It’s the end of the week and as expected, we have a Phi to solve.
For a change, we actually spotted the ‘theme’, although not until we had completed it.
As usual, we started looking at the completed grid to find possible connections between the various entries and began to wonder whether the theme might be based on books by the author at 22d (of whom we had never heard). Before we’d gone too far down this road, we realised that Phi was on a different track and it saved us a lot of wasted time! The last three letters of each of the across entries on the left of the grid are repeated as the first three letters of the entries on the right – very satisfying!
| Across | ||
| 1 | Trade embargo involving European broadcaster (6) | |
| BARTER | BAR (embargo) round or ‘involving’ RTE (European broadcaster – Irish Radio and TV ) | |
| 5 | Battery supply getting energy for some computer storage (8) | |
| TERABYTE | An anagram of BATTERY (anagrind is ‘supply’, as ‘in a supple manner’) + E (energy) | |
| 9 | Ex-students working to welcome new member of later generation (8) | |
| GRANDSON | GRADS (graduates – ex-students) ON (working) round or ‘welcoming’ N (new) | |
| 10 | Contribution to concerts on at Aldeburgh? (6) | |
| SONATA | Cryptic definition – Hidden in or ‘contributing to’ concertS ON AT Aldeburgh | |
| 11 | It really shouldn’t be found amongst capitals of nations in Central Europe! (4) | |
| NICE | Cryptic definition – first letters or ‘capitals’ of Nations In Central Europe – Nice is not a capital and it’s not in central Europe | |
| 12 | Ship prompting discussion? (10) | |
| ICEBREAKER | Double definition | |
| 13 | Chief not mistaken – it’s crucial for many jobs these days (8) | |
| INFOTECH | An anagram of CHIEF NOT – anagrind is ‘mistaken’ | |
| 15 | Reflects European votes, one with second Conservative ousted (6) | |
| ECHOES | E (European) CHO |
|
| 18 | One of several kings in conflict, surrounded by endless revolution (6) | |
| EDWARD | WAR (conflict) in or ‘surrounded by’ EDD |
|
| 21 | English composer’s securing hideaway in French department (8) | |
| ARDENNES | ARNE’S (English composer’s) round or ‘securing’ DEN (hideaway) | |
| 24 | Place with lots of phones but only one line, it seems (4,6) | |
| CALL CENTRE | a(one) l(line) is the CENTRE of CALL | |
| 26 | Limits to timber expanse? Here’s one of them (4) | |
| TREE | First and last letters or ‘limits’ to TimbeR ExpansE | |
| 27 | Members of religious group back America (6) | |
| HINDUS | HIND (back) US (America) | |
| 28 | Dry cleaning? It’s for the birds! (4-4) | |
| DUST-BATH | Cryptic definition – birds have a DUST BATH to clean their feathers without water | |
| 29 | Firm way with your tatty fabric (8) | |
| CORDUROY | CO (company – firm) RD (road – way) with an anagram of YOUR – anagrind is ‘tatty’ | |
| 30 | Ruling group: type mostly holding place back (6) | |
| ROYALS | SOR |
|
| Down | ||
| 2 | A criminal ranger I’d put before a court (9) | |
| ARRAIGNED | A + an anagram of RANGER I’D – anagrind is ‘criminal’ | |
| 3 | Thanks number bringing in jelly (fruit) (7) | |
| TANGELO | TA (thanks) NO (number) round or ‘bringing in’ GEL (jelly) | |
| 4 | Broadcast TV series, missing last part, leaving you unsettled (7) | |
| RESTIVE | An anagram of TV SERIE |
|
| 5 | Nerdy letterhead redesigned in compassionate style (6-9) | |
| TENDER-HEARTEDLY | An anagram of NERDY LETTERHEAD – anagrind is ‘redesigned’ | |
| 6 | Lay claim to additional military support (7) | |
| RESERVE | Double definition | |
| 7 | Too demeaning for queen, say, to receive knight at home initially (7) | |
| BENEATH | BEE (‘queen, say’) round or ‘receiving’ N (knight) + AT H (first or ‘initial letter of ‘home’) | |
| 8 | Earldom? Earl supports it amidst foremost in the Lords (5) | |
| TITLE | E (earl) following or ‘supporting’ IT ‘amidst’ the first or ‘foremost’ letters of The Lords | |
| 14 | What helps to coat a road? (3) | |
| TAR | Cryptic definition – hidden in or ‘helping’ coaT A Road | |
| 16 | What suggests you perform treatment doctor ultimately dismissed? (3) | |
| CUE | CU |
|
| 17 | A spirit otherwise not special and wild (9) | |
| ELEMENTAL | EL |
|
| 19 | Referred everyone to unreliable dude (7) | |
| ALLUDED | ALL (everyone) + an anagram of DUDE – anagrind is ‘unreliable’ | |
| 20 | Severe pressure sees loss of University Hospital department worker in theatre (7) | |
| DRESSER | D |
|
| 22 | US author reinterpreted desire, right? (7) | |
| DREISER | An anagram of DESIRE and R (right) – anagrind is ‘reinterpreted’ – we’d never heard of this author – but Phi clearly had to find a different word to 20d, with the same crossing letters | |
| 23 | Significantly, no boat’s prow getting left in river (7) | |
| NOTABLY | NO + B (first letter or ‘prow’ of ‘boat’) L (left) in TAY (river) | |
| 25 | Do I seem to be ready, friend? (5) | |
| AMIGO | If I were to check whether I was okay to blast off, for example, I might (particularly if I am American) say ‘AM I GO’? | |
Nice one, Phi! Didn’t spot the ‘theme’ though, till B&J pointed it out; it might have led to a slightly quicker solve, but everything was solvable without it. Having said that, I had BANTER for 1ac; couldn’t quite parse it but thought that banter can involve the trading of witty or teasing remarks.
Liked CALL CENTRE – the length of time you have to hang on before getting through does suggest that they only have one phone line! Not like the (good?) old days when tradesmen’s bills or notepaper would convey the information “Telephone xxxx (3 lines)” or something similar. Perhaps I’m showing my age.
I initially thought 9ac might be an anagram of ‘alumni’ with n(ew) and m(ember) – not that I could see how it would make a word, but 2dn soon put me right. And I’d never heard of 22dn, either.
No clear winner for CoD but TERABYTE, INFOTECH and TANGELO are in the running.
Thanks, Phi and B&J.
Bit late to the party today having had a nice day out with a Fifteen Squared blogger today (I shan’t name names as it’s embarrassing enough to be seen out with me in public without the interwebz knowing, too). Really enjoyed this Phi with lots of nice surfaces, clues, just right difficulty for me and clever answer word theming to boot. Fave was 24a as I’ve felt it’s pain and so thanks to Phi for the puzzle and B&J for the blog.
Can’t help feeling loads of solvers won’t have seen the theme – I certainly didn’t. Bravo Phi… and BertandJoyce for pointing it out.