Phi is back on his normal day
This looks like just a standard crossword puzzle although there are some symmetrically placed entries that could be paired up, e.g. COP and GUN, OMEGA and SIGMA, and FLIGHT and ICARUS. I can’t see any other obvious pairs so it is probably just coincidence.
The entries today were generally well known words. INAMORATA comes up in crosswords fairly often so I knew that one. IRON-MINER is not a word I have used very often but the wordplay was clear. Those two slightly unusual words were also symmetrically placed.
I liked the clues for BOUNCERS and UNICORN
Unusually there were more reversals than anagrams in the wordplay for the clues today.
With all Phi puzzles I wait in anticipation to see if I am told that I have missed a theme or message.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Poor on the rink, perhaps, needing special intervention (4,7)
|
GOOD OFF ICE (a phrase implying the opposite might be true – i.e. poor on the ice [rink]) + S (special)
|
GOOD OFFICES (mediation; intervention)
|
|
7
|
Bluebottle caught with a little work (3)
|
C (caught [by] in cricket scoring notation) + OP (abbreviation for [little] OPUS [work])
|
COP (bluebottle is a slang term for a policeman [COP])
|
|
9
|
Runs from bad -tempered deer (5)
|
MOROSE (sour-tempered) excluding (from) R (runs in cricket scoring notation)
|
MOOSE (American elk; deer)
|
|
10
|
The girl one loves, independent and repulsed at a city dweller in Italy (9)
|
I (independent) + (AT A ROMAN [Italian city dweller] all reversed) [repulsed] I (NAMOR A TA)< |
INAMORATA (woman in love or beloved)
|
|
11
|
Burns with heat, possibly? One does (9)
|
Anagram of (possibly) BURNS and HEAT SUNBATHER* |
SUNBATHER (one who may BURN in the HEAT of the sun)
|
|
12
|
Magistrates quail, sending 50 down (5)
|
BLENCH (shrink back or flinch; quail) excluding (sending … down) L (Roman numeral for 50)
|
BENCH (magistrates)
|
|
13
|
Providing backing to cartel leads to dismissal (6)
|
IF (providing) reversed [backing] + RING (cartel) FI< RING |
FIRING (dismissal)
|
|
15
|
Endless remorse, tucking into booze? Charming fellow!(8)
|
GUILT (remorse) excluding the final letter [endless] T contained in (tucking into) BEER (booze) BE (GUIL) ER |
BEGUILER (one who charms)
|
|
17
|
They may bar access, threatening deliveries (8)
|
BOUNCERS ( people employed to eject undesirable patrons from a club, dance hall, etc, or to prevent them from entering)
|
BOUNCERS (short-pitched fast deliveries bowled so as to bounce and rise sharply off the ground in cricket; threatening deliveries) double definition
|
|
19
|
Team held back practical inventor (6)
|
SIDE (team) reversed (held back) + ON (can be done; practical) EDIS< ON |
EDISON (reference Thomas EDISON [1847 – 1931], American inventor)
|
|
22
|
Stars working to enthral Olympic city (5)
|
ON (working) containing (to enthral) RIO (city where the 2016 Olympics were held) O (RIO) N |
ORION (constellation containing seven very bright stars)
|
|
23
|
Obligation is deemed to be withdrawn, limiting college treasury heartlessly (9) |
(IS SEEN [deemed] reversed [to be withdrawn] containing [limiting] C [college]) + TY (the letters remaining in TREASURY when all the central letters are removed [heartlessly]) (NE (C) ES SI)< TY |
NECESSITY (obligation)
|
|
25
|
Digger, almost new, acquired by one working around house? (4-5)
|
MINT (new) excluding the last letter (almost) T contained in (acquired by) IRONER (one who works around the house pressing clothes) IRON (MIN) ER |
IRON-MINER (someone who digs for IRON)
|
|
26
|
Wild year, chasing daughters in pursuit of soldier (5)
|
GI (American soldier) + (D [daughter] + D [daughter] giving daughters) + Y (year)
|
GIDDY (wild)
|
|
28
|
Rev, good Unitarian on the outside (3)
|
G (good) + UN (the first and last letters of [on the outside] UNITARIAN)
|
GUN (revolver) I can’t find REV as an abbreviation for revolver in any dictionary so perhaps I am missing the point here.
|
|
29
|
They provide gear mother, heading for kitchen, used to fill sideboards (11)
|
(MA [mother] + K [first letter of {heading for} KITCHEN) contained in (used to fill) DRESSERS (sideboards) DRESS (MA K) ERS |
DRESSMAKERS (people who provide clothes [gear])
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Rule extracted from original idea provides beautiful example (3)
|
GERM (that from which anything springs; original idea) excluding (extracted from) R (rule)
|
GEM (beautiful example)
|
|
2
|
Irish golfing dynasty against participating in US award, heading off (7)
|
CON (against) contained in (participating in) HONOR (American term for an award; US award) excluding the first letter (heading off) H O (CON) NOR |
O’CONNOR (reference the Irish golfers Christy O’CONNOR [1924 – 2016] and his nephew Christy O’CONNOR Junior [1948 – 2016] who both played in the Ryder Cup and won numerous tournaments on the European Tour.
|
|
3
|
Last character in repechage, mostly upset (5)
|
OMEGA (reversed [upset] hidden word [in] REPECHAGE MOSTLY) OMEGA< |
OMEGA (last letter [character] of the Greek alphabet)
|
|
4
|
Fellow to come to earth – after this? (6)
|
F (follow) + LIGHT (dismount, come down from; come to earth)
|
FLIGHT (you come down to earth after a FLIGHT)
|
|
5
|
Name rich working business leaders (8)
|
Anagram of (working) NAME RICH CHAIRMEN* |
CHAIRMEN (business leaders as in CHAIRMEN of Company Boards) |
|
6
|
Restricted by winter, the start of summer, and now spring (4-5)
|
S (first letter of [start of] SUMMER) + NOW + BOUND (spring)
|
SNOWBOUND (restricted by snowy winter weather)
|
|
7
|
Church outbuilding unfinished overlooking lake and stream (7)
|
CH (church) + ANNEX (outbuilding) excluding the final letter (unfinished) X + L (lake)
|
CHANNEL (stream)
|
|
8
|
Attractive girl, keen on sex, seizing Bishop’s drink (5,6)
|
(PEACH [attractive girl] + RANDY [keen on sex]) containing (seizing) B (bishop) PEACH (B) RANDY |
PEACH BRANDY (drink)
|
|
11
|
Something attempted by those who are crackers? (4-7)
|
SAFE-BLOWING (crackers are people who break into or force open SAFEs or computer systems)
|
SAFE-BLOWING (a method of cracking a SAFE) a slightly cryptic definition
|
|
14
|
Also known as fellow turning up in hot surroundings (9)
|
MAN (fellow) reversed (turning up; down clue) contained in (in) NICKED (stolen; if something is recently stolen it is considered to be hot) NICK (NAM)< ED |
NICKNAMED (also known by a name given jocularly or in contempt)
|
|
16
|
Guns and rifles initially piled up, brought in formerly (8)
|
(AND + R [first letter of {initially} RIFLES]) reversed (piled up; down clue) and contained in (brought in) ONCE (formerly) O (R DNA)< NCE |
ORDNANCE (great guns)
|
|
18
|
Expression of appreciation replacing love in marriage? That’s a rare thing (7)
|
UNION (marriage) with COR (expression of appreciation) replacing O (zero; love score in tennis) UNI COR N |
UNICORN (a fabled animal; a rare thing)
|
|
20
|
Central staff provide gloss on message: "Nothing cut from benefit" (7)
|
SPIN (provide gloss , usually applied to public relations exercises and press releases) + DOLE (benefit) excluding (cut from) O (nothing)
|
SPINDLE (pin on which anything turns; central rod or staff)
|
|
21
|
Italy: singer from there mostly a would-be high flier (6)
|
I (International Vehicle Registration for Italy) + CARUSO (reference Enrico CARUSO [1873 – 1921] Italian operatic tenor) excluding the final letter (mostly) O
|
ICARUS (in Greek mythology, ICARUS dared to fly too close to the sun which caused his wings to melt and he fell into he sea)
|
|
24
|
Greek character upset British author touring capital of Greece (5) |
AMIS (reference either of Kingsley AMIS [1922 – 1995] or Martin AMIS [born 1949], British authors) reversed (upset; down clue) containing (touring) G (first letter of [capital of] GREECE) SI (G) MA< |
SIGMA (letter [character] of the Greek alphabet)
|
|
27
|
Certainly squeals when recording is taken away (3)
|
YELPS (squeals) excluding (is taken away) LP (long playing record; recording)
|
YES (certainly)
|
I think Phi is on excellent form.
28ac – I thought of rev/gun as in putting the foot down in a car
While I don’t try to be wilfully obscure (OK, who am I kidding?), this one probably pushes the envelope, though Dormouse might just have an idea… (There’s even a link to Crosophile’s brother, or, at least, his successor.)
So, a hint – the Channel Firing reference is not to the poem.
With the strong hint from Phi @ 3 about Crosophile’s brother’s successor I have been able to identify some theme words: FLIGHT of ICARUS, CHANNEL FIRING, The SPINDLE of NECESSITY, ORION and SNOWBOUND One or two clues refer to parts of other works, e.g. WILD and DAUGHTERS at 26 across. There may be more.
I’m much more at home with the O’CONNORs of this world than I am with the subject of the theme.
Well, the theme passed me by (what’s new!) though as usual wasn’t necessary to solve the puzzle. But Channel Firing (it derives its title from the poem) happens to be the one work by that composer that I have heard – and I wasn’t impressed; in my opinion the piano part in Gerald Finzi’s setting of the poem conveys more in six minutes than does Pickard’s near half-hour orchestral wallow.
Back to the puzzle, though, before Gaufrid pulls the plug for going off-topic. Excellent stuff as usual from Phi. There were some that I couldn’t parse – OMEGA and NICKNAMED among others – and now wonder why having seen the blog. Too many good clues to name a CoD. And btw I’m with Paul A on the parsing of 28ac.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan
Paul A @ 2 and allan_c @ 5
Yes – your parsing of GUN makes more sense than my attempt – thanks
Fine puzzle – the theme means nothing to me (I still don’t see it), but it didn’t stop me solving it.
I liked GOOD OFFICES and DRESSMAKERS once I’d convinced myself that it wasn’t DRUGDEALERS (‘gear’ – geddit?)
I was going to have a stab at saying that Phi put ORION in the grid because early this morning there was a display of the ORIONIDS meteor shower, but that’s clearly bollocks.
Thanks to S&B and good weekend to all. It’s been a very good set of puzzles in the Indy this week.
Hmm, a composer I don’t think I’ve even heard of, let alone heard. Didn’t even spot CHANNEL FIRING even though I love the Finzi setting. Icarus brought to mind La Chute d’Icare by Brian Ferneyhough.