Independent 7871 by Phi

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It’s that Friday feeling, Phi returns.

Can’t spot any  Ninas or themes –  ghost or otherwise but I was wrong last time I said that about a Phi puzzle. This seemed quite easy after yesterday’s Monk.

 

Across

1 In the clear [HENCE TRIAL]*
9 In step INST. + E.P.
10 Forwards FOR + WARDS
11 Ultimate (res)ULT + I + MATE
12 Demo MODE halves switched
13 Out of order Cryptic double definition
15 Council CO + C in UNI + L
17 Lectern CT in LEER + N
20 Toilet roll ELIOT rev + TROLL (something we fortunately don’t get much of round here unlike some places)
21 Name M in NAE
23 Layabout LAY + A BOUT
25 Redcoats [OR CADETS]*
26 Talent T.A. + LENT
27 Hellraiser (L + SERIAL*) in HER
Down    
2 Nookie N + 0 + OK +I.E. &latish
3 Hawthorn WHAT* + HORN
4 Cartoonist (TOO + SIN rev) in CART
5 En suite I.T. in ENSUE
6 Rift (d)RIFT
7 Straddle TR(ee) in SADDLE
8 Appearance A + PEA in PRANCE
12 Decathlete (CAT + H) in DELETE
14 Freeloader E’ER rev in [FOR DEAL]*
16 Unicycle ICY in UNCLE
18 Tandoori OR replacing an I in [TO INDIA]*
19 Control CON + R in TOL(l)
22 Mantle N’T in MALE
24 Oath Hidden in tO AT Home

 

8 comments on “Independent 7871 by Phi”

  1. Thanks Phi for a pleasant puzzle and flashling for the blog. I cannot see a Nina or theme either.

    Our tolerance for “double unches” (pairs of consecutive unchecked letters) seems to have been tested by a few recent puzzles in this paper – we are up to twelve in this grid. To my mind, they are undesirable, but nowhere near as bad as lights with less than 50% cross-checking, of which there are none in this puzzle.

  2. Flashling, I think you’re right about the absence of nina or theme – just a pleasant straightforward Friday offering from Phi.

    Thanks for the explanation of 15a – I’d temporarily forgotten ‘university’ and be ‘uni’ as well as ‘u’ and couldn’t work out where the N and I came from.

  4. Oops, typing fingers in a twist: “‘university’ and be ‘uni’” should read “‘university’ can be ‘uni’”

  5. Pleasing puzzle, not too hard, thanks Phi and flashling. BTW, I’d see no problem in principle with “double unches” – I think all that matters is the total number of unches in the answer.

  6. Wot, no Epiphany theme this year? (Still my favourite Indy puzzle ever.)

    Very clearly clued, leading to a pretty quick finish for me this morning. NOOKIE my favourite too.

    I never even noticed the double unches. Thanks to flashling for blogging.

  7. We didn’t start this until late and when we saw it was Phi, we thought we may have to finish it this morning! Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Can’t decide whether the extra glasses of wine helped the solve or if it was an easier Phi.

    Favourite clue and last one in was 2d!

    Thanks flashling and Phi.

  8. I don’t generally approve of double unches myself, but I found this filled grid when searching through some old files. None of the doubles occurred at the beginning/end of words (which is very unhelpful, particularly the former – I suspect I wouldn’t have even deigned to fill such a grid), and the vocab seemed fine, so I went ahead and clued it, as it seemed a pity to waste it! There’s something appealing about this four-way pattern with its mix of black squares in odd and even rows and columns.

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