As always, a neat and pleasant crossword from Phi, with not a superfluous word so far as I can see (except perhaps in 4dn). I can’t quite see 16dn, but no doubt there will be plenty of suggestions.
Yesterday’s plea for fewer Ninas and more vanilla crosswords seems to have been answered very quickly. But a) if it is Nina-free then this is obviously a coincidence and b) I expect it isn’t really Nina-free. It seldom is with Phi.
Definitions underlined.
Across
5 Publish octet excitedly following a particular skill in music (8,5)
ABSOLUTE PITCH
a (publish octet)*
8 Camp very warm – work suspended while warmth’s accommodated (10)
THEATRICAL
t(heat)r{op}ical
9 Group abandoning final search (4)
COMB
Comb{o} — at least that’s what I think: I can’t think of any other five-letter group that starts COMB
10 Dispute about cut-down hat and shoe (8)
STILETTO
s(til{e})et-to
12 Canadian city very much distant? Not entirely (6)
OTTAWA
OTT awa{y}
13 Good to be in Scottish town, coming back for grouse (6)
NIGGLE
(Elg(g)in)rev.
15 Sensational writer, one really impressive (but name’s forgotten) (6)
STOKER
sto{n}ker — ref Bram Stoker
17 Confused radio description of ruler’s power (6)
THROWN
“throne”
18 Cabinet presenting combat doctor with honour (8)
WARDROBE
war Dr. OBE
20 Video game’s greeting omitting one line (4)
HALO
Hal{l}o — this game
21 Considerate, proper love – what’s very much our thing about that? (10)
SOLICITOUS
so (licit o) us — licit = proper — what’s very much our thing is so us
23 Founder of attraction reviewed sad museum data (6,7)
MADAME TUSSAUD
(sad museum data)*
Down
1 A Hindu deity, not very apparent in area around China? (4)
ASIA
a Si{v}a
2 Blood, litre filling mark of cut (6)
CLARET
c(l)aret — a caret, apart from being that thing on the computer screen, is a mark to show something is omitted
3 Specify type of wheat cut by hooligan (5,3)
SPELL OUT
spel(lout)t spel{t} lout [Thanks William F P]
4 Inventory expert changing tack, having 15 round about (10)
STOCKTAKER
Stoker (which is 15ac) around (tack)* — one of the words ’round’ and ‘about’ is superfluous, but the clue is still accurate, merely suggesting that 15ac should be reversed
5 Boost area this month with reinvigoration (1,4,2,3,3)
A SHOT IN THE ARM
(area this month)*
6 Inhabitant supporting workers’ representatives in US city (6)
TUCSON
TUC son — Chambers gives son = inhabitant — son as in ‘The City’s Son’, that series of books by Tom Pollock. As Google tells me.
7 Rome had soured around Wednesday? Jump on a return flight (8-5)
HOMEWARD-BOUND
(Rome had)* round W; bound [= jump]
11 Classic picture showing lagoon polluted with acid (2,8)
LA GIOCONDA
(lagoon acid)* — referring to this painting (yes, that sort of picture) — years ago many competitors in The Times Solving Championship (back in the days when I didn’t realise how good some competitors were) got a qualifying puzzle wrong because they spelled this ‘La Giaconda’.
14 The writer supports orchestra accommodating individual solo (8)
LONESOME
L(one)SO me — London Symphony Orchestra
16 Dim person accepting a lot of crime, say, not being bright (6)
TWILIT
twi(li?)t or is it tw(il?)it? — in neither case can I think what the crime is: ill? lie?
19 Recreation less ignored by student when college is closed? (6)
RECESS
rec. {l}ess
22 Go to carry a platter (4)
TRAY
tr(a)y
*anagram
Either I was really on form this morning or this was very much towards the easier end of Phi’s spectrum, but it was still an enjoyable solve. HALO was my LOI after LA GIOCONDA.
As far as 16dn is concerned, I read it as IL(L) inside TWIT.
No, I can’t see a nina or a theme either.
It being Phi, I did actually remember to look for a theme or nina but no, I can’t see one either. Hadn’t heard of HALO as a game (where have I been all this time?) but it was easy enough to guess from the clue.
Thanks, Phi and John
Andy B @1: HALO and LA GIOCONDA were actually about my first in – just goes to show. But I too spelt 11dn wrong so I was a bit thrown by 17ac. 🙂 21ac was my LOI.
A light relief after yesterday’s puzzle.
We started looking for a Simon and Garfunkle theme after 7d (a song from our early courting days!) but couldn’t see anything.
Thanks to John and Phi.
This was ridiculously easy for a daily Indy cryptic. It could really have done with a theme or a Nina to spice up the solver experience and delay us for more than ten minutes. What the hell is the editor thinking about?
Joking, joking … it was just right for a sunny Friday after a week of ouch! moments. I specially liked 3dn, because it gives me a chance to share my little lad’s latest joke:
Q: Why can coeliacs only count to seven in French?
A: Because they can’t tolerate wheat.
And on the French theme, I never get LA GIOCONDA wrong, because in French it’s LA JOCONDE. However, putting an O in OTTOWA didn’t help the completion message …
Thanks to Phi and John. The vanilla was delicious.
Yes – a very pure puzzle. Many thanks to Phi, and John for blog.
Just a thought on 3dn, John. Have you possibly one too many ‘t’s? Should it be simply SPEL(“type of wheat cut”) “by” LOUT(“hooligan”)?
KsD very nice little joke. Wish I’d done this apparently the Indy didn’t get to Reading this morning and I had to make do with Jambazi.
… or you didn’t get to Reading the lndy. Blow me if l can see the joke unless it refers to there being no Nina, but l enjoyed the crossword as usual. Thanks Phi and John.
No Nina. I keep pointing out that I don’t have Ninas quite a bit of the time… After last week’s jaunt to Tuesday, it seemed reasonable to have an ordinary one.