As usual, it is a Phi puzzle on a Friday
There are a couple of obscure words in the North East quadrant which often indicates they are there as a result of theme words crossing with them. However, I can’t see anything that suggests a theme. I can’t see any works by the poet. I have met the lady poet before, also in a crossword.
There were a couple of write-ins – REGAN at 21 where ‘treacherous daughter’ usually means a reference to King Lear and ULURU at 27 where three Us can mean only one thing in Australia.
I liked the two ‘love’ and ‘Paris’ references in the clue for AMOUR. I also liked the linking of two woolly animals at 5 down.
As ever, Phi sets us up for the weekend whilst we digest the implications of yesterday’s vote.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1 | Energy put into nurse’s profession (6) |
E (energy) contained in (put into) CARER (nurse) CAR (E) ER |
CAREER (profession) |
| 4 | Composer, after failing us, getting back the lead position (8) |
(ILL [failing] + US) reversed (getting back) + VAN (VANguard; at the front; in the lead position) ‘ailing’ is a common synonym for ‘ill’, but ‘failing’ seems a bit harsh (SU LLI)< VAN |
SULLIVAN (reference Arthur SULLIVAN [1842 – 1900], English composer, best known for collaborating with W S Gilbert) |
| 10 | Love breaking through a wall in Paris? That’s love in Paris for you! (5) |
O (zero; love score in tennis) contained in (breaking through) (A + MUR [French {Paris} for wall]) A M (O) UR |
AMOUR (French [Paris] word for ‘love’) |
| 11 | Russian poet writing articles about Knight and Queen, tovarish? Not half (9) |
(A [indefinite article] + A [indefinite article] giving ‘articles’) containing [about] (K [knight] + HM [Her Majesty]) + TOVA (first four letters of the eight [half] letters of TOVA A (K HM) A TOVA |
AKHMATOVA (reference Anna AKHMATOVA [1889 – 1966], Russian poet) |
| 12 | Individually women will come in to support bikinis etc (9) |
(EACH [individually] + W [women]) contained in (will come in to) BEAR (support) B (EACH W) EAR |
BEACHWEAR (bikinis and similar items are examples of BEACHWEAR) |
| 13 | Use Volume One when in trouble (5) |
(V [volume] + A [one]) contained in (when in) AIL (trouble) A (V A) IL |
AVAIL (use) |
| 14 | Cars etc possibly providing movie chortles (5,8) |
Anagram of (possibly providing) MOVIE CHORTLES MOTOR VEHICLES* |
MOTOR VEHICLES (cars etc) |
| 18 | Where you’ll see 14 Arab ruler’s wrapped with very soft strings (7,6) |
(AR [Arab] + KING [ruler]) contained in (wrapped with) (PP [pianissimo; very soft] + LACES [strings]) P (AR KING) P LACES |
PARKING PLACES (you will see MOTOR VEHICLES [14 across] in PARKING PLACES) |
| 21 | Get back after disposing of one treacherous daughter (5) |
REGA REGAN |
REGAN (name of one of the treacherous daughters of King Lear in Shakespeare’s play of the same name) |
| 23 | Setter’s to show expectation about cup match, being this? (9) |
I’M (I AM, a phrase the crossword setter will use to indicate ‘he is’ [setter’s]) + (PANT [show expectation) containing [about] TIE [a match in a cup competition]) IM PA (TIE) NT |
IMPATIENT (descriptive of someone who can’t wait for something to happen) |
| 26 | Pressurise baron to go without armour? (9) |
B (Baron) + LACK (go without) + MAIL (defensive armour) B LACK MAIL |
BLACKMAIL (extort money by threats; pressurise) |
| 27 | Three universities heartlessly reveal ruined item of Australian heritage (5) |
Anagram of (ruined) U [university] and U [university] and U [university] , i.e. three universities, and RL (letters remaining in REVEAL when all the central [heart] letters EVEA are removed [heartlessly]) ULURU* |
ULURU (massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory’s arid "Red Centre". The nearest large town is Alice Springs, 450km away. ULURU is sacred to indigenous Australians; item of Australian heritage) |
| 28 | Having a better aim, say, finish getting into small opening (8) |
DIE (finish) contained in (getting into) (S [small] + TEAR [opening]) S TEA (DIE) R |
STEADIER (firmer; having a better aim for example) |
| 29 | Embellish outside of blue pack (6) |
BE (first and last letters of [outside of] BLUE) + DECK (pack [of cards]) BE DECK |
BEDECK (decorate; embellish) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | Irritable report about sailor heading for boat (6) |
CRY (noise; report) containing (about) (AB [able seaman; sailor] + B [first letter of {heading for} BOAT) CR (AB B) Y |
CRABBY (irritable) |
| 2 | German’s certainly after port and wine (5) |
RIO (RIO de Janiero, Brazilian port city) + JA (German for ‘yes [certainly]) RIO JA |
RIOJA (type of wine) |
| 3 | One burrowing underground cut down king’s fortification (9) |
EARTHWOR EARTHWORK |
EARTHWORK (fortification of EARTH; an embankment)
|
| 5 | American woman’s trendy role at a wedding ? (9) |
US (United States; American) + HER’S (woman’s) + HIP (trendy) US HER SHIP |
USHERSHIP (playing the role of an USHER at a wedding) |
| 6 | Woolly creature docked in US city – one from South America? (5) |
LAM L (LAM) A |
LLAMA (a woolly creature of the camel family from South America) |
| 7 | String player to stop dropping soprano’s flowers (9) |
VIOLA (player of a string instrument, as in he is first VIOLA in the orchestra) + CEA VIOLA CEAE |
VIOLACEAE (family of violets and pansies; flowers) |
| 8 | Consume a bit of life in US city with aplomb (6) |
(EAT [consume] + L [first letter of [a bit of] LIFE) contained in (in) NY (New York [US city]) N (EAT L) Y |
NEATLY (elegantly; with aplomb) |
| 9 | See element of crowd at Edgbaston (4)) |
DATE (hidden word in [element of] CROWD AT EDGBASTON) DATE |
DATE (go out with; see) |
| 15 | Agreed on bananas when consuming a fruity drink (9) |
Anagram of (bananas) AGREED ON containing (when consuming) A ORANGE (A) DE* Either A could be the one contained |
ORANGEADE (fruity drink) |
| 16 | Justify opening of vaudeville show (9) |
V (first letter of [opening of] VAUDEVILLE) + INDICATE (show) V INDICATE |
VINDICATE (justify) |
| 17 | Each tune’s elaborated? It’s Piaf, perhaps (9) |
Anagram of (elaborated) EACH TUNE‘S CHANTEUSE* |
CHANTEUSE (female nightclub singer, from French language. Edith PIAF [1915-1963] was a French singer-songwriter, cabaret performer and film actress noted as France’s national CHANTEUSE) |
| 19 | English puzzle is hell! (6) |
E (English) + REBUS (a type of puzzle) E REBUS |
EREBUS (the dark and gloomy cavern between earth and Hades; the lower world or hell.) |
| 20 | Cancelled rule, getting in difficulties about that (6) |
R (rule) contained in (getting into) STUCK (failed to proceed as a result of meeting difficulties) ST (R) UCK |
STRUCK (cancelled) |
| 22 | Moved sinuously, going topless or nude (5) |
NAKED |
NAKED (nude) |
| 24 | Friend given Frenchman’s award (4) |
PAL (friend) + M (Monsieur; Frenchman) PAL M |
PALM (prize; award, e.g. as in an English translation of PALME D’or)the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival) |
| 25 | Piano piece, perhaps Faure’s latest duet? Possibly (5) |
Anagram of (possibly) E (final letter of [last] FAURE) and DUET ETUDE* |
ETUDE (composition [for example a piano piece] intended either to train or to test the player’s technical skill. |
22d
. . . the naked and the nude
(By lexicographers construed
As synonyms that should express
The same deficiency of dress
Or shelter) . . .
Robert Graves 1895 – 1985
Strangely, 11ac was my FOI. Well, not so strange as I’ve heard John Tavener’s Akhmatova Requiem a few time. She was the only Russian poet I could think off ending -tova.
The two long entries in the middle might inform an inspection of the perimeter.
OIC
Is it just the four?
I only see CAR, VAN, BUS & TRUCK (never would have seen it without the hint). Very NEATLY done.