Phi gives us a good Friday puzzle that seems to me to be neither too easy or too difficult
There was one new word for me today. I haven’t come across ONCOGENE before but the wordplay was clear. The EDEN river is perhaps not one of the best known rivers in England, but it’s not too far from where I live so it came to mind more quickly than did the valley that formed the wordplay.
The link between LEAN and narrow in the wordplay for 13 across seems quite tenuous to me. I can see that narrow equates to slim / slender and slim / slender equates to LEAN so Phi is using the logic that A=B and B=C, therefore A=C. I think that logic works better in mathematics than it does in language.
I liked the anagram for STATUE OF LIBERTY.
There were a couple of cryptic definitions today, CRAB and ORIGAMI. Not my favourite type of clue normally, but I thought these two were fine.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1 | Racial info, poorly gathered, in a state (10) |
Anagram of (poorly gathered) RACIAL INFO CALIFORNIA* |
CALIFORNIA (one of States of the USA) |
| 6 | It conceals relocation of energy in base (4) |
VILE (base) with the E (energy) moved to second place in the word (relocated) VEIL |
VEIL (covering of fine fabric for the head, face, or both, for protection, concealment, adornment or ceremonial purpose) |
| 10 | Award fixed in the memory (7) |
SET (fixed) contained in (in) ROTE (mechanical memory, repetition or performance without regard to the meaning) RO (SET) TE |
ROSETTE (award) |
| 11 | Present movement against religion (7) |
HERE (present) + TIC (involuntary movement) HERE TIC |
HERETIC (one who holds a belief contrary to the authorized teaching of the religious community to which he / she ostensibly belongs) |
| 12 | Obliterate fusty crumbling monument (6,2,7) |
Anagram of (crumbling) OBLITERATE FUSTY STATUE OF LIBERTY* |
STATUE OF LIBERTY (monument on LIBERTY Island in New York Harbour) |
| 13 | I’d turned round in narrow opening (4-2) |
I’D reversed (turned round) contained in (in) LEAN (narrow) Both LEAN and narrow can be defined as ‘slim’ or ‘slender’ but I’ll take a bit of convincing that LEAN and narrow are synonymous. LEA (D I)< N |
LEAD-IN (introduction) |
| 14 | One suggesting taking problem to specialist (8) |
PRO (professional; specialist) + POSER (problem) PRO POSER |
PROPOSER (one who suggests an idea or course of action) |
| 18 | They draw off editor not taken in by corrupting influences (8) |
S SUCTIONS |
SUCTIONS (actions that have the effect of drawing off) |
| 20 | Diving bird seen around a good area of water (6) |
LOON (any of an order of northern diving birds) containing (around) (A + G [good]) L (A G) OON |
LAGOON (shallow lake, especially one near or communicating with the sea or a river) |
| 23 | Having stewed prune as starter? Not very attractive (15) |
Anagram of (stewed) PRUNE + POSSESSING (having) UNPRE* POSSESSING |
UNPREPOSSESSING (unpleasing; not very attractive)
|
| 25 | Conservative worried about backing positive vote, one reflects (4-3) |
C (Conservative) + (ATE [worried] containing [about] YES [positive vote] reversed [backing]) C AT (S EY)< E |
CATS-EYE (small reflector set in a frame fixed in a road surface to indicate traffic lanes) |
| 26 | Popular poet’s written about love, not splashing out? (7) |
IN (popular) + (BARD [poet] containing [written about] O [zero; love score in tennis]) IN B (O) ARD |
INBOARD (descriptive of an engine within the hull or interior of a ship; not splashing out) |
| 27 | Equipment including new telephone (4) |
RIG (equipment) containing (including) N (new) RI (N) G |
RING (call; telephone) |
| 28 | Modified service or way of closing intense rallies (10) |
Anagram of (modified) SERVICE OR and E (last letter of [way of closing] INTENSE) RECOVERIES* |
RECOVERIES (rallies) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | Girl is cautious above all after dislodging a pupa (9) |
CH CHRY SAL IS |
CHRYSALIS (pupa) |
| 2 | Opera venue: it involves contralto in singing without words (2,5) |
(SA [sex appeal; it] containing [involves] C [contralto]) all contained in (in) LA LA (singing an accompaniment without words) LA (S (C) A) LA |
LA SCALA (opera house in Milan) |
| 3 | Pasta etc unfit for cooking sent to Italy (9) |
Anagram of (for cooking) ETC UNFIT + I (International Vehicle Registration for Italy) FETTUCIN* I |
FETTUCINI (pasta made in long ribbons) |
| 4 | Antelope smell covering human smell? (6) |
REEK (smell) containing (covering) BO (body odour; human smell) REE (BO) K |
REEBOK (South African antelope) |
| 5 | They may be developed for rhinal use, clearing head? (8) |
Anagram of (they may be developed) RHINAL and INHALERS* |
INHALERS (devices for administering a medicinal preparation by inhalation, eg to relieve asthma etc. Rhinal refers to the nose) |
| 7 | Drags out former sources of legal action (7) |
EX (former) + TORTS (legal term for any wrongs, not arising out of contract, for which an action for compensation or damages may be brought) EX TORTS |
EXTORTS (drags out by compulsion) |
| 8 | Fortunate ancient human, receiving King (5) |
LUCY (LUCY is the common name of AL 288-1, several hundred pieces of bone fossils representing 40 percent of the skeleton of a female of the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis; ancient human) containing (receiving) K (king) LUC (K) Y |
LUCKY (fortunate) |
| 9 | You might catch it if you’re getting the worst of a row (4) |
CRAB (the phrase to a CATCH a CRAB means to sink the oar too deeply (or not enough) in the water and fall back in consequence. A rowing term) CRAB |
CRAB (cryptic definition as described in the wordplay) |
| 15 | Reasonable place within earshot occupied by son not daughter (9) |
PL (place) + AU PL AUSIBLE |
PLAUSIBLE (likely; reasonable) |
| 16 | They turn against Observer, being upset about negative publicity? (9) |
SEER (observer) reversed (being upset; down clue) containing (about) (NEG [negative] + AD [advertisement; publicity]) RE (NEG AD) ES< |
RENEGADES (people who betray or desert a principle, party or religion; they turn against) |
| 17 | Individual absorbing most of powerful viral threat? (8) |
ONE (individual) containing (absorbing) COGEN ON (COGEN) E |
ONCOGENE (a gene, which may be carried by a virus, that affects the normal metabolism of a cell in such a way that it becomes cancerous; viral threat) |
| 19 | Turner inclined to keep soprano in prison (7) |
(APT [inclined to] containing [to keep] S [soprano]) all contained in (in) CAN (informal term for prison) C (AP (S) T) AN |
CAPSTAN (an upright mechanical device turned by bars, levers or a motor, used for winding in heavy ropes or cables) |
| 21 | What could see company folding after challenge to achieve certain figures? (7) |
ORIGAMI (the art of folding paper so as to make figures shaped like animals, birds, etc) This is a cryptic definition where company means a group of people. Many people see ORIGAMI as a challenge, especially those like me who have few practical skills as well as poor hand eye coordination) ORIGAMI |
ORIGAMI (cryptic definition explained in the word play) |
| 22 | French are keen initially, I think, to find Canadian resident? (6) |
ES (French form of ‘are’ as in ‘tu es’ translating to ‘you are’) + K (first letter of [initially] KEEN) + IMO (in my opinion; I think) ES K IMO |
ESKIMO (member of an indigenous people inhabiting northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and eastern Siberia) |
| 23 | Sore about being caught by dodgy rule (5) |
C (circa; about) contained in (being caught by) an anagram of (dodgy) RULE UL (C) ER* |
ULCER (an open sore, on the skin or mucous membrane)
|
| 24 | Cumbrian river valley – last to reach top (4) |
DENE (small valley) with the last letter (last) E moved to first place (to reach top; down clue) EDEN |
EDEN (river in Cumbria flowing into the Solway Firth) |
Wot no comments? Phi usually kicks pff my Fridays.
Very reliable and entertaining.
Thanks.
Struggled a bit at times today. Having reluctantly entered ORIGAMI I was convinced there must be more to the parsing than just a (IMO very) convoluted CD. Couldn’t find more and consequently this is my least favourite. Is origami any more of a challenge than any other pastime?
Maybe just not on my wavelength today, although it did bring back memories of racing back from school some afternoons to catch the 15 minute programs by Robert Harbin which fascinated me.
Thanks to Phi and duncanshiel
And no-one to spot the theme either…
Such a good crossword: it’s sad that there are so few responses. Perhaps the blog was too good and answered so many questions that there was no need for people to say anything.
But the real problem is that none of us can see the theme.
A bit of a struggle today, and we needed a wordfinder for our LOI, ONCOGENE – all we could think of to fit the crossing letters was ‘onpotene’ (from ‘potent’ for ‘powerful’) which isn’t a word.
But we could see two parsing for 8ac – EVIL with the E moved to the RIGHT as well as VILE with the E moved left.
We liked LAGOON, CATS-EYE, and CRAB.
No idea about the theme, though.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan.
We’re talking nebulae, of which Allan-c hits three in the clues he liked. I think I managed another six.
I hadn’t finished this before I went out last night and finally finished it about midnight, and then discovered my guess for 6ac was wrong.
Didn’t spot the theme, but I think the only nebulae I could name off the top of my head are the Crab, the Horsehead and the Orion (although, of course, the Andromeda galaxy used to be called the Andromeda nebula). I’d like to think there is an Unprepossessing nebula or an Origami nebula.
Maybe Phi has knowingly or unknowingly unclaimed. Like all of us, I missed the theme but now I count ten.
California, Cat’s Eye, Crab, Eskimo, Lagoon, Ring, Rosette, Statue of Liberty, Tarantula, Veil. Am I wrong?
Sorry, I meant “underclaimed”, of course.
How did that tarantula creep in?! I must be seeing things! The total is indeed nine.
Well this is Joyce commenting – not the usual double act. Bert is away for a while, no internet access or very sporadic as he is trekking in Nepal.
I have not been idle but as my train ride home last night was rather eventful (over 2 hours late) I didn’t manage to finish the solve. I have been out all day today and hoped a fresher mind would enable me to sort the remaining clues in the bottom half a bit quicker than last night. No such luck. I found some of them very elusive.
I was so pleased to eventually finish it I forgot to check for a theme. I would not have discovered it had I looked!
Anyway, thanks Duncan and Phi – Phi for helping to keep my brain active and Duncan for explaining the parsings of the ones I guessed – there were quite a few.