An unusually large number of words that I hadn’t really heard of in the usual nice Phi offering. The pairs of four-letter answers at top R and bottom L suggest something, but I can’t see anything.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | HARPOONS — Harpo (son)* |
| 5 | SCOTCH — 2 defs |
| 9 | NO {{Chamber}s}TATION |
| 10 | BOO KI{t}E — a kite is a fraudulent cheque, although Chambers only seems to give it as an informal verb |
| 12 | MUSICAL(SAW)S — had never heard of them, but here we are |
| 15 | D REAR |
| 17 | SUGAR-COAT — (cougar)* in Sat |
| 18 | WA(1)S T(L)INE |
| 19 | DIVER{t} |
| 20 | CHAPEL ROYAL — (all preachy)* about 0 |
| 24 | TRU{e} ANT |
| 25 | THE MAGUS — (he must)* about a g |
| 26 | MINUET — minute with the last two letters swapped |
| 27 | E THE(L)RE ‘D |
| Down | |
| 1 | H AND M ({sal}E) DOWN |
| 2 | ROT(1)S SERIE{s} |
| 3 | OPTIC — topic with the t moved |
| 4 | NEOCLASSICAL — (once Callas is)* |
| 6 | CROSS (B) RED |
| 7/8 | TAKE HE{w}ED |
| 11 | LANGUE DE CHAT — (lunch tea aged)* — had never heard of this biscuit, but here’s how to make them |
| 13 | NOW VOYAGER |
| 14 | STE(RIL{l} IS)ED |
| 16 | {p}RET(1 C)ENCE |
| 21 | bordeR AM I Exasperated — hidden, this less than common plant |
| 22/23 | STEM TURN — (tum)* in stern — not being a skier or much interested in it I hadn’t heard of this |
I found this very difficult, especially the left side. Like you, I know next to nothing about skiing (my one attempt at it was an abysmal failure), so the bottom-left corner proved really tough for me. Getting musical saws was the crucial thing for me – one of those clues which are actually quite easy, but the answer seems so unlikely.
Having a shop that does specialist musical saws almost seems to defeat the object of using a household object like a saw as a musical instrument.
Yep, a tough puzzle which I had to give up on with about half a dozen left. Didn’t help myself with the skiing term by reading the clue as ‘turn’ and not ‘tum’. Trip to opticians coming soon.
Thanks for blogging, John.
I’m not happy with the ski manoeuvre. TURN can’t be in both clue and answer like this – it goes against all crossword principles.
Pat – it’s TUM, not TURN. I misread it first time round too.
Turn isn’t even in the clue. As John said, it’s tum (which is anagrammed in stern).
I specs lots of us had a visual problem with 22/23. Tum tee tum
Seven clues involving unfinished/incomplete words? Always nice to be reminded that my week wasn’t as productive as it should have been. (Thanks, John, for explaining “Chambers Station” for an American; one of these days I should just print out a Tube map and tack it to the wall.)
NealH: Special-made musical saws are, indeed, kind of like $500 cigar-box guitars, but there is a difference: they’re longer (more notes available to play) and thinner (much less tiring keeping the S-curve in the blade). I prefer toying around on the hardware-store model, teeth and all. Any music-making that carries with it the possibility of bloodletting is OK by me.
I found this the toughest puzzle of the week, eventually admitting defeat after an hour with around 6 unfinished. Did myself no favours thinking that 5a was SQUASH! Nice puzzle though.
Don’t be ridiculous. 10ac and 7/8d are absurd
Far from being absurd, I thought 10A and 7/8D the best in the puzzle.
I found this much harder than Phi usually is, with the double answers in SW and NE corners particularly difficult but very satisfying when solved – I too had tum and turn doubts once or twice so I’d say there’s nothing wrong with anyone’s eyesight – may have been the way it was printed on the day.
Challenging and enjoyable puzzle.
Found top right and bottom left difficult.Ski clue beyond me.Had musical bars as never heard of musical saws.Never heard of 11d.Got anagrams.Did a lot of clues without analysis as they fitted! 7/8 would never have got or 10a.Pleased with the rest though