Independent on Sunday 1452 Phi

There must be good reason for Phi to appear on a Sunday, and in particular, this Christmas Eve (see below). Thanks to Phi. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

The theme is Charles Dickens (his name is mentioned in 4 across) and his Christmas-time stories.  There’s “A 4 across, 29 across”; “The Haunted Man and the 22 down 19 down; “The 2 down on the 20 across”; “The 4 down”; “The 14 across of 24 across”. In addition, he was a member of the Garrick (mentioned in 22 down) Club.

P.S. When this is published I’ll be away, so any errors and omissions will not be corrected any time soon.

Across

1 Slashes and strikes head off (5)

HACKS : “whacks”(resounding strikes;blows) minus its 1st letter(head off).

4 Dickens, perhaps, about first in reading material, primarily at this time of year (9)

CHRISTMAS : CHAS(abbrev. for “Charles”, an example of whom;perhaps is Dickens, the novelist) containing(about) [ IST(1st;first, with “1” substituted by its Roman numeral) contained in(in) the 1st letters, respectively, of(…, primarily) “reading material” ].

9 Soldier‘s equipment, notice, put in funeral carriage (9)

BRIGADIER : [ RIG(equipment) + AD(short for “advertisement”, a promotional notice) ] contained in(put in) BIER(a funeral carriage;a moveable frame on which a coffin or copse is carried to the grave).

10 Match about to be held in time (5)

AGREE : RE(about;with reference to) contained in(to be held in) AGE(a period of time).

11 Risk overlooking Society’s opinion (4)

TAKE : “stake”(to risk something of value in a gamble) minus(overlooking) “s”(abbrev. for “Society”).

Answer: …, as in “what’s your take on the latest news?”

12 Approach to dieting: fines when found playing with ladle (4-6)

SELF-DENIAL : Anagram of(… when found playing with …) [FINES plus(with) LADLE].

14 Vampire going to part of roof, one escaping conflict (6)

BATTLE : BAT(the small blood-sucking variety of which is the vampire) plus(going to) “tile”(a part of a roof) minus(… escaping) “I”(Roman numeral for “one”).

15 Classic hero, male, hurries to encircle lake (8)

HERACLES : HE(pronoun for a male) + RACES(hurries) containing(to encircle) L(abbrev. for “lake”).

Defn: … in Greek mythology.

18 Expressed rejection of award involving Member that’s passed on (8)

EMBODIED : Reversal of(rejection of) OBE(abbrev. for the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an honour awarded by the UK sovereign) containing(involving) M(abbrev. for “Member”) plus(that’s) DIED(passed on from this world).

Defn: Expressed an idea, a quality or a feeling in a tangible or visible form.

20 Show of warmth here, principally? (6)

HEARTH : HEART(warmth;compassion) + the 1st letter of(…, principally) “here“.

Answer: …, a symbol of the home, where one would find warmth.

A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.

23 Stream spectacle incorporating new celebration of verse (5,5)

BURNS NIGHT : BURN(a small stream) + SIGHT(a spectacle;something spectacular to look at) containing(incorporating) N(abbrev. for “new”).

Defn: … by poet Robert Burns.

24 What one has in possession of sentence or sentience? (4)

LIFE : Double defn: 1st: Reference to a life sentence in prison; and 2nd: What one has if one has sentience;awareness.

I thought the clue should have read “… possession of sentience or sentence?”, as the first part of the clue applies more to “sentience” than “sentence”, which can stand alone.

26 Boss consuming article, a fruit (5)

GUAVA : [ GUV(informal term for “governor”, a work boss) containing(consuming) A(article in grammar) ] + A.

27 Italian conductor to search in Italy (9)

TOSCANINI : TO + SCAN(to search;to examine closely) + IN + I(abbrev. for Italy).

Answer: …, Arturo.

28 More rational to keep cold reserve for white wines (9)

SANCERRES : [ SANER(more rational) containing(to keep) C(abbrev. for “cold”) ] + RES(abbrev. for “reserve”).

Answer: … from, what else, the Sancerre region of France.

29 Exiled European king‘s men coming back into US state (5)

CAROL : Reversal of(… coming back) OR(abbrev. for “other ranks”, men in the military who aren’t commissioned officers) contained in(into) CAL(abbrev. for the US state of California).

Answer: Carol II, king of Romania until his enforced abdication and exile.

Down

1 Has curtailed ill-temper about bill relating to decent housing (9)

HABITABLE : “Has” minus its last letter(curtailed) + BILE(ill-temper;anger or irritability) containing(about) TAB(a bill;an account of money owed)

2 Sport: strain in playing etc (7)

CRICKET : RICK(to wrench;strain a limb, joint, the back, etc) contained in(in) anagram of(playing) ETC.

3 Henry, interrupting Samuel, is 23 (4)

SHAM : H(symbol for the Henry, the unit of inductance in physics) contained in(interrupting) SAM(short for the name Samuel).

Defn: The answer to 23 down.

4 I’m engaged in game, dismissing a second ringing of bell? (6)

CHIMES : I’M contained in(engaged in) “chess”(board game) minus(dismissing a) “s”(abbrev. for “second” in time notation).

5 Artist having culture, missing note of esoteric activity (8)

RAREFIED : RA(post-nominal letters for a Member of the Royal Academy of Arts, an artist) + “refined”(having culture;sophisticated) minus(missing) “n”(abbrev. for “note”).

6 3 vandalised, dropping head in contrition? (10)

SHAMEFACED : SHAM(answer to 3 down) + “defaced”(vandalised) minus its 1st letter(dropping head).

Another WIWD clue.

7 Cunning I observed in French sick of war (7)

MARTIAL : [ ART(cunning;that which is possessed by the artful;the wily) + I] contained in(observed in) MAL(“sick”;depraved, in French).

8 Covering prediction of female behaviour? (5)

SHELL : SHE’LL(contraction of “she will …”, a prediction of what that female will do;behave).

13 Colt left you once clutching ornate saddle for horse (10)

CLYDESDALE : C(abbrev. for “colt”, in racecards in horseracing) + L(abbrev. for “left”) + YE(an archaic form of;once the plural pronoun “you”) containing(clutching) anagram of(ornate) SADDLE.

16 Bungler‘s scheme ill organised (9)

SCHLEMIEL : Anagram of(… organised) SCHEME ILL.

17 Broker, one thinking to erase first bit of tension (8)

MEDIATOR : “meditator”(one who is thinking) minus(to erase) 1st of(first) of the 2 “t”(bit of “tension“)s.

Defn: One who brokers, or tries to borker, the resolution of a conflict.

19 Something new at the pub – special offer? (7)

BARGAIN : [BAR GAIN](something gained would be new, at a bar;pub).

21 European royal family to come down on one British monarch (7)

RAINIER : RAIN(to come down in large quantities) placed above(to come down on, in a down clue) I(Roman numeral for “one”) + ER(abbrev. for Elizabeth Regina, the current British monarch).

Defn: … in Monaco.

22 Garrick initially puts on Ibsen play (6)

GHOSTS : The 1st letter of(… initially) “Garrick” + HOSTS(puts on;produces, organises, or presents an event, say, a talk show).

23 John, perhaps, is 3 (5)

BOGUS : [ BOG (in the) US ](the American slang for a toilet – a bog in English slang – is a “john”).

A bit of a stretch to get at the solution.

Defn: Answer to 3 down.

25 Vital clue involves powder (4)

TALC : Hidden in(… involves) “Vital clue“.