Independent 8948 – Phi

by

Phi is back to his usual slot this week, and it’s us blogging again!

 

After our last blog which was also a Phi, we checked his own blog about the hidden theme which we (along with the other commenters) had missed. He mentioned that there was another hidden theme in his next Indy puzzle with 7 (or maybe even 8 themed items if, according to Phi, you don’t have a ‘clean mind’). Despite this we’ve failed (again!) to find it. We can’t help but think that it may be connected with 8d and 21ac, but we can’t find any link other than their classical origins and that they are two of the eight forenames of a fictional TV character.

Does anyone out there have any thoughts?

Across
1   Drinks hard to get from vessels
SIPS ShIPS (vessels) with ‘h’ (hard) removed
3   Purloined six?
ABSTRACTED Double definition – ‘six’ refers to 6d
9   Covers losing first crop
OATS cOATS (covers) without or ‘losing’ the first letter
10   Sweet treat, say, good thing to chew – excellent when swallowed
EGG CUSTARD EG (say) G (good) CUD (thing to chew) round or ‘swallowing’ STAR (excellent)
12   Could primarily be a man and a girl not getting it together properly?
MARIAGE BLANC An anagram of C (first or ‘primary’ letter of ‘could’) BE A MAN and A GIRL – the surface of the clue acts as an anagrind – a new phrase for us, apparently meaning ‘unconsumated’
15   Expressing moods by embracing cross
BROODY BY round or ‘embracing’ ROOD (cross)
16   Prescribed way shows bouncer throwing out naval man
TRAMLINE TRAMpoLINE (bouncer) without or ‘throwing out’ PO (Petty Officer – naval man)
18   “Look! Snake without tail” (one points)
LASER PEN LA (look!) SERPENt (snake) with the last letter or ‘tail’ omitted
19   Good weather not initially without rain? That’s not right
UNFAIR sUN (good weather) without the first letter or ‘not initially’ FAIR (without rain)
21   Character in Greek play mucked up calmest entry
CLYTEMNESTRA An anagram of CALMEST ENTRY – anagrind is ‘mucked up’
24   Resort attractions employ blokes in small quantities
AMUSEMENTS USE (employ) MEN (blokes) in AMTS (abbreviation of ‘amounts’ or ‘small quantities’)
25   Avoid love
DUCK Double definition
26   Businessmen with contacts knew resort needs redevelopment
NETWORKERS An anagram of KNEW RESORT – anagrind is ‘needs redevelopment’
27   Go second in heat?
SHOT S (second) HOT (in heat)
Down
1   Phone number in broadcast at first identifying sleigh
SNOWMOBILE MOBILE (phone) with N (number) in SOW (broadcast) at first
2   College poseur collapsed with the end of course
PETERHOUSE An anagram of POSEUR with THE and E (last letter or ‘end’ of ‘course’) – anagrind is ‘collapsed’
4   Urge to tuck into some meat arising on a larger scale
BIGGER EGG (urge) in RIB (some meat) all reversed or ‘arising’
5   Rugby players, perhaps forwards, missing first two when crossing line
TACKLERS atTACKERS (forwards) without or ‘missing’ first two letters round or ‘crossing’ L (line)
6   Forgetful man’s indebted for correction
ABSENT-MINDED An anagram of MAN’S INDEBTED – anagrind is ‘for correction’
7   Start to trim headgear, the one over there
THAT T (first letter or ‘start’ to ‘trim’) HAT (headgear)
8   Classic lover cheated on love
DIDO DID (cheated) O (love)
11   Bullfighting’s foremost idol working with learner bullfighter
BANDERILLERO An anagram of B (first or ‘foremost’ letter of ‘bullfighting’s’) IDOL and LEARNER – anagrind is ‘working’
13   Sadly, much as I do to secure profit, ultimately…I haven’t got this
MIDAS TOUCH An anagram of MUCH AS I DO (anagrind is ‘sadly’) round or ‘securing’ T (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of ‘profit’)
14   Set aside for use in speculation when prices fall
BEAR MARKET EARMARK (set aside for use) in BET (speculation)
17   High point is capturing ash, say, in smokiness of whisky
PEAT-REEK PEAK (high point) round or ‘capturing’ TREE (ash, say)
20   Poor actor, out of touch, right at bottom of heap?
EMOTER REMOTE (out of touch) with the ‘r’ moved to the end or ‘bottom of heap’
22   Note and other notes picked up as an opener
DAWN N (note) WAD (other notes) all reversed or ‘picked up’
23   Inexplicably popular League in version of movie
CULT L (League) in CUT (version of movie)

 

17 comments on “Independent 8948 – Phi”

  1. Thanks B&J, and a due forelock tug to Phi.

    I can’t see anything more than you I am afraid, and await further enlightenment avidly.

    Re 12 across, une nuit blanche is a sleepless night, so white must have a special meaning for the French Pierre will know.

  3. If, according to Phi, you don’t have a ‘clean mind’, the short answers in each corner either differ by one letter from, or are anagrams of, various bodily functions or parts not usually referred to in polite company. I’ll say no more.

    Thanks, Phi and B&J

  5. Thanks allan_c for putting us out of our misery. Thanks also to Heather – we will correct the blog when we are home this evening.

  6. I’m really not suggesting this seriously (despite mot having a clean mind), but at one time I had at bottom r _U_K and _H_T and at bottom l _U_T and a few other words, or formations, that could, if one strained, be suggestive.

    I dare not say any more.

  9. Bravo allan_c and gwep! You noted too, I trust, that all the options were available via an unchecked letter, so no slips of the pen, please. The eighth was OATS, which I hadn’t intended as a misprint for OATH, but there you go.

  10. I found this chewier than a lot of Phi’s puzzles. I needed to use aids to check whether the bullfighter was a BANDERILLERO or a “bandirellero”, and I failed at 22dn where I had entered an unconfident “naan”. It kind of worked for me because I have had a naan as an Indian starter (opener) in the past and it fitted the wordplay, but only if you ignore the fact that it is a palindrome and therefore has no need for the reversal indicator in the clue. When I didn’t get the congratulatory message I used aids and got the correct DAWN. I thought the clue for MARIAGE BLANC was excellent but it took me ages to get it as I didn’t know the expression.

  11. Thanks, both. Enjoyed the puzzle, although the theme completely passed me by, as I’m sure it would have passed by the thousands of other folk who do the Indy and have never discovered the delights of 225 and aren’t as obsessive as we are.

    When Phi uses ‘pisspoor’ or ‘wank’ as an anagrind in an Indy puzzle, then we’ll know he’s taken over Cyclops’ mantle. Until then …

    Pierre hasn’t responded to Conrad’s request, so I will just say, as an improving learner of the French language, that I had never heard of MARIAGE BLANC. My mind is too clean, clearly. What’s the point of going through all that white dress rigmarole if you can’t get your leg over on your wedding night?

    Fine puzzle from Phi. Thanks to him as well, and good weekend to all.

  12. Stuck on 12ac, LOI, I finally wrote in MARGATE FLING – which, although I couldn’t parse it, and it isn’t a phrase in usage, I was nevertheless pleased with:-)

  13. Maybe I’m puerile, but that’s my kind of hidden surprise! Nice one, Phi.
    I, too, noticed the deliberate missing m in “unconsummated” and assumed it to be a genteel Franglish balance for the missing r in “mariage”; in any case, it would be churlish to mention it….
    Thanks all three (and the smut-spotters)

  14. Perhaps my mind is cleaner than I thought – a couple of the seven(?) escape me. Dare the great New Zealander enlighten?

  15. Expat, please.

    BROODY, DUCK, SHOT, BIGGER, THAT, DAWN and CULT can all be creatively misprinted in unchecked squares. OATS I’ve mentioned, although I should also note preferring DIDO over DADO or DUDE, as a sort of thematic continuation…

    Sunday 21st’s Beelzebub actually has a clue starting ‘Discredited language…’

  16. Thanks. My observing confined to cornered four-letter words – I’d wondered whether your vituperative education was broader than mine. Have also learnt you’re proud to be British – I guess that’s pretty wholesome!

  17. [PS My opinion, for what it’s worth (possibly little), is that this is more Nina than hidden theme….and nicely Phi!]

Comments are closed.