Independent 10,283 / Phi

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Phi is occupying his traditional Friday slot once again.

I found this puzzle to be towards the easy end of the Indy spectrum of difficulty. I faltered at the end with 6A and 6D, which I finally solved only when I realised that Phi had already used two other “j”s at intersections in the grid, and that he might have done the same here too. My hunch turned out to be correct.

I am not convinced of my parsing at 16, so please indicate in the comments if I have got the wrong end of the stick here.

My favourite clues today were 9, 12 and 23, all for smoothness of surface.

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across    
     
01 DESCRIBES Notices incorporating book outlines

B (=book) in DESCRIES (=notices, espies)
     
06 JUST Fair fight as before, nothing less

J<o>UST (=fight as before, i.e. in medieval times); “nothing (=O) less” means letter “o” is dropped
     
08 UP TOP Erected tent on the summit

UP (=erected) + TOP (=tent, as in big top)
     
09 NUFFIELD Oxford college backing entertainment area

NUF (FUN=entertainment; “backing” indicates reversal) + FIELD (=area, domain)
     
11 LEAVENS Pages about new forms of yeast

N (=new) in LEAVES (=pages, of book); leaven is the ferment that makes dough rise, hence “yeast”
     
12 PASSION Independent brought in to convey enthusiasm

I (=independent) in PASS ON (=to convey, transmit)
     
13/14 VALUE JUDGEMENT Court action in pursuit of treasure is a subjective response

VALUE (=treasure, highly appreciate) + JUDGEMENT (=court action)
     
16 SHORTFALL Supply issue having no great force?

Cryptically, as a force is a waterfall, a short fall has no great force!
     
18 BIJOU Small sail curled, not quite at full length

BIJ (JIB=sail; “curled” indicates reversal) + OU<t> (=at full length; “not quite” means last letter is dropped); e.g. a bijou cottage is a small, elegant cottage
     
20 ORBISON Rock star is performing after return of brother

ORB (BRO=brother; “return of” indicates reversal) + IS + ON (=performing, on stage); the reference is to US rock star Roy Orbison (1936-88)
     
22 PRODUCT Outcome in favour of channel

PRO (=in favour of) + DUCT (=channel)
     
23 GRAVITAS Seriousness almost essential in informant, almost

VITA<l> (=essential; “almost” means last letter is dropped) in GRAS<s> (=informant, for police; “almost” means last letter is dropped)
     
24 DINGO Name used in sharp comment over dog

[N (=name) in DIG (=sharp comment, jibe)] + O (=over, on cricket scorecard)
     
25 READ Study money, saving billion

<b>READ (=money, dosh); “saving billion (=B)” means letter “b” is dropped
     
26 ENTHRALLS Grips, then shatters, everyone in body of scientists

*(THEN) + [ALL (=everyone) in RS (=body of scientists, i.e. Royal Society)]; “shatters” is anagram indicator
     
Down    
     
01 DOUBLE VISION Consequence of a knock on the head? Oblivion’s due, possibly

*(OBLIVION’S DUE); “possibly” is anagram indicator
     
02 SET SAIL Groups fare badly, getting put out

SETS (=groups) + AIL (=fare badly)
     
03 REPRESENT Stand for now, below soldiers

RE (=soldiers, i.e. Royal Engineers) + PRESENT (=now)
     
04 BANKS Financial institutions taking pounds from dummies

B<l>ANKS (=dummies); “taking pounds (=L) from” means letter “l” is dropped
     
05 SOFT PEDAL Flat piano does need retuning – here’s part of it

*(FLAT + P (=piano, in music) + DOES); “need retuning” is anagram indicator
     
06 JAILS Judge slips up, abandoning fine for more punitive measures

J (=judge) + <f>AILS (=slips up; “abandoning fine (=F)” means letter “f” is dropped)
     
07 SALTIRE Ironic writing about Loch as symbol of Scotland

L (=loch) in SATIRE (=ironic writing); the saltire is an armorial emblem in the form of a St Andrew’s cross
     
10 INSTRUCTIONS Guidance for disturbances after tins recycled

*(TINS) + RUCTIONS (=disturbances); “recycled” is anagram indicator
     
14 JEANNETTE Girl in denim fabric earned endlessly

JEAN (=denim fabric) + NETTE<d> (=earned; “endlessly” means last letter is dropped)
     
15 EMBROIDER Give excessive detail about evidence of fire surrounding staff protecting one

[I (=one) in ROD (=staff)] in EMBER (=evidence of fire)
     
17 OSBORNE British playwright, very much uplifted and transported

OS (SO=very much; “uplifted” indicates vertical reversal) + BORNE (=transported, carried); the reference is to UK playwright John Osborne (1929-94)
     
19 JOURNAL Register German agreement about our Nationalist line

{[OUR + N (=nationalist)] in JA (=German agreement, i.e. a German word for yes)} + L (=line)
     
21 SAVED Economised or made cuts, offloading husband

S<h>AVED (=made cuts); “offloading husband (=H)” means letter “h” is dropped
     
22 POSIT Assume one will fill job

I (=one) in POST (=job); to posit is to assume as true, postulate
     

 

6 comments on “Independent 10,283 / Phi”

  1. I didn’t really know what was going on with the wordplay for SHORTFALL either but parsed it (unconfidently) more or less as above.

    A few popular culture references which I enjoyed, especially the reminder of The Big O and Archie Rice. No particular reason, but JUST was my favourite today.

    Thanks to Phi and RR

  2. I wondered about SHORTFALL myself, but I think now it must just be a “supply issue” (insufficiency) and something that does not create a great force.

     

    Thanks to blogger and setter.

  3. Well, this was a bit odd.  We went through the acrosses and couldn’t make anything of them till we got the last one, ENTHRALLS.  But then we got the first few downs without difficulty and everything fell into place quickly after that.

    As for the parsing of SHORTFALL, a waterfall is frequently known as a ‘force’ in northern England (where, I believe, Phi orignally hails from) so a short fall can be accurately called a small force.

    No real CoD but we liked GRAVITAS and SOFT PEDAL.

    Thanks, Phi and RatkojaRiku.

  4. The one I recollect was High Force (one of the biggest in the country by some measures) which was about the right sort of distance for a day out. SHORTFALL is barely a step away in the thought process.

    It’s also part of the Nina. Perhaps I should have worked MUSK into the grid as well as BANKS?

  5. I have to say that despite having gone on a school trip to High Force back in the sixties, I never thought of that parsing.

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