Phi provides a challenge with a theme today
The main theme of PACIFIC ISLANDs becomes clear once 8 and 9 across have been solved. I knew all of them except 1 across which I deduced from the word play.
There are a few more geographic or foreign language references in the wordplay, so a slightly easier day for those who know their world in and beyond the shores of the United Kingdom.
TAPIOCA at 1 down brings back memories of rather unpleasant puddings from my youth.
It was slightly surprising to see LA used for Los Angeles in two consecutive clues at 21 and 22 down, but I probably wouldn’t have commented if the clues hadn’t been consecutive.
A pleasant crossword to end the working week.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1 | 8 9s acceptable in late playing by United (7) |
(OK [okay; acceptable] contained in (in) an anagram of [playing] LATE) + U (United) T (OK) ELA* U |
TOKELAU (a remote group of atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, of which it’s a territory; PACIFIC ISLANDS [8 9s]). |
| 5 | In France you mostly rate 8 9s (6) |
TU (French for you) + VALUE (rate at a price) excluding the final letter (mostly) E TU VALU |
TUVALU (an independent nation within the British Commonwealth, comprising nine islands in the South Pacific; PACIFIC ISLANDS [8 9s]) |
| 8 | Calm and quiet account interrupted by one loud one (7) |
(P [piano; quiet] + ACC [account]) containing (interrupted by) (I [Roman numeral for one) + F [forte; loud] + I [Roman numeral for one]) P AC (I F I) C |
PACIFIC (calm) |
| 9 | Man, say, is new in embrace of woman, mostly (6) |
IS + (N [new] contained in [in embrace of] LADY excluding the final letter [mostly] Y) IS LA (N) D |
ISLAND (reference Isle [ISLAND] of Man) |
| 11 | Voter’s ban amended, following rule (9) |
Anagram of (amended) VOTER’S BAN OBSERVANT* |
OBSERVANT (complying with the rules) |
| 12 | Silver in no way recalled in 8 9s (5) |
(AG [chemical symbol for silver] + NOT [in now way]) all reversed (recalled) (TON GA)< |
TONGA (Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 South Pacific islands; PACIFIC ISLANDS [8 9s]) |
| 13 | A song receives review in prompt response (8) |
(A + LAY [song]) containing (receives) CRIT (critical judgment or judgement; e.g. review of a performance) A LA (CRIT) Y |
ALACRITY (promptness) |
| 15 | Clean line in the sand (6) |
L (line) contained in (in) BEACH (sand) B (L) EACH |
BLEACH (clean or disinfect) |
| 18 | Heavyweight Muslim preacher, almost a significant figure in Islam (6) |
FAT (overweight; heavyweight) + IMAM (Muslim preacher) excluding the final letter (almost) M FAT IMA |
FATIMA (reference FATIMA bint Muhammad was the youngest daughter and, according to Shia Muslims, the only child of the Islamic prophet Muhammad; significant figure in Islam) |
| 19 | Fried meat or fish? First of recipes is fish (8) |
R (first letter of [first of] RECIPES) + IS + SOLES (types of fish) R IS SOLES |
RISSOLES (fried balls or cakes of minced seasoned meat or fish coated in breadcrumbs)
|
| 22 | Judge following article about a Mediterranean city (5) |
J (judge) + (FF [following pages] + A [indefinite article]) reversed (about) + A J (A FF)< A |
JAFFA (ancient port city in Israel [Mediterranean city]) |
| 24 | Animal given to French city receiving zero sentiment (9) |
(PIG [animal] containing [receiving] O [zero]) + NANCY (French city) P (O) IG NANCY |
POIGNANCY (sentiment) |
| 26 | 8 9 joining areas and territories? (6) |
EASTER (hidden word in [joining] AREAS TERRITORIES) EASTER |
EASTER (EASTER island is a remote volcanic island in Polynesia. It is Chilean territory; PACIFIC ISLAND [8 9]) |
| 27 | Blue Quarter, note, will encompass return of posh zone (7) |
(AREA [quarter] + N [note]) containing (will encompass) (U [upper class; posh] + Z [zone]) reversed (return of) A (Z U)< REA N |
AZUREAN (of a delicate blue colour) |
| 28 | Everybody accepting odd bits of rugby in part of Scotland (6) |
ALL (everybody) containing (accepting) RGY [letters 1, 3 and 5 of [odd bits of] RUGBY) A (RGY) LL |
ARGYLL (ARGYLL and Bute is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. ARGYLL is an area of mainland Scotland, Bute is an island)) |
| 29 | Lizards disturbed us again (7) |
Anagram of (disturbed) US AGAIN IGUANAS* |
IGUANAS ( large thick-tongued grey-green arboreal lizards of tropical America, having a row of spines along their backs) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | Get supplies from a company I set up to deliver pudding (7) |
TAP (draw off; get supplies from) + (A + CO [company] + I) reversed [set up; down clue]) TAP (I OC A)< |
TAPIOCA (pudding, made from a farinaceous substance of the same name derived from cassava) |
| 2 | Gives up dessert to make a good beginning (4-5) |
KICKS (gives up) + TART (example of a dessert) KICK S TART |
KICK START (give a sudden advantageous impetus to; make a good beginning |
| 3 | Convicted murderer, say, has story about fellow murderer, ultimately (5) |
(LIE [fiction; story] containing [about] F [fellow]) + R (last letter of [ultimately] MURDERER) LI (F) E R |
LIFER (person sentenced to imprisonment for LIFE, possibly as a result of a conviction for murderer) |
| 4 | Enjoying sex, hurry after a Parisian Catholic (8) |
UN (French [Parisian] form of the indefinite article, a ) + C (Catholic) + HASTE (hurry) UN C HASTE |
UNCHASTE (descriptive of one unrestrained in sex, among other things) |
| 5 | Convoluted? Succeeded in blocking idiot getting an answer in algebra (6) |
(S [succeeded) contained in [blocking] TWIT [idiot]) + Y (a letter frequently used to represent a value to be deduced in algebraic equations) TWI (S) T Y |
TWISTY (convoluted) |
| 6 | Explosives? Behold! – I removed contents of roof (9) |
VOILÀ (behold) excluding (removed) I + TILES (contents of many roofs) VOLA TILES |
VOLATILES (explosives, for example) |
| 7 | Brand new underwear (5) |
LINE (brand of a product in marketing terminology) + N (new) LINE N |
LINEN (underclothing, originally made from LINEN according to Chambers) |
| 10 | Laundry is no longer opening for him (4) |
WAS (is no longer) + H (first letter of [opening for] HIM) WAS H |
WASH (laundry) |
| 14 | Fiercely charge soldier coming in to work (9) |
RAM (charge a firearm) + (ANT [reference soldier ANT] contained in [coming in to] PLY [work]) RAM P (ANT) LY |
RAMPANTLY (fiercely) |
| 16 | Antenatal changes on a huge scale (8) |
Anagram of (changes) ANTENATAL ATLANTEAN* |
ATLANTEAN (gigantic; on a large scale) |
| 17 | 8 9s not half kind about most of Britain after upset (8) |
KIND (excluding the final two letters [not half] ND) + an anagram of (after upset) BRITAIN excluding the final letter (most of) N KI RIBATI* |
KIRIBATI (sovereign state in Micronesia in the central Pacific Ocean. The state comprises 32 atolls and reef islands and one raised coral island; PACIFIC ISLANDS [8 9s]) |
| 18 | France and Japan amongst 2 8 9s (4) |
F (International Vehicle Registration for France) + (J [International Vehicle Registration for Japan] contained in (amongst II [Roman numerals for two]) F I (J) I |
FIJI (a country in the South Pacific, formed by an archipelago of more than 300 islands; PACIFIC ISLANDS [8 9s] |
| 20 | Comments for one in G&S (7) |
SAY (for example; for one) + IN + GS SAY IN GS |
SAYINGS (things said; comments) |
| 21 | US city tears up design for some staircase (6) |
(LA [Los Angeles; US city] + RIPS [tears]) reversed (up; down clue) (SPIR AL)< |
SPIRAL (descriptive of a type of staircase) |
| 23 | Hollywood area invested in evergreen talent (5) |
LA (Los Angeles; Hollywood is a suburb of Los Angeles) contained in (invested in) FIR (evergreen tree) F (LA) IR |
FLAIR (talent) |
| 25 | Set up university course about one 8 9 (5) |
(U [university] + [RUN {course} containing {about} A {one}]) all reversed (set up; down clue) (N (A) UR U)< |
NAURU (a tiny island country in Micronesia, northeast of Australia. It features a coral reef and white-sand beaches fringed with palms; PACIFIC ISLANDS [8 9]) |
I too didn’t know 1a but the wordplay was very helpful
Thanks to Phi and Duncan
We didn’t know TOKELAU either, and didn’t think of ‘OK’ for ‘acceptable’, so were reduced to scouring the index of our atlas, but we knew all the other 8 9s. In 19ac we weren’t happy at first with the plural ‘soles’ – for most fish the plural is the same as the singular – but the blog reminded us that there are different types of sole (lemon, Dover) so the plural with S is fine here.
Lots to enjoy; favourites were 4, 5 and 6 down.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan.
Some enchanted evening…
Fortunately had the ‘E’ and ‘A’ round the right way for 1a, but failed on JAFFA, for which I put ‘Jafna’ – wrong continent and lacking an ‘F’, but otherwise perfectly correct.
I’d never heard of ATLANTEAN which provided a reminder of the slimmer pickings on offer for a similarly themed crossword for S. Atlantic islands. Maybe a challenge for Phi for the future.
Thanks to Phi and Duncan.