Phi often does interesting things with the letters and words in the grid – today he has done something different by using a grid with reflective symmetry.
The grid today is mirrored about the central column, instead of displaying the usual 180 degree rotational symmetry. It makes me think there is something going within the grid, but I have to admit defeat on finding any message in either the entries or the clues. The closest I can get to anything is XI and TAU, both Greek letters at the left hand end of rows 2 and 6, plus ETH, an Old English letter at the right hand end of row 4. I think though I am clutching at straws.
Today is Valentine’s Day, but I can’t see anything related to that either.
Well it didn’t take long before the experienced Nina spotters came along. As pointed out in the early comments there is indeed a Valentines Day message in a thematic shape as now shown below. Thanks to Phi and Gaufrid.
It helped me when the two long anagrams at 1 and 9 both fell quickly. 4 and 5 also fell quickly which immediately gave the fool at 17 across, which in turn led to 19 across becoming fairly easy.
I’m not entirely sure of my parsing at 26 across, PAS. I’ve gone for PAST (finished) being incomplete (not quite) to get PAS, but that leaves me wondering about ‘on stage’ in the clue unless we assume that ballet always Takes place on the stage. If stage is related to the word play rather than the definition all I can come up with is PASSAGE (stage) without the last four letters but taking out 4 letters of 7 hardly reflects ‘not quite’
I could see fairly quickly that SKY would be the entry at 28 across, but I then spent far to long trying to parse it based on all other letters being omitted before SKY. MO (modus operandi) did come to mind as a way of working, but foolishly I only thought of MOSKY and therefore dismissed MO before thinking a bit more and finally identifying SMOKY (as in clouds of smoke).
The puzzle is not a pangram
There was a slight nod to science today with TERAFLOP at 12 down. Chambers and Wikipedia differ on the number of FLOPS [floating point instructions per second] in a TERAFLOP. Chambers say 240 and Wikipedia 1012 – take your pick. I tend to favour the power of 10. It seems though that TERAFLOPs are now old hat for the speed of computers as the fastest is now measured in PETAFLOPS (1015)
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1
|
Upset is natural after one regrets restricting student sport (10,5)
|
A (one) + anagram of (upsets) IS NATURAL + (RUES [regrets] containing [restricting] L [learner; student])
A + USTRALIAN* + RU (L) ES |
AUSTRALIAN RULES (an AUSTRALIAN version of football played by eighteen a side with an oval ball; sport )
|
| 9
|
Lord! Non-stop train – I should disembark – confused citywide system (6,9) | Anagram of (confused) LORD NON STOP TRAIN excluding (disembark) I
|
LONDON TRANSPORT (citywide system)
|
| 10
|
Shy person ignoring second disapproving look (4)
|
MOUSE (shy person) excluding (ignoring) S (second) Parsing corrected in line with comment by GeordyGordy at 13
|
MOUE (a grimace of discontent; disapproving look)
|
| 11
|
Cartoon hero not in colour (4)
|
TINTIN (cartoon hero – reference Hergé’s Adventures of TINTIN) excluding (not) IN
|
TINT (colour)
|
| 16
|
Energy and endless pleasure offered by devil (5)
|
E (energy) + (BLISS (pleasure) excluding the final letter [endless] S)
|
EBLIS (the chief of the fallen angels in Muslim mythology; devil)
|
| 17
|
Fool having no troubles with 19 (3)
|
ASSAILS (entry at 19 across) excluding (having no) AILS (troubles)
|
ASS (fool)
|
| 18
|
That woman is eating a soft jelly (5)
|
SHE (that woman) containing (is eating) (A + P [piano; soft])
SH (A P) E |
SHAPE (jelly)
|
| 19
|
Attacks a vessel carrying what it may carry? (7)
|
A + (SS [steamship] containing [carrying] SAIL [a steamship may well carry a sail in case the engine fails])
A S (SAIL) S |
ASSAILS (attacks)
|
| 21
|
Where Parisian slipped in a curtailed mission is watery (7)
|
A + (OU [‘where’ in French] contained in [in] QUEST [mission] excluding the final letter [curtailed] T)
A QUE (OU) S |
AQUEOUS (watery)
|
| 23
|
Trapped in maze, gathering guy losing head is hardest to ignore (7)
|
LOST (unable to find the way; for example, trapped in maze) containing (gatherin) (DUDE [guy] excluding [without] the first letter [beginning] D)
LO (UDE) ST |
LOUDEST (making the greatest sound, hence hardest to ignore)
|
| 25
|
Does it wildly without beginning to rest? It’s the hormone perhaps (7)
|
Anagram of (wildly) DOES IT containing (without; on the outside) R (first letter of [beginning to] REST)
STE (R) OID* |
STEROID (any of a class of compounds including the sterols, bile acids, adrenal hormones, sex hormones, vitamin D, etc;)
|
| 26
|
Step on stage not quite finished (3)
|
PAST (finished) excluding the final letter (not quite finished) T
|
PAS (a step, especially in ballet)
|
| 27
|
Famous swimmer, with little fat, taking on the German (7)
|
LEAN (with little fat) + DER (one of the forms of ‘the’ in German)
|
LEANDER (reference the story of HERO and LEANDER from Greek mythology. LEANDER would swim across the Hellespont everynight to be with HERO)
|
| 28
|
In cloudy conditions? No way of operating where clouds occur (3)
|
SMOKY (in cloudy conditions, e.g. in a cloud of SMOKE) excluding (no) MO (modus operandi [latin]; way of working)
|
SKY (where clouds occur)
|
| 29
|
Sure oar finally grabbed by crew? Look over there (4,5)
|
(YES [sure] + R [last letter of {finally} OAR]) contained in (grabbed by) EIGHT (crew of one variant of a rowing boat)
E (YES R) IGHT |
EYES RIGHT (look to the right; over there)
|
| Down | |||
| 1
|
Economy interrupted by Lenin’s first centre of revolution (4)
|
AXE (ruthless cutting down of expenditure; economy) containing (interrupted by) L (first letter of [first] LENIN)
AX (L) E |
AXLE (the pin or rod in the nave of a wheel on or by means of which the wheel turns; centre of revolution)
|
| 2
|
Timeless scandal to fade from view (4)
|
STINK (furore; scandal) excluding (…less) T (time)
|
SINK (fade from view)
|
| 3
|
South American city, as far as we’re concerned, is wildly colourful (7)
|
RIO (RIO de Janiero; South American city) + TO US (as far as we’re concerned)
|
RIOTOUS (wildly colourful)
|
| 4
|
Religious folk learn thus, after conversion (9)
|
Anagram of (after conversion) LEARN THUS
|
LUTHERANS (followers of Martin LUTHER [1483 – 1546] German Protestant reformer or his doctrines; religious folk)
|
| 5
|
Russian woman‘s article, mostly unpleasant, on continental area (9)
|
A (indefinitie article) + (NASTY [unpleasant] excluding the final letter [mostly]) + ASIA (continental area)
|
ANASTASIA (Russions woman’s name)
|
| 6
|
Remains harbouring traces of extremely needless grudges (7)
|
RESTS (stays; remains) containing (harbouring) (E and N [first letters of {traces of} EXTREMELY and NEEDLESS])
RES (EN) TS |
RESENTS (grudges)
|
| 7
|
Place to go having finally lost money (4)
|
LOO (toilet; place to go) + T (last letter of [finally] LOST)
|
LOOT (money)
|
| 8
|
Early human, in eighth group? (4)
|
SET (group) + H (eighth letter of the alphabet), so SET H could describe the eight group
|
SETH (third son of Adam and Eve; early human)
|
| 12
|
Measure of speed of plater, galloping (8)
|
Anagram of (galloping) OF PLATER
|
TERAFLOP (a unit of processing speed equal to 240 or 1012 floating-point operations per second)
|
| 13
|
Lays out quantities of money for flowering plants (8)
|
Anagram (out) LAYS + SUMS (quantities of money)
ALYS* SUMS |
ALYSSUMS (low-growing, cruciferous plants with white, yellow or mauve flowers)
|
| 14
|
Brave divers releasing one around living ocean, initially (8)
|
VARIOUS (divers) excluding (releasing) I (one) containing (around) (L and O [first letters of {initially} each of LIVING and OCEAN)
VA (LO) ROUS |
VALOROUS (brave)
|
| 15
|
Oriental drama’s opening in fairy celebration (5,3)
|
(EAST [oriental] + D [first letter of {opening] DRAMA]) contained in (in) FAY (poetic word for fairy)
F (EAST D) AY |
FEAST DAY (celebration)
|
| 20
|
Faction losing singular supporter, all going to plan (7)
|
SIDE (faction) excluding (losing) S (singular) + ALLY (supporter)
|
IDEALLY (in a perfect state; all going to plan)
|
| 22
|
University hard by most of the find (7)
|
U (university) + NEAR (hard by) + (THE excluding the final letter [most of] E)
|
UNEARTH (find)
|
| 24
|
Lots of players move fast first to last (5)
|
STEAM (move fast) with the first letter (first) S moved to the end (last)
TEAMS |
TEAMS (lots of players)
|
| 25
|
Indian city is among places I’d hide (5)
|
SIDHI (hidden word in (among) PLACES I’D HIDE)
|
SIDHI (city in the indian state of Madhya Pradesh)
|
Thank you, Duncan. First things first: I enjoyed this one. Mostly accessible clues, with the only word I didn’t know being EBLIS, and a couple I couldn’t parse (including VALOROUS, which is lovely misdirection now that you’ve explained it).
The grid was strange, so there surely must be something going on. Today is the FEAST DAY of St Valentine, but that’s no doubt naff all to do with it. EYES RIGHT at the bottom of the grid is encouraging us to look to the east? No, thought not. Listen, you’re asking the wrong person. I shall drop by later to see if anything has been revealed.
Fun puzzle; thank you to the setter.
Have a heart, folks – I don’t do these mirror symmetries without good reason…
Thanks Duncan
There is indeed a reason for the mirrored grid which includes a Nina. Starting at the middle ‘S’ of 17ac and forming the shape of a heart is the message SAINT VALENTINE’s DAY L’AMOUR.
Hi Phi
We were typing at the same time but I had more to write. Judging by the time-stamps it was touch and go as to which of our comments would appear first.
Hi all
Is there a way I can get hold of the apparently excellent Tyrus puzzle from yesterday’s Independent?
Thanks
Daniel
Hi djawhufc
You will shortly have mail.
Hi Gaufrid
Thanks very much- that was a very quick service.
I’ll look forward to this on my way home from work after already enjoying an excellent Orlando this morning.
All the best
DJA
Very clever from Phi. My excuse for not spotting it is that we Valentine’s day babies tend not to get too excited about all the heart-shaped stuff on 14th February …
Happy Birthday Kathryn’s Dad!
I didn’t spot the nina, but no surprise there. Very clever, and I should have guessed that something was going on with the grid symmetry.
I found this very straightforward for a Phi until I got to 16ac, and EBLIS was my LOI from the wordplay. I spent a while going through the alphabet to see if I could find an alternative to “bliss” for “pleasure” that fitted ?L?SS, and when I couldn’t I entered the answer with fingers crossed.
Another nod to science, maybe, in 21ac and 25ac. Quite a range of topics today, in fact: Sport, Greek mythology, the Old Testament, the Koran, gardening among others. MOUE and EBLIS were new words to me but gettable from the wordplay, as was TERAFLOP which I’d only vaguely heard of before.
Missed the nina – again!
Thanks, Phi and Duncan
Hung up for ages in sw corner after convincing myself that a computer’s speed of processing floating point operations would be its FLOPRATE.
Hi Duncan. Your parsing of 10A is not quite right. It’s the s for second that is ignored.Eblis stymied me here, the little devil, as I’m on the side of the angels.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Thanks Phi for a very enjoyable challenge and Duncan for the blog.
Just the tiniest of grumbles on 11ac. The answer was obvious, but I am not completely happy with “not in” as an indicator for the removal of only one of two occurrences of the letters IN consecutively in TINTIN. As always, I have no quarrel with those whose views on this sort of thing differ from mine.
GeordyGordy@13
Thanks – blog now corrected
I think Pelham’s gripe about 11 could have been fixed by putting the word one before in, the surface and clue would still work.
great Nina phi, missed it of course. Thanks Duncan and happy birthday to KsD.
We thought there must be something going on today when we saw the unusual grid but failed to find the heart! Could we use the excuse that it is late……….. no perhaps not!
Thanks Phi, we hadn’t come across SHAPE for jelly before or EBLIS for the devil. Yiu learn something new everyday with crosswords!
Thanks Duncan for the blog and the highlighted grid – very impressive!