Independent 10,337 by Phi

by

It’s Phi-day again!

We found this a bit tougher than average for a Phi, but it all came together in the end. We are however slightly puzzled by 24d.

We have looked for a theme or nina in the puzzle, but haven’t been able to find one – perhaps we’re missing something, or maybe, if there is a theme, it is too obscure for us.

image of grid

ACROSS
1/5 Figure expert is someone blunting crisis ahead of the Queen (6,8)
NUMBER CRUNCHER

NUMBER (‘someone blunting’, as in ‘making numb’) CRUNCH (crisis) ER (the Queen)

9 Lodger and woman around after hours? Something transparent here (5-5)
PLATE-GLASS

PG (‘paying guest’ – lodger) LASS (woman) round LATE (‘after hours’)

10 Crime very associated with diamonds (4)
VICE

V (very) ICE (diamonds)

11 Family is heading for this shopkeeper? (8)
STOCKIST

STOCK (family) IS T (first letter or ‘heading’ of ‘this’)

12 Recalled bed – nasty thing, the alarm (6)
TOCSIN

COT (bed) reversed or ‘recalled’ SIN (nasty thing)

13 Sicilian eminence – a reputation Palermo ultimately ignored, on reflection (4)
ETNA

A NoTE (reputation) without the ‘o’ (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of ‘Palermo’) reversed or ‘on reflection’

15 Further view accommodating most of historic approach to training? (4-4)
ROLE-PLAY

REPLAY (‘further view’) round or ‘accommodating’ OLd (historic) without the last letter or ‘most of’

18 Strenuous activity right to exclude politician from immunity (8)
EXERTION

EXEmpTION (immunity) with the ‘mp’ (politician) replaced by R (right)

19 Article to stay incomplete, sadly (4)
ALAS

A (article) LASt (stay) without the last letter or ‘incomplete’

21 King Lear will provide two examples (6)
EDWARD

King EDWARD and EDWARD Lear are two ‘examples’ of Edwards

23 Upright vicar’s first article getting rewritten (8)
VERTICAL

V (first letter of ‘vicar’) + an anagram of ARTICLE – anagrind is ‘getting rewritten’

25 Concern about to be presented in paper (4)
FRET

RE (about) in FT (paper)

26 I limit bringing in equipment for agricultural aid (10)
IRRIGATION

I RATION (limit) round or ‘bringing in’ RIG (equipment)

27 It helps to observe first person getting calm, we hear (8)
EYEPIECE

A homophone (‘we hear’) of I (first person) PEACE (calm)

28 Avoid key getting cut (6)
ESCHEW

ESC (‘key’ – the escape key on a keyboard) HEW (cut)

DOWN
2 One should receive luminance in the dark (5)
UNLIT

UNIT (one) round or ‘receiving’ L (luminance)

3 Provision for disabled? Spa to run meeting (4,5)
BATH CHAIR

BATH (Spa) CHAIR (run meeting)

4 Take back control of African country after uprising involving American (6)
REGAIN

NIGER (African country) reversed or ‘uprising’ round or ‘involving’ A (American)

5 Exact reference prevents charade in development (7,3,5)
CHAPTER AND VERSE

An anagram of PREVENTS CHARADE – anagrind is ‘in development’

6 End of day, not start – story not a bother (8)
UNSETTLE

sUNSET (end of day) without the first letter or ‘start’ + TaLE (story) without the ‘a’

7 Roman figures in the city? (5)
CIVIC

C, I, V, I and C are all Roman numerals

8 Deal with China involved food from another country (9)
ENCHILADA

An anagram of DEAL and CHINA – anagrind is ‘involved’

14 Burden I’d taken up about my work in preservation (9)
TAXIDERMY

TAX (burden) I’D + RE (about) reversed or ‘taken up’ + MY

16 Snap captures an island in it – rather good at showing off keys? (9)
PIANISTIC

PIC (snap) round or ‘capturing’ AN IS (island) in IT

17 Sticky stuff: not-too-spicy piece of pork picked up before end of course (8)
BIRDLIME

MILD (not-too-spicy) RIB (‘piece of pork’) all reversed or ‘picked up’ + E (last letter or ‘end’ of ‘course’)

20 Priest, unclear, against leaving city (6)
PRAGUE

PR (priest) vAGUE (unclear) without the ‘v’ (against)

22 Performance in contention is to go wrong (3,2)
ACT UP

ACT (performance) UP (in contention)

24 Fairly drunk, tucking into beer – and nothing else? (5)
ALONE

We think this must be: ON (‘fairly drunk’?) in ALE (beer), but we can’t find any reference to ‘on’ meaning ‘fairly drunk’ – are we missing something? Thanks Paul A. We did miss something when looking in Chambers.

 

4 comments on “Independent 10,337 by Phi”

  1. 24d Chambers has ON (adverb, entry 4) as ‘on the way to being drunk’ so it must be that. I think Harry H has used it before. Don’t think I’d ever come across Pianistic, and Stockist took a while because I wasn’t thinking generally enough. Otherwise a good Phiday workout and no I can’t see a theme either. No change there. Thanks, Phi and B&J.

  3. Must have been on the right wavelength as this sailed in for me(with enjoyment) whereas I can sometimes get held up on a PHI

  4. We too sailed through this, in just two passes, although we missed the parsing of ROLE-PLAY.  We liked TAXIDERMY and ENCHILADA, and we found CHAPTER AND VERSE a write-in.

    Can’t see a theme or nina, though.

    Thanks, Phi and B&J.

Comments are closed.