We’re having quite a kerfuffle this morning. Because of ‘technical difficulties’, the puzzle in the paper by Phi isn’t the same as this one. So having never blogged a Phi puzzle before, I’ve now blogged two in one day. Not a great burden, because he’s one of my favourite setters. All pretty straighforward, with just one unusual word.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letters removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Fortifications – to give you heart?
EARTHWORKS
A reverse anagram thingy. If you take WORKS as an anagrind, then it gives you ‘heart’.
8/9 What could make the cello panel buzz?
TELEPHONE CALL
(THE CELLO PANEL)* with ‘what could make’ as the anagrind. ‘Give me a buzz tomorrow.’
10 Inventor‘s team back working
EDISON
A charade of SIDE reversed and ON for Thomas.
11 Scope to limit expert censure
REPROACH
An insertion of PRO in REACH.
13 Prosperous bloke in sporting organisation rejected discretion
FAT CAT
A charade of FA for the football ‘organisation’ (and I use the inverted commas deliberately) and TACT reversed. Far too much footie in the Indy.
14 Queen remains holding new sceptre initially – bold behaviour
RASHNESS
A charade of R for ‘queen’ or Regina and an insertion of N in ASHES followed by the first letter of ‘sceptre’. Is being rash being bold? Discuss.
17 One shoots a little, not at first a lot? Not entirely
RIFLEMAN
Two letter removals: [T]RIFLE MAN[Y].
19 Woman chasing power seizing Young Conservative’s soul
PSYCHE
A charade of P for ‘power’ and an insertion of YC in SHE.
21 Sexual practice adopted by that girl and wild farm worker
HERDSMAN
There was a clue about getting your end away in Phi’s puzzle in the paper version. Is the man sex-crazed today? An insertion of SM for sado-masochism in HER and (AND)* It’s funny, because I had reason to call the S&M helpline the other day. Nobody answered. They were probably all tied up.
23 Swordsman to be beheaded in hour? A dreadful prospect
HORROR
ZORRO, the flashing blade, loses his head and is inserted into HR. I don’t want to dwell on beheadings at the minute.
25/26 Unusual zeal to corner latest in crime – such a policy?
ZERO TOLERANCE
(ZEAL TO CORNER)* plus E for the last letter of ‘crime’.
27 White mineral ground up each summer
MEERSCHAUM
(EACH SUMMER)* It’s sometimes found floating on the Black Sea, which is why it’s the German for ‘sea foam’. It’s used to make pipes.
Down
1 English wise to imprison detective working in spying
ESPIONAGE
An insertion of PI (Private Investigator or ‘detective’) and ON for ‘working’ in E SAGE.
2 Demonstration tossing leader from top of building
ROOF
[P]ROOF
3 Here I am, after travelling, receiving a greeting in New Zealand
HAEREMAI
(HERE I AM)* My last in, and even then I had to check online to make sure that it was right. Some online sources give it as two words – HAERE MAI – but since Phi lives in New Zealand, I think we can safely assume that this version is also acceptable. It’s a Maori greeting, meaning ‘come hither’. More sex.
4 Most of Across anagrams getting award
OSCAR
(ACROS[S])* ‘Anagram’ can also be a verb.
5 Knock off reduced challenge in part of Ireland
KILDARE
A charade of KIL[L] and DARE. A beautiful part of the world.
6 Dickensian villain appearing as guide abroad
STEERFORTH
I’m not much into Dickens, so was pleased to get this from the wordplay: STEER and FORTH. From David Copperfield.
7 Factory receiving one statement of grievance
PLAINT
An insertion of I in PLANT. It’s a French word and is used in English mainly in a legal sense, I think.
12 More than one inn hurries to secure working ostler
HOSTELRIES
An insertion of (OSTLER)* in HIES.
15 Curious language’s turned up in that fellow’s statistical output?
HISTOGRAM
A reversal of ARGOTS in HIM. I’ve always understood ARGOT to be slang or vernacular (it’s another word we’ve nicked from French), so why ‘curious’?
16 Stellar celebration by top officer about end of conflict
GALACTIC
A charade of GALA and T in CIC for Commander In Chief.
18 For sea trips, excursion’s beginning from islands
FAROESE
(FOR SEA)* followed by E for the first letter of ‘excursion’.
20 Solar feature firm on entering sun
CORONA
I was thinking we hadn’t had an astronomical clue from Phi for a bit. A charade of CO and ON in RA, for the sun god.
22 Thoroughly search special sports venue, saving a little time
SCOUR
A charade of S and COUR[T]
24 Insect following first person not last
FLEA
I got fixated on ‘first person’ being I or ME, but in fact it’s a charade of F and LEA[D]. Like the LEAD in an athletics race, I guess.
Thank you again to Phi for this one. Why ‘again’? Because if you think you’ve already seen this puzzle, that’s probably because you have – here. Which explains the numeration of 7177. Normal service resumes tomorrow, one presumes.
HAEREMAI was also my LOI, and I needed aids to get it. If I did this puzzle when it was first published I almost certainly needed aids for it then as well.
Steerforth is hardly the villain of D Copperfield. U Heep most certainly is and the stepfather in part one is the second nastiest. Steerforth has as many good points as bad.
Well, FORTH is in my thesaurus under the sense AWAY