Phi-day is upon us once again, and here he is with his latest offering.
I found this to be a medium-difficulty Phi puzzle, with more obscure vocabulary than is perhaps customary. 14 and 16 were completely new words for me, and I also realised that I didn’t really know the difference between “venal” and “venial” at 21.
I think that I have parsed everything satisfactorily, but I would appreciate confirmation of 2 (making=clearing) and 11 (me=mi). I haven’t identified any particular theme here, but there could well be one lurking somewhere.
My favourite clues today were 5, for the clever inclusion of two modes of transport, producing a smooth surface; and 15, for the equally clever inclusion of the chemical formula.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | SCABBARD | British graduate brought in special information document – it retains some point
[B (=British) + BA (=graduate, i.e. Bachelor of Arts)] in [S (=special) + CARD (=information document)]; the “point” of the definition is that on a sword |
| 06 | LIFT | Support provided when apprehended by officer
IF (=provided) in LT (=officer, i.e. lieutenant) |
| 09 | YEMENI | One from Arabia, I will follow the old people
YE (=the old, i.e. an obsolete word for the) + MEN (=people) + I |
| 10 | CHAGRIN | Series about former king produces discomfiture
[GR (=former king, i.e. George Rex)] in CHAIN (=series) |
| 11 | PREMIERE | Positive about me before first performance
P (=positive) + RE- (=about, regarding) + MI (=me, i.e. the musical note) + ERE (=before) |
| 12 | KINDLE | Encourage family hand-out, while giving nothing away
KIN (=family) + D<o>LE (=hand-out; “giving nothing (=0)” away” means letter “o” is dropped) |
| 13 | IN A COLD SWEAT | Laws actioned in error? Very apprehensive
*(LAWS ACTIONED); “in error” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | NEURASTHENIA | Cavorting in sauna there will give you an attack of nerves
*(IN SAUNA THERE); “cavorting” is anagram indicator; neurasthenia is a psychopathological term used to describe a weakness of the nerves, first used by neurologist George Beard in 1869 |
| 19 | SUBURB | Problem in public transport when going round part of town
RUB (=problem, hitch) in BUS (=public transport); “when going round” indicates (full) reversal |
| 20 | THRIVING | Successful concern involves Republican, I see
[R (=Republican) + I + V (=see, from the Latin vide)] in THING (=concern, preoccupation) |
| 22 | STERNUM | Bone not yielding useful material initially
STERN (=not yielding) + U<seful> M<aterial> (“initially” means first letters only) |
| 23 | VENICE | Italian city wrong to imprison bridge opponents
[E, N (=bridge opponents, i.e. East and North)] in VICE (=wrong, sin) |
| 24 | PLOY | Former college having a change of heart in scheme
POLY<technic> (=former college); “having a change of heart” means middle two letters switch round |
| 25 | THRILLER | Mystery movie perhaps has farm worker throttling personnel
HR (=personnel, i.e. human resources) in TILLER (=farm worker) |
| Down | ||
| 02 | CLEARING | Making 150 head away from audience
CL (=150, in Roman numerals) + <h>EARING (=audience; “head away” means first letter is dropped); e.g. “to clear £1000” is to earn, gain, bring in |
| 03 | BREAM | Ray’s about right fish
R (=right) in BEAM (=ray, of light) |
| 04 | AN IDEAL HUSBAND | Play mate never getting up to mischief?
“an ideal husband’ would be “a mate never getting up to mischief”; the reference is to the 1895 play by Oscar Wilde |
| 05 | DUCHESS | Noblewoman, old, abandoning jet and ship
D<o>UCHE (=jet, of water; “old (=O) abandoning” means letter “o” is dropped) + SS (=ship, i.e. steamship) |
| 06 | LORGNETTE | Spectacles leg, rotten, twisted
*(LEG ROTTEN); “twisted” is anagram indicator |
| 07 | FINALE | A lot of excellent beer in the end
FIN<e> (=excellent; “a lot of” means last letter is dropped) + ALE (=beer) |
| 08 | BACK-SEAT DRIVER | Supports arrangement of date with current unwelcome controller
BACKS (=supports) + *(DATE) + RIVER (=current); “arrangement of” is anagram indicator |
| 14 | CONTUMELY | Graceful when receiving crazy nut’s insult
*(NUT) in COMELY (=graceful); “crazy” is anagram indicator; a contumely is a scornful insult |
| 15 | PINNACLE | Salt found in tree top
Na Cl (=salt, i.e. sodium chloride) in PINE (=tree) |
| 17 | ATTEMPT | Go to work for various employers, protected by attorney
TEMP (=to work for various employers) in ATT (=attorney); a go is an attempt, a try, a stab |
| 18 | MUSSEL | Think lake contain small shellfish
S (=small) in [MUSE (=think, reflect) + L (=lake)] |
| 21 | VENAL | Mercenary likely to be pardoned after one escapes
VEN<i>AL (=likely to be pardoned, of a sin; “after one (=I) escapes” means letter “i” is dropped); venal means open to bribery, able to be bought over, corruptly mercenary |
Re 2 – Making = Clearing try “At the end of the deal we have cleared £5,000 in profit”. I expect it’s one of the later numbered entries in the dictionary definitions for clear.
Thanks for the blog RatkojaRiku and the crossword Phi
Yep, I’m in agreement with Wrynose @1 in supporting your equation of clearing with making. Furthermore, I’d associate clearing with profit rather than earning or bringing in. I think the idea of ‘net’ (as in profit) and ‘clear’ are linked. I’d also back our blogger on ‘mi’ as a just about acceptable alternative to ‘mi’. Googling will show that there are plenty of ‘me’s’ as well as ‘mi’s’ in the spelling of the musical scale. The famous Rogers and Hammerstein song is entitled ‘Do Re Mi’. I take, as my mnemonic, the title of the 1972 Hawkwind album – Doremi Fasol Latido.
Apart from that quiblet, lots to enjoy in Phi’s offering. SCABBARD was FOI as the British graduate immediately suggested BBA but it’s a nice misdirect, LIFT was very tight, CHAGRIN assembled nicely – and that’s just the first three clues! IN A COLD SWEAT is a clever anagram, PLOY was as tight as LIFT (though I have a sneaky feeling I’ve seen it clued this way before) and THRILLER has a lovely surface. Of the downs, CONTUMELY is both a lovely word and a delightful clue, PINNACLE and ATTEMPT were both clever and the nicely assembled BACK SEAT DRIVER is my COTD.
Thanks Phi and RatkojaRiku
I’ve been having a daily go at the Independent since lockdown and relying on fifteensquared to shed light on everything I haven’t understood. I’m gradually improving, (I’ve yet to solve one without use of the reveal button at times) but I’ve usually found Phi to be one of the setters I’m more in tune with. It’s therefore a relief to hear I wasn’t the only one facing words didn’t know!
Sheepish @3: congrats on the steady improvement. I’m a long term Guardian man but I’ve discovered the Indy more recently (I’m slightly ashamed to admit it’s taken me so long). I’ve encountered some splendid setters here already and you’re getting a great and varied crossword education if you’re having a go at them all. It would be nice to see a few more comments – not just to learn from others’ views, experiences and observations but also to recognise the work done by both setters and bloggers. Good luck with your ongoing development.
We have only just finished the puzzle over a meal this evening. We also had to check a few entries.
It’s always good to see comments especially from new solvers. As Postmark says, we always have less comments on the Indy puzzles which makes any new comments even more enjoyable.
We couldn’t find a theme either. Maybe Phi will come on and give us a hint.
Thanks Phi – always a pleasure to solve your puzzles on Phi-day and thanks to RR for the blog.
No theme this time, just a puzzle constructed around a selection of interesting words. I suppose NEURASTHENIA is the oddest (my spell-checker just offered the -enic ending when I was typing, and the adjective is certainly how I encountered it first).
I like to rescue CONTUMELY from undeserved obscurity every so often and I even read it this week in Ben Schott’s latest homage to P G Wodehouse so the word is not dead yet. Isn’t it Kipling’s camel that has a contumeelious hump, or similar?
I enjoy the way we all find different words obscure. For me, ‘contumely’ belongs in Hamlet’ and neurasthenia in WWI literature, when shell shock brought increased interest in mental illness. I come unstuck on sports terminology and lots of other technical vocabulary.
Sorry to be late. Also quite a new commenter, though I’ve used fifteen squared for a while – mostly hoping to get a ‘flavour’ of a crossword I’m having difficulties with. It does help. Anyway, welcome Sheepish.
Love the word contumely – Ian Duty lyric “derision and contumely and things that nauseate” (Pam’s Moods). Must learn some chemistry – didn’t know the salt
Ian Dury