Independent 10,307 / Phi

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Phi has filled yet another Friday slot this week.

I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and found it to be of medium difficulty on the Indy scale. I particularly enjoyed working out the longer entries, which were not all write-ins for me. I have spotted neither theme nor Nina in this puzzle.

My last-one-in was 2, where I had assumed that the answer was BETA, but which I was then struggling to parse. Thankfully, I realised what the correct answer was before posting the blog.

My favourite clues today were 10, for the smoothness of surface and misdirection around the definition “maroon”; and 8, 21 and 24, all for their surface reading.

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

Across    
     
07 TAKE TO THE HILLS Get away and really appreciate mountain scenery?

TAKE TO (=really appreciate, grow to like) + THE HILLS (=mountain scenery); to take to (or head for) the hills is to flee hastily, to depart quickly
     
10 ISOLATE I criticise including circle in maroon

I + [O (=circle, pictorially) in SLATE (=criticise, pan)]
     
11 PARSNIP Vegetable: two, not one a bargain

PA<i>R (=two; “not one (=1)” means letter “i” is dropped) + SNIP (=bargain)
     
12 SOAP OPERA Religious figure boarding rocket beginning to animate TV show?

[POPE (=religious figure) in SOAR (=(to) rocket, rise quickly)] + A<nimate> (“beginning to” means first letter only)
     
14 OBELI Pointed shapes visible in strobe lighting

Hidden (“visible”) in “strOBE LIghting”
     
15 FLANEUR Tart pulled over French street walker

FLAN (=tart) + EUR (RUE=French street, i.e. the French word for street; “over” indicates reversal)
     
17 KEEP OUT Turn away, eager to miss new sullen look

KEE<n> (=eager; “to miss new (=N)” means letter “n” is dropped) + POUT (=sullen look)
     
19 OATES Polar hero, one in old group that’s recalled

A (=one) in [O (=old) + TES (SET=group; “that’s recalled” indicates reversal); the reference is to Captain Lawrence Oates (1880-1912), the Antarctic explorer
     
21 SOPORIFIC Poor sci-fi, in translation, unlikely to make you excited

*(POOR SCI-FI); “in translation” is anagram indicator
     
23 INDY CAR Lively daughter returned, following in fast vehicle

IN + DYCAR (RACY=lively + D (=daughter); “returned” indicates reversal)
     
24 EXCERPT Runs into bar in trailer?

R (=runs, on cricket scorecard) in EXCEPT (=bar, apart from); the reference is to the trailer for a film, hence “excerpt”
     
26 GARDENING LEAVE Time off in bed (inter alia)?

Cryptic definition, with the “bed” referring to a “flower bed” in a garden! Garden(ing) leave is compulsory paid leave taken in the run-up to formal termination of employment
     
Down    
     
01 PANORAMA Criticise Oscar’s play after dismissing initial view

PAN (=criticise, slate) + O (=Oscar, in radio telecommunications) + <d>RAMA (=play; “after dismissing initial” means first letter is dropped)
     
02 ZETA A lot of enthusiasm after receiving tense letter from Athens

T (=tense, in grammar) in ZEA<l> (=enthusiasm; “a lot of” means all but last letter); zeta is a letter of the Greek alphabet, hence “letter from Athens”
     
03 COHERE Leaders of harsh extremists in central region hang together

[H<arsh> E<xtremists> (“leaders of” means first letters only)] in CORE (=central region)
     
04 SHOP TALK Support limiting jump in business discussions

HOP (=jump) in STALK (=support, i.e. for plant)
     
05 CHARIOTEER Driver wildly interrupting acclamation

ARIOT (=wildly, riotously) in CHEER (=acclamation)
     
06 FLANGE Edge of wheel following path round front of garden

F (=following) + [G<arden> (“front of” means first letter only) in LANE (=path)]
     
08 SOPHISTICATE Setter in variety of ascot ties is a smart figure

PHI (=setter, i.e. of this very puzzle) in *(ASCOT TIES); “variety of” is anagram indicator
     
09 FIRST-FOOTING Paying after trees get bit of trim in seasonal visit

FIRS (=trees) + T<rim> (“bit of” means first letter only) + FOOTING (=paying, e.g. a bill); in Scotland, first-footing concerns being the first person to enter a house after the beginning of the new year
     
13 OPEN SECRET Everyone’s aware of it, so pretence collapses

*(SO PRETENCE); “collapses” is anagram indicator
     
16 RESTRAIN Hold back support over Middle Eastern country shifting leader

REST (=support) + RAIN (IRAN=Middle Eastern country; “shifting leader” means first letter – “i” – moves to later in word)
     
18 OFF DRIVE Old US President amongst quintet in shot

O (=old) + [FDR (=President, i.e. Franklin D Roosevelt) in FIVE (=quintet)]
     
20 TUDORS Members of house party brought in numberless performers

DO (=party, function) in TUR<n>S (=performers, as in pub turns; “number (=N) –less” means letter “n” is dropped); the reference is to the kings and queens of the House of Tudor
     
22 PLEDGE Place to gradually advance commitment

PL (=place, in addresses) + EDGE (=to gradually advance)
     
25 CREW Staff // boasted

Double definition: crew are the staff, team at work AND past tense of to crow = to boast
     

 

8 comments on “Independent 10,307 / Phi”

  2. Where is everybody?

    We finished this fairly quickly with no real problems.  No theme or nina that we can see, either.  We liked OFF DRIVE and the &lit-ishness of OPEN SECRET.

    Thanks, Phi and RatkojaRiku.

  3. No theme in this one – just using up some clues that were dropped from other puzzles when their entries had to be changed to avoid clashes.  I was pleased, after years of Abe and Ike, to get FDR into wordplay.

  4. Well – what a quiet day. Perhaps everyone is either out on the town with other S&Bs or getting ready for the main event tomorrow in York.

    Thanks Phi for dropping by and saving us from having to hunt further for a theme.

    All enjoyable but we were confused by ‘inter alia’ in 26ac. Bert thought it may refer to being ‘amongst’ alliums. However Joyce said that the plural of allium was alliums not ‘allia’ and anyway alia only has one L.

    Thanks RatkojaRiku

  5. I come to this blog late again as I often don’t have a chance to solve Phiday’s puzzle till Saturday morning.

    Sad to see such poor response again compared to the multitude of comments on the Guardian’s offerings.

    I also loved 21s Soporific, lovely surface!

    Also somewhat puzzled by Inter alía, perhaps Phi, if you do look in again, you could elaborate?

    Thanks all

  6. Well, if you’re gardening you don’t spend all your time in the beds.  Some times it’s the lawn, and I seem to have been taking down trees and shrubs recently…

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