And so it’s Friday and Phi after yesterday’s rather hard Nimrod about the Today Programme, this seemed a lot easier.
Well here we have a Nina of Six Hundredth Year across the top and bottom and 1/5 is getting ready to celebrate its 600th anniversary (1413-2013). Had a look on the who’s who but found no reference to Phi being an Old Boy though, perhaps someone will know.
There also seems to be a mini monopoly theme too.
Across:
| 9 | TANZANIAN | TAN (beat) + ZAN(y) + IAN |
| 10 | ADORE | A + DO + RE |
| 11 | NONET | Group of 9, so (9+1) TEN + ON all reversed |
| 12 | DEVIATION | DE (of French) + (a)VIATION |
| 13 | REED INSTRUMENT | [DETERMINES TURN]* |
| 17 | WESTERN | WE + STERN |
| 18 | ICE BOAT | I + BE rev in COAT (film) |
| 20 | COVENTRY STREET | COVEN + TREE (oak say) in TRYST |
| 22 | RARE EARTH | [R + R + THE AREA]* |
| 24 | ALAMO | AL rev in AM + O |
| 26 | CLASP | S(un) in CLAP |
| 27 | SOLITAIRE | A in (SO + LIT + IRE) |
| Down: | ||
| 1/5 | ST ANDREWS UNIVERSITY | [TRUST WINES VINEYARDS]* very nice getting wines and vineyards in the anagram |
| 2 | IN ON | I (electric current) + NON |
| 3 | XANTHINE | THI(s) in ANNEX* unusual word but a very common chemical found in blood and flesh |
| 4 | HIND | H + IN + D |
| 6 | NAPALM | PAL in MAN rev |
| 7 | DORIAN MODE | [AIDED MORON]* |
| 8 | REIN | No g in NI(g)ER rev |
| 14 | EUSTON ROAD | [NOT AROUSED]* |
| 15 | SONG THRUSH | SON + (T(he) + HR) in GUSH |
| 16 | STATIONER | (IT rev + ONE) in STAR |
| 19 | ENTRACTE | EN (printing unit) + T(urn) in TRACE |
| 21 | EXEMPT | M in EX(c)EPT |
| 22 | RACE | R(un) + ACE &Lit |
| 23 | HOLY | No UR in HO(ur)LY |
| 24 | ARIA | A + AIR rev |
Thanks Phi for a very pleasant and gentle puzzle, and flashling for the blog. Lots of enjoyable clues – just what I needed today.
I think it is the first time I have actually spotted a Nina and used it to help me solve the puzzle.
Nina, wot nina? Blind to it as usual, but it didn’t make a difference to my enjoyment of Phi’s puzzle.
Often a top and bottom row nina will result in some obscurities, but there were none here, so bravo Phi for a cleverly constructed crossword.
Thanks for the blog, flashling.
Thanks Flashling and Phi. I think this was my fastest ever Indy solve but I’m not complaining about that after yesterday. I spotted the Nina as soon as I got the X and that contributed to the fast time. I guessed it must be the university that is celebrating the anniversary rather than the board game, which just takes 600 years to play. Thanks for explaining Holy, which was the one I did not bother to parse since it had to be.
St Andrews has a rather complex early history with some documents suggesting it was up and running around 1610. As a result they feel able to have a 600th birthday party spread over several years. It was kicked off a few months ago by some alumni called William and Kate. I think there was some talk about their wedding a while back too.
Thanks, Phi and flashling. Yes, I found this gentle in terms of difficulty with some gems in the clues eg ADORE, NONET, DEVIATION, HOLY but all good as always. And classical music was not ignored as 13A showed.