Independent 10,319 by Phi

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As efficient a job as one always expects from Phi. Nearly all the answers can be explained simply in one expression, and where I’ve been longer it’s only really because I wanted to say a bit more. If I’d been in a hurry everything could have been done very simply.

Definitions in maroon, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics.

The first six clues all had the definition at the end, and I thought Phi was testing himself with a little restriction. But this didn’t continue, so I don’t know what it is. If indeed it is anything at all.

Two of the answers referred to cigars and I thought that perhaps there was a cigar theme, but evidently no.

ACROSS
1 REGALIA Backed excellent drink with this cigar (7)
(A1 lager)rev.
5 MIRRORS Significant road blunders – opening put off – opportunities for reflection? (7)
M1 {e}rrors
9 SANCTUARY Start of summer month with Judge away, keeping court as place of retreat (9)
s{ummer} {J}an(ct)uary
10 MANSE Provides staff for English religious dwelling (5)
mans [provides staff for] E
11 MURAL Ponder making cut around artist’s wall painting (5)
mu(RA)l{l}
12 SURF ‘N’ TURF Briefly run and run with stuff to cook mixed dish (4,1,4)
(r run stuff)* — surf ‘n’ turf is meat served with seafood
13 RECHERCHÉ Far-fetched about revolutionary repeatedly throttling King (9)
re Che (R) Che
15 ITEM Object satisfied, I returned (4)
(met I)rev.
17 GRID Hard work putting out new pattern (4)
gri{n}d
19 AEROSPACE Love to be involved in moving fast – NASA’s speciality? (9)
a(Eros)pace — I had always thought that NASA dealt with space exploration, and aerospace with the flying of aircraft, but in fact aerospace also deals with space travel
22 HAIR SLIDE Shows off hat carried by that chap – an ornament for the head (4,5)
h(airs lid)e
25 FLOUT Defy consequences of nuclear incident, stealing aluminium (5)
f{Al}lout
26 SMOKE Couple of seconds at start mostly crucial for cigar (5)
s mo ke{y}
27 INDOCHINA Crockery used by fashionable party in part of Asia (9)
in do china — I’d always thought that Indochina was something from the colonial age and no longer existed, but it also refers to the peninsula containing Vietnam, Laos etc.
28 EASTERN Demanding to follow each from 27, say (7)
The definition is ‘from Indochina, say’ — ea. stern
29 PROMISE Agreement favouring skinflint getting curtailed (7)
pro mise{r}
DOWN
1 ROSEMARY Girl, in leaving school, following soldiers after reflection (8)
sem{in}ary following (OR)rev.
2 GENERIC Information on modified rice not under patent (7)
gen *(rice)
3 LITTLE END Part of engine ignited? Article from Renault in mind (6,3)
lit t(le)end — the article from Renault is a French article, le
4 AMASS Gather a ship is overseen by a Master (5)
(a M) on top of [overseeing] (a SS)
5 MEYERBEER Man about to observe booze is an opera composer (9)
M(eye)r. beer
6 ROMAN Old fellow supports beginning to read novel in translation (5)
r{ead} o man — the French for ‘novel’ is ‘roman’
7 OF NO USE Zero reason to drill iron – it’s pointless (2,2,3)
0 F(nous)e
8 SEE OFF Put paid to rising opposition, including Spain and France (3,3)
E in (foes)rev. F
14 COALITION Independent standing in location upset governing arrangement … (9)
I in (location)* — the ‘standing’ is simply there for the surface and means ‘is there’ rather than ‘is reversed’
15 IPSO FACTO … as a result of that, seat is included in broadcast topic (4,5)
sofa in *(topic)
16 HEATWAVE Keep around a lot of water, flowing, in warm weather (8)
(wate{r})* in have
18 RUINOUS Our US, it seems, is catastrophic (7)
‘ruinous’ can be seen as (ru in ous) = ou(ru)s = Our US
20 AMORINI Symbols of love Italian city set up in Italy (7)
(Roma)rev. in I — the plural of amoretto, a putto or cupid
21 CHASTE Pure carbon obtained by expedition (6)
c haste [expedition in the sense of moving fast]
23 SUEDE Fabric? Dressed without it, the ultimate in style (5)
su{it}ed {styl}e
24 END UP Take off, heading away to finish (3,2)
{s}end up — presumably in the sense of a rocket taking off

 

6 comments on “Independent 10,319 by Phi”

  1. I missed the parsing of AEROSPACE and RUINOUS, and AMORINI was unknown, though could be bunged in from the wordplay. I liked SURF ‘N’ TURF, which I always thought was an Antipodean term, but was first used in the US according to Wikipedia.

    As usual on a Friday, I look forward to finding out from others about the theme.

    Thank you to Phi and to John

     

  2. Usual Phi high standard, so thanks to him. I too couldn’t parse ruinous so thanks to John for that. Curiously, I used to know an Alberto Culoma (see across unches, who smoked, but if that was intentional I will donate £1 to a charity of Phi’s choice.

  3. a ‘Turkish Delight’ from Phi today (see last 2 across clues for those who remember adverts).

    Got in a mess by putting RIOTOUS at 18 which only left me the unlikely HOOD SPIKE for the head ornament!

    Obtained seems supefluous in 21D (Wanted to use it as HAS but that leaves TE for expeditrion which doesn’t work).

  4. All very straightforward and a fairly quick solve.  We can’t see any theme or nina, although 28 &29 across, “Eastern promise”, we seem to remember, was an advertising slogan in the 60s for Turkish delight.  Also, 26 & 5 across, “smoke” and “mirrors” suggested a theme.  But neither of those ideas seems to lead anywhere.

    Thanks, Phi and John

  6. This was my annual celebration of Wellington’s burger festival, so it is unlikely that you would spot the theme. The strangely named burgers making it into the grid this year were:

    ROSEMARY, SMOKE AND MIRRORS
    EASTERN PROMISE
    SURF’N’TURF
    HEATWAVE
    COALITION

    As it happens this year we managed to sample the winner which was called PRAWN UNDERBELLY. So good we took a day trip to try it a second time on its lap of honour.

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