Phi is one of the most prolific setters in the Independent stable. While Friday is his regular weekday slot, he does also appear on Saturdays in the Inquisitor series where he has contributed nearly forty puzzles.
This was a good solid puzzle from Phi today. I can’t see a theme or a message. We also seem to be three letters short of a pangram – J, Q and Z.
The word play varied from the fairly simple, e.g. TWITTERING (8 down) and TAKING (24 down) to the very detailed as in MALADROIT (12 across) and VIOLIN (4 down)
I didn’t understand all the word play when solving the puzzle, but the discipline of blogging usually solves all the outstanding issues.
My favourite clues today were those for BAUHAUS (17 across) with its repeated use of AU [gold], EMERITI (20 across) because of the definition -academics of yore, VIOLIN (3 down) because of its many component parts and MOBILE HOME (13 down) for its clever use of phone-in to define the two constituent parts.
First in today was ANGEL (11 across) and the last one in was SPINIFEX (19 down)
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 9
|
New idea -demolishing pub – gets good reception (7)
|
INNOVATION (new idea) excluding (demolishing) INN (pub)
|
OVATION (enthusiastic reception)
|
| 10
|
Are fliers its most appropriate form of publicity? (7)
|
AIRSHOW (fliers are advertising leaflets [often spelt flyers])
|
AIRSHOW (flying display; somewhere flyers/fliers will be demonstrating their talents)
|
| 11
|
One may sponsor a new set (5)
|
A + N + GEL (set)
|
ANGEL (sponsor / financier of theatrical ventures)
|
| 12
|
Clumsy guy, coming in to spoil love and sex (5)
|
LAD (guy) contained in (coming in to) (MAR [spoil] + O [love; zero score in tennis]) + IT [sex appeal])
MA (LAD) R O IT |
MALADROIT (clumsy)
|
| 13
|
Blokes in general lacking central parts of membranes (9)
|
MEN (blokes) + IN + (GENERAL excluding lacking] the middle three letters [central parts] NER)
|
MENINGEAL (of the three membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord)
|
| 15
|
A story about name of Dior’s design (1-4)
|
(A + LIE [story]) containing (about) N (name)
A LI (N) E |
A-LINE (of clothing, narrow at the top and widening evenly to a full hemline. Christian Dior’s designs made extensive use of the A-LINE)
|
| 17
|
UK store incorporating repeated indications of gold inspired by German art school (7)
|
BHS (British Home Stores; a UK department store) containing (incorporating) AU (chemical symbol for Gold) twice (repeated)
B (AU) H (AU) S |
BAUHAUS (a German school of art and architecture [1919 – 1933] having as its aim the integration of art and technology in design)
|
| 20
|
I weary with the writer recalling those academics of yore (7)
|
( I + TIRE [weary] + ME [the writer]) all reversed (recalling)
(EM ERIT I)< |
EMERITI (people honourably retired from public service; often applied to academic professors; academics of yore)
|
| 22
|
Individual found between opposing sides? (5)
|
ONE (individual) contained in (found between) ( L [left] + R [right] – opposing sides)
L (ONE) R |
LONER (a person who prefers to act on his or her own and not to have close friends or confidential relationships; one not belonging to sides or factions) &Lit clue?
|
| 23
|
It’s wrong to involve number in burying (9)
|
(IT + ERRING [wrong] – it’s wrong) containing (to involve) N (number)
I (N) T ERRING |
INTERRING (burying)
|
| 26
|
Despondent, being with this care, possibly by end of week (9)
|
Anagram of (possibly) THIS CARE + K (last letter of [end of] WEEK)
HEARTSIC* K |
HEARTSICK (despondent)
|
| 28
|
Being drawn round, currently circling rear of hut (2,3)
|
O (round shape) + (NOW containing [circling] T [last letter of {rear of} HUT])
O N (T) OW |
ON TOW (being drawn)
|
| 30
|
Former speed challenge needing most from new engine? (7)
|
MACH I (the challenge to break the sound barrier by reaching a speed of MACH 1 may not be very difficult to achieve now, but it was once a real challenge; former speed challenge) + NE (2 of the 3 letters of [most from] NEW)
|
MACHINE (an ENGINE is an example of a MACHINE)
|
| 31
|
Note expected regarding birth, about heart of young shaver, ultimately (7)
|
NATAL (regarding birth) containing (about) (U [middle letter of {heart of} YOUNG] + R [last letter of {ultimately} SHAVER])
NAT (U R) AL |
NATURAL (a tone or note in music that is neither sharp not flat)
|
| Down | |||
| 1
|
Courts backing America (4)
|
FOR (backing) + A (America)
|
FORA (enclosed spaces; courts; sometimes courts of law in times past)
|
| 2
|
Runs into crazy, crazy nut, one on a substantial scale (10)
|
(R [runs in cricket scoring notation] contained in [into] GAGA [crazy]) + an anagram of (crazy) NUT + AN (one)
GA (R) GA NTU* AN |
GARGANTUAN (on a substantial scale)
|
| 3
|
Verse 1’s working, including line 1 – it produces music (6)
|
V (verse) + I (1) + (ON [working] containing [including] [L {line} + I {1}])
V I O (L I) N |
VIOLIN (musical instrument)
|
| 4
|
A vote against member that is expressing lack of purpose (6)
|
A + NO (a vote against) + M (member) + IE (id est; that is)
|
ANOMIE (a condition of hopelessness caused or characterized by breakdown of rules of conduct and loss of belief and sense of purpose)
|
| 5
|
Headless giant captured by wan English artist (4,4)
|
(HULK [big person; giant] excluding the first letter [headless]) contained in (captured by) (PALE [wan] + E [English])
PA (UL K) LE E |
PAUL KLEE (reference PAUL KLEE [1879 – 1940], Swiss artist)
|
| 6
|
Successful student in pair shortly tucking into jar (8)
|
(DUAL [twofold; pair] excluding the final letter [shortly]) L contained in (tucking into) GRATE (jar)
GRA (DUA) TE |
GRADUATE (successful student)
|
| 7
|
Scare away sign of growth with cut (4)
|
SHOOT (sign of growth) excluding the final letter (cut) T
|
SHOO (exclamation used to scare away)
|
| 8
|
Sound of humour about women’s gossipy voices? (10)
|
TITTERING (sound of humour) containing (about) W (women)
T (W) ITTERING |
TWITTERING (a succession of small tremulous noises such as generated by gossipy voices)
|
| 13
|
Feature of caravanning that’s apparent in phone-in? (6,4)
|
MOBILE (phone) + HOME (in)
|
MOBILE HOME (feature of caravanning)
|
| 14
|
Animal manure that’s not opened up (3)
|
(DUNG [manure] excluding the first letter [not opened]) reversed (up; down clue)
GNU< |
GNU (large African antelope; animal)
|
| 16
|
Starting one with a fool (one with a Conservative in support) (10)
|
I (one) + NIT (fool) + I (one) + A + TORY (Conservative)
|
INITIATORY (starting)
|
| 18
|
Transport centre‘s attitude’s a blunder (8)
|
AIR’S (attitude’s) + TRIP (lapse; blunder)
|
AIRSTRIP (runway; transport centre)
|
| 19
|
Sharp grass: there’s point provided in it (8)
|
(PIN [point] + IF [provided]) contained in (in) SEX (it)
S (PIN IF) EX |
SPINIFEX (sharp-pointed Australian grass)
|
| 21
|
Friend having no time for buxom actress? (3)
|
MAE (friend) excluding (having no) T (time)
|
MAE (reference MAE West, [1893 – 1980], actress and sex symbol)
|
| 24
|
Stealing reduced amount of gate money (6)
|
TAKINGS (amount of gate money) excluding the final letter (reduced) S
|
TAKING (stealing)
|
| 25
|
Places to sit, special in origin (6)
|
S (special) contained in (n) ROOTS (origin)
ROO (S) TS |
ROOSTS (places for resting birds; places to sit)
|
| 27
|
Heading off demo, showing cunning (4)
|
MARCH (demonstration; demo) excluding the first letter (heading off) M
|
ARCH (cunning)
|
| 29
|
King’s rule keeping up pace (4) | (K [king] + LAW [rule]) all reversed (keeping up)
(WAL K)< |
WALK (pace)
|
No theme, eh?
Do you know if it’s possible to get a print off version of this crossword, please?
Phi @ 1
Spurred by your comment, a quick internet search shows links between PAUL KLEE [5 down], BAUHAUS [17 across], ANGEL [11 across] and TWITTERING MACHINE [8 down & 30 across]. There seems to be a series of paintings by KLEE with ANGEL or ANGELS in the title.
Probably there are more allusions in the grid and/or the clues. I’ll leave solvers with a greater arts knowledge than me to find them.
Taking a line for a walk?
Taking a line for a walk?
I am sure I posted this before.
Taking a line for a walk.
Third time lucky with this post?
almw3@2
Go to http://www.crosswordsolver.info/ and download the Crossword Solver software that you will find there
Install the software and run it.
Select File, Download puzzle to get the Independent cryptic and concise puzzles.
Once the puzzle has downloaded you will see a print icon in the Crossword Solver menu bar.
“Taking..a-line…fora…walk”! Klee’s famous quote! I actually spotted something!
Muffyword @4,5,6
For some reason your comments were intercepted by Akismet, the spam filter, and I have only just seen them in the moderation queue. Sorry I wasn’t able to rectify this error sooner.
Thank you very much, duncanshiell
@duncanshiell Worked perfectly!
I do like a Phi, didn’t have time to do it justice which was a shame. Dashed good theme. I first heard the expression in Junior school a long time ago.
Duncan, further to your preamble, Phi is at least half of Beelzebub in the IOS, making his achievement even more impressive.
I found this a little trickier than some of Phi’s recent puzzles, but because the cluing was fair I managed to parse every clue and I got there in the end, with SPINIFEX also my LOI. It took me much too long to see GRADUATE. Another enjoyable Friday even though the theme went over my head, as Phi’s themes almost always do.
Thank you, Duncan.
Enjoyed this one; only a couple of unknown (to me) words in SPINIFEX and ANOMIE. Got PAUL KLEE from the wordplay, but didn’t bother looking for a theme once I’d finished. I’m sure we had TAKING A LINE FOR A WALK in a puzzle fairly recently – in Another Place, perhaps.
I was surprised to find out that BHS is still going; I thought it had gone tits up.
Good weekend to all.
I believe the explanation for 10a would benefit from the addition of: Airs how? But thanks to both, as usual.
Finished! My first one from this paper. Found it a good workout and learnt a new word ‘anomie’ which I got from the clue and looked up. Enjoyed!
Actually ANGEL wasn’t deliberate, but, true, angels were a Klee favourite. PK was also.a VIOLINist of near-concert standard. I was particularly pleased he’d come up with a quote that could be rendered that way.
For the sake of accuracy, rather than any own-trumpet-blowing (though I guess some is inevitable), Phi and the Saturday magazine puzzle go a longer way back than just forty puzzles.
Phi, I take it you refer to the pre-Inquisitor time, especially under Michael Macdonald-Cooper, when the puzzle was usually pink. Happy days.