Phi is occupying his customary end-of-week slot today, Friday the Thirteenth – unlucky for some, perhaps?
Well, not for me, as it turned out, at least not cruciverbally!. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, not least the twist in 12 down clues that added an extra layer of entertainment to the puzzle, without resorting to anything too abstruse or convoluted; in other words, just right for a daily cryptic, in my humble opinion. What’s more, I haven’t seen this particular device used before.
I actually didn’t twig what was happening in the twelve clues until I had solved three of four of them, as I was expecting the entries to form expressions together with their grid numbers, e.g. SLOW ONE and THREE FACE, etc, not one of which seemed at all convincing. It was only when I solved 15 that I realised that it was simpler than that!
The plant at 22 was new to me, as was the word for “sample” at 13A and the verb “still” at 21D. My favourite clues today were 12 and 27, both for their surface reading.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in double-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 09 | LHASA | Asian city identifying US city abbreviation?
L HAS A (=identifying US city abbreviation, i.e. the two letters put together give LA for Los Angeles); Lhasa is the capital of Tibet |
| 10 | AMPHIBIAN | A politician – heartless Scot – something toad-like
A + MP (=politician) + HIB<ern>IAN (=Scot; “heartless” means central – here, 3 – letters are dropped) |
| 11 | WATTEAU | Women having a meal provided by university artist
W (=women) + AT TEA (=having a meal) + U (=university); the reference is to French painter Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) |
| 12 | ABDOMEN | After swallowing bit of beef, notice warning sign – here?
[B<eef> (“bit of” means first letter only) in AD (=notice)] + OMEN (=warning sign) |
| 13 | STOPWATCH | One times a sample, accepting best
TOP (=best) in SWATCH (=sample, i.e. of cloth, carpet) |
| 15 | ENROL | Record number engaged in learning, on reflection
N (=number) in EROL (LORE=learning; “on reflection” indicates reversal); to record is to enrol, register, enlist, etc |
| 16 | LIGHT-HEADEDNESS | Dizzy sensation? Health’s designed for treatment
*(HEALTH’S DESIGNED); “for treatment” is anagram indicator |
| 19 | EAGER | Keen 28 should have a new leader
“Should have a new leader” means the first letter of P-AGER (=entry at 28) is replaced |
| 21 | SPEARHEAD | Here’s a pad, folded – cushioning this point?
*(HERE’S A PAD); “folded” is anagram indicator |
| 22 | FROG-BIT | Redeveloped for UK (not NI), it’s an aquatic plant
*(FOR) + GB (=UK – not NI) + IT; “redeveloped” is anagram indicator; frog-bit is a small aquatic plant, related to the water soldier, but with floating leaves |
| 24 | SOPHIST | Alarm about setter’s tendency initially to be deceptive type
[PHI (=setter, i.e. of this puzzle!) in SOS (=alarm)] + T<endency> (“initially” means first letter only) |
| 27 | SEMICOLON | Timeless emoticons, concocted with line – and this (inter alia)?
*(EMO<t>ICONS + L (=line)); “time (=T) –less” means letter “t” is dropped from anagram, indicated by “concocted”; semicolons, etc are used to produce many emoticons, e.g. 😉 |
| 28 | PAGER | One summons 19 to get a new leader
“To get a new leader” means the first letter of E-AGER (=entry at 19) is replaced |
| Down | ||
| 01 | SLOW[down] | Society’s depressed: recession [the first of 12 clues defined as if followed by their location]
S=society) + L (=low); a slow[down] is a recession; all 12 clues referred to are down clues (“their location”), hence down should be tacked on to the result of the wordplay to complete the word or phrase defined |
| 02 | PART SONG | Clergyman’s good about opening of this choir piece
T<his> (“opening of” means first letter only) in [PARSON (=clergyman) + G (=good)] |
| 03 | FACE [down] | Intimidate female expert
F (=female) + ACE (=expert) |
| 04 | BAGUETTE | Bread and butter mostly decaying with age
*(BUTTE<r> + AGE); “mostly” means last letter dropped; “decaying” is anagram indicator |
| 05 | SPLASH [down] | Band circling place to end long journey
PL (=place) in SASH (=band); to splash down is to land on the sea after a space mission (of spacecraft) |
| 06 | WIND [down] | End calmly, not entirely in a gale
WIND<y> (=in a gale; “not entirely” means last letter dropped) |
| 07 | SIMMER [down] | Become calm and shine a little – that’s not hard
S<h>IMMER (=shine a little; “that’s not hard (=H)” means letter “h” is dropped) |
| 08 | UNENCLOSED | Anagram clues done, keeping number easy to see through?
N (=number) in *(CLUES DONE); “anagram” is – unsurprisingly! – the anagram indicator |
| 13 | SILVERFISH | Insect shrivels if damaged
*(SHRIVELS OF); “damaged” is anagram indicator |
| 14 | WATER [down] | Weaken half of side in conflict
TE<am> (=side; “half of” means 2 of 4 letters only are used) in WAR (=conflict) |
| 15 | EIDER[down] | About to finish up bed cover
RE (=about) + DIE (=finish); “up” indicates vertical reversal |
| 17 | DRESSING[-down] | Reprimand last of band singers after performing badly
<ban>D (“last of” means last letter only) + *(SINGERS); “after performing badly” is anagram indicator |
| 18 | EVENINGS | Still time to bat (ignoring pub) when bad light stops play?
EVEN (=still, as in even/still more) + <inn>INGS (=time to bat, i.e. in cricket; “ignoring pub (=INN)” means the letters “inn” are dropped) |
| 20 | GLOOMY | Make surprised comment about Lake in darkened conditions
L (=Lake) in GO “O MY!” (=male surprised comment) |
| 21 | SETTLE [down] | Still fixed on story one’s abandoned
SET (=fixed) + T<a>LE (=story; “one (=A)’s abandoned” means letter “a” is dropped; (to) “still” is to become still, hence settle down |
| 23 | BACK [down] | Line not participating in sombre retreat
B<l>ACK (=sombre; “line (=L) not participating” means letter “l” is dropped) |
| 25 | PIPE [down] | Bird around piano to become quiet
P (=piano) in PIE (=bird, i.e. a magpie) |
| 26 | TURN [down] | Decline rise of new routine
N (=new) + RUT (=routine); “rise of” indicates vertical reversal; (to) “decline”, e.g. an offer is to turn down, refuse |
Another enjoyable Phi puzzle. I got the gateway answer at 1dn straight away, saw what was probably going on, a few more of the down answers confirmed it, and the rest of the themed answers fell into place fairly quickly. FROG-BIT went in from the wordplay alone, and my last two, ABDOMEN and SOPHIST, took a while to tease out from the wordplay.
Cor where is everyone today? Quite easy once the down bit was spotted, in fact possibly too easy.
Thanks Phi & RR a nice try at something different but didn’t really work for once.
Yes, it is quiet. Didn’t have too much trouble with this, getting most of it done at lunchtime before going out for a walk. Despite trying to confuse myself when I got back, I got the final four.
Indeed, Flashling; where is everyone? Perhaps they’ll appear after sun(down) when they’ve had a chance to cool (down). Personally, I mixed pleasure with pleasure and enjoyed solving this while sunbathing! In the sweaty heat I happened on this exquisite verse (not sure whether Blake, Wordsworth or Shakespeare; someone called William at any rate!)
“You’re a chap living east of Australia
And at setting you’re surely no failure!
You are quite a guy
(Known to solvers as ‘Phi’)
For your clueing I am bound to hail ya!”
A phine puzzle – Fanks Thigh!
And thanks to RR for getting it all ‘down’ so well….
Late on parade, but not because of sunbathing.
I was getting frustrated with this, because I couldn’t understand what was going on. On the point of giving up, I got the DOWN bit and then it all fell out pretty easily.
Nice idea, but as I’ve said before, I’m always happy with a vanilla Phi.
In 21dn, I guess you’d see it in phrases like ‘Still, my trembling heart!’
Even later on parade but alas not because we were enjoying the sun.
Last one in was 4d which took a while to sort out even with all the checking letters.
Thanks Phi and RR!