Independent 9,026 by Phi

by

[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

As usual Phi has given us a neat efficient crossword with some very nice clues. As I have said before, he is often a bit tricky to get started on and then when you look back afterwards it all seems so simple, as witness the large number of answers that have been parsed in just one term, and I don’t think that’s because I’m in a bit of a hurry to complete this since I have a message from Norton telling me that they must fix a threat which is high risk, and the whole thing may explode before the blog is completed.

There seems to be something astronomical going on: we have Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, also spheric, which may be relevant, also mystic, magician and warriors.  Planets suite …? But there is no Saturn or Venus etc. apparently so something is happening that I’m only halfway towards. Any offers?

Across
1 AS THE CASE MAY BE
Easy sports with beach teams, depending on circumstances (2,3,4,3,2)

(Easy beach teams)* — ‘sports’ is the anagram indicator
8 RETAILERS
People complaining about SF movie shops (9)

r(ET)ailers
9 PLUTO
Head of Pixar left out misguided cartoon character (5)

P{ixar} l (out)*
11 WARRIORS
Arriving, I will be mobbed by most of less competent fighters (8)

 w(arr. I)ors{e}
12 URANUS
God, universal god, recalling what he represents (6)

U Ra (sun)rev. —  Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun-god
14 SPHERIC
Describing ball in second movie involving that woman (7)

s p(her)ic — not a word I knew even existed, and it seems to mean just the same as spherical
15 RENEWER
Reduced opening on jug – repairman perhaps here (7)

ren{t} ewer
17 KEY
Important conclusions from work force survey (3)

{wor}k {forc}e {surve}y
18 NEPTUNE
Writer backed work of composer as No. 1 in the main (7)

(pen)rev. tune — main = sea, so the sea-god
20 SIGNAGE
Crew is going over last of vague road markings? (7)

(gang is)rev. {vagu}e
22 MYSTIC
My critical comments not entirely representative of weird activities (6)

my stic{k}
24 MAGICIAN
Wizard publication here in France, with covers from American (8)

mag ici A{merica}n — definition by example I think
27 NAOMI
No security organisation will bring in a woman (5)

N(a)o MI — as in MI5 etc.
28 PUSH ALONG
Leave us and Henry beset by bad smell (4,5)

p(us Hal)ong
29 HOPE FOR THE BEST
Fellow securing work on castle outside historic city to display positive attitude (4,3,3,4)

H(op)e for(Thebes)t — and for the second time in the Acrosses ‘A on B’ gives AB not BA — has the Indy changed its policy on this?
Down
1 ARROW
One indicates school dismissing head (5)

{H}arrow
2 TUTORSHIP
Trip south involved in getting university job (9)

(Trip south)*
3 EDIFIER

One guides journey uphill, stifling outraged cry (7)

“fie!” in (ride)rev.
4 AGE-BRACKET
A request taken up over criminal activity in teens or twenties? (3-7)

a (beg)rev. racket
5 EAST
Bidder, perhaps, participating in sale as thought (4)

Hidden in salE AS Thought
6 ASPIRIN
Medicine I start to require during a dizzy spell (7)

a sp(I r{equire})in
7 BRUIN
Bear book getting no success (5)

b ruin
10 OBSERVE
Notice heads, with a couple changing places (7)

obverse with the v and the s changing places
13 CRYSTAL SET
Radio report’s latest broadcast (7,3)

cry’s (latest)*
14 SANDMAN
Kinky sex: an unpleasant notion for kids? (7)

(S and M) an
16 WEARISOME
Attention is absorbed by a lot of females of limited attraction? (9)

w(ear is)ome{n}
19 UTILISE
Pointless ignoring fellow capturing one’s exploit (7)

{f}util(1’s)e
21 GRIMACE
Discontented look: I’m tucking in during precursor to meal (7)

gr(I’m)ace
23 SLO-MO
Male aboard light boat mostly going at low speed (3-2)

slo(m)o{p}
25 NIGHT
Weak upturns after investment by Government? A dark time (5)

G in (thin)rev.
26 OPPO
Equivalent pages in middle of book (4)

pp in {b}oo{k}
*anagram

10 comments on “Independent 9,026 by Phi”

  1. Nice and neat sums this Phi Friday offering up very nicely.

    I too looked for more planetary links without success.

    Thanks to Phi and John

  3. I see we’ve even got Pluto the Renewer – Colin Matthews’ addition to Holst’s suite. Pluto, of course hadn’t been discovered when Holst composed his suite, and has since been downgraded to dwarf planet status. Perhaps as well as Matthews’ piece hasn’t really caught on.

    OBSERVE was my CoD for its subtle use of ‘heads’.

    Thanks, Phi and John.

  4. Thanks for blogging, John. Well, I saw the planets, but had completely forgotten about the previous Phi puzzle with the other ones (excluding EARTH) so well done Cyborg for remembering that.

    Cyborg is perhaps too modest to reveal the exact theme, but for dummies like me I will do so: PLUTO is the RENEWER; URANUS is the MAGICIAN; and NEPTUNE is the MYSTIC, and it’s all to do with Holst’s Planet Suite.

    That’s two weeks running that I have spotted a Phi nina. Can I have my prize now, please? Bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to the usual address would be appropriate.

    Good weekend to all.

  5. Not my place to criticise K’s D (ever) and my knowledge of Western European Art Music is scanty, but Holst didn’t include Pluto, not least because it hadn’t been discovered when he wrote the suite. OTOH Colin Matthews appended a ‘Pluto’, so I suppose it is alright.

    Back under my stone now.

  7. I’m just luxuriating in the glow of having spotted a second Phi nina, Conrad. But you and Allan are obviously right, because you know much more about classical music than me (which isn’t that hard). Poor Pluto – downgraded after all these years. But it has had a recent fly-past from New Horizons, which has revealed some astonishing images. And Charon, one of its moons, has been a gift to setters for a long while. So perhaps it’s not feeling too sorry for itself.

  8. So here is the sequel! Well done Cyborg. Like Kathryn’s Dad I spotted the planets but had forgotten the former puzzle, guess we are in the same AGE-BRACKET.

    Thanks Phi for the usual Phiday fun, and John for a very helpful blog.

  9. Many clues we’re beyond me so thanks to both (especially blogger). I looked at the answer to 1a and got going again.

  10. There is one more item, since Colin Matthews wasn’t the only composer to produce a Pluto movement. However, the news of the Matthews piece did persuade the NZ composer Gareth Farr to make his Warriors from Pluto a standalone piece. I thought I should throw that in as otherwise I only had three planets in this one as opposed to five last time.

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