a lazy pint, rather than on the Bakerloo Line as is often the case.
I stumbled on ACTUARIAL (I’m clearly not sufficiently seasoned :)), and also CHEWY. Not sure if there’s a “helicopter” reference although I looked for one – it seems to be C + HEW + [spinne]Y.
This crossword is reappearing each day now (Monday 7th). Anybody got any idea what that’s about?