Phi-day again, and a fun challenge as usual.
Today’s clues range from fairly straightforward to somewhat obscure, the latter partly from a few loose-ish definitions. Some amusing images in the surfaces, particularly 10a (a lime-green Rolls-Royce would definitely be wrong), 14d, 18d and 25d.
The top line of the grid is a name for African-American US Army regiments founded in the 19th century (or perhaps a Bob Marley song referring to them), which set me off on the hunt for a theme. The bottom line also looks like a pun on SCARLET LETTER(S), one of two novels or several derived musical works and films. Both of these seem to have been wild goose chases, though, because I can’t find anything else 18d in the grid. Thanks Phi for the entertainment as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BUFFALO |
Bovine expert a good many finally dismissed (7)
|
| BUFF (slang for expert, as in “a wine buff”) + A LO[t] (a great many; finally dismissed = last letter dropped). | ||
| 5 | SOLDIER |
‘Singular veteran’ increasingly encompasses one? (7)
|
| S (abbreviation for singular) + OLDER (veteran increasingly), containing (encompassing) I (one in Roman numerals).
Clue-as-definition I think, though it seems a rather clumsy sentence: perhaps it’s saying that each individual soldier is on the way to becoming a veteran (an ex-soldier). |
||
| 9 | GOUDA |
After reflection, one really enjoyed eating old cheese (5)
|
| A (one) + DUG (past tense of “dig” = slang for enjoy very much), containing (eating) O (old), all reversed (after reflection).
Cheese from the Netherlands. |
||
| 10 | LIMOUSINE |
Car not entirely unfashionable? Wrong in green (9)
|
| OU[t] (unfashionable; not entirely = last letter dropped) + SIN (wrong), all contained in LIME (a shade of green). | ||
| 11 | ANASTASIA |
Famous Russian, as presented in Disney film, avoiding capital of France (9)
|
| AS inserted into [f]ANTASIA (Disney film), without the F which is the capital letter at the start of France.
The definition presumably refers to Anastasia, youngest daughter of the last Tsar of Russia (a victim of the Bolsheviks’ decision to abolish their monarchy). It’s an extended definition, because there have been a few films (though I think not by Disney) about a young lady turning up in Paris some years later claiming to be the missing Anastasia. (There’s also an Anastasia in a Disney film – one of Cinderella’s stepsisters – but apparently unrelated.) |
||
| 12 | EVENT |
Result still adrift, ultimately (5)
|
| EVEN (still) + last letter (ultimately) of [adrif]T.
Event = result, as in “in any event” = whatever happens. |
||
| 13 | GIMLET |
See about one small amount of liquid cocktail (6)
|
| GET (see = understand, as in “now I get it”), around I (one in Roman numerals) + ML (ml = millilitre = small measure of liquid).
Gin with sweetened lime juice (or variations on that general theme). |
||
| 15 | THESSALY |
People in authority apprehending girl back in part of Greece (8)
|
| THEY (people in authority? – I can imagine the word being used in that sense, but I can’t think of an example), containing (apprehending) LASS (dialect word for girl) reversed (back). UPDATE: see comment from PostMark @1 for a good example of “they” as a non-specific “someone in authority”.
Administrative region in modern Greece, or a similar region in ancient Greece. |
||
| 18 | ALL AT SEA |
Everyone yet to reach port will be confused (3,2,3)
|
| ALL (everyone) + AT SEA (yet to reach port = travelling by sea). | ||
| 19 | POETIC |
Quote work recalled with a lyrical style (6)
|
| CITE (quote) + OP (short for the Latin opus = a musical or literary work). | ||
| 22 | RIDER |
Additional clause, article ignored by stock market speculator (5)
|
| R[a]IDER (one who buys large numbers of shares in a company in an attempt to gain control and influence the share value), ignoring the A (the indefinite article).
An additional clause added to a contract or legislative bill. |
||
| 24 | TRAVERSAL |
Minister turned amidst various altars, making motion to cross (9)
|
| REV (short for Reverend = title of a church minister), reversed (turned), amidst an anagram (various) of ALTARS. | ||
| 26 | PLAY BY EAR |
Ignore written notes – this is the place to stop tucking into fruit (4,2,3)
|
| LAY-BY (place to stop = area for vehicles to make a temporary stop at the side of a major road), tucking into PEAR (fruit).
To play music without reference to written notation, especially by listening to and harmonising with other musicians. |
||
| 27 | OKAPI |
African resident agreed to be followed by a detective (5)
|
| OK (agreed) followed by A PI (short for private eye = detective).
African mammal, related to the giraffe but with zebra-like markings. |
||
| 28 | SCARLET |
Red 10 possibly left in position (7)
|
| CAR (10 possibly = reference to 10a LIMOUSINE) + L (left), inserted into SET (position, as a verb). | ||
| 29 | LETTUCE |
Vegetable cutlet prepared with pea, essentially (7)
|
| Anagram (prepared) of CUTLET with the middle letter (essentially) of [p]E[a]. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BIG BANG |
Book one group including bass for a stellar opening? (3,4)
|
| B (abbreviation for book) + I (one in Roman numerals – that’s the third one in this puzzle!) + GANG (group), including B (abbreviation for bass in singing notation).
Description of the initial expansion of the universe. |
||
| 2 | FAUNA |
Pleasure taking in area: area and its animals (5)
|
| FUN (pleasure) taking in A (abbreviation for area), then another A (area).
Fauna = animals, specifically all those in a particular region, hence “its” referring back to “area”. |
||
| 3 | APARTMENT |
Skill over pieces installed in suitable condo perhaps (9)
|
| ART (skill, as in “the art of conversation”) before (over, in a down clue) MEN (pieces on a chess or draughts board), all installed in APT (suitable).
Condo (short for condominium) = apartment = a self-contained home that is part of a larger building. |
||
| 4 | OWLISH |
How is learner working to become wise? (6)
|
| Anagram (working) of HOW IS + L (abbreviation for learner, used in L-plates on a vehicle to indicate a learner driver).
Owls are proverbially wise, so owlish = giving the appearance of wisdom. |
||
| 5 | SYMPATHY |
Starts to sneak your way into my compassion (8)
|
| Initial letters (starts) to S[neak] Y[our], then PATH (way) inserted into MY. | ||
| 6 | LOUPE |
University publishers put in French article – item for jewellers (5)
|
| OUP (Oxford University Press = university publishers) put into LE (a form of the definite article in French).
A hand-held magnifying device used by jewellers. |
||
| 7 | ITINERANT |
Traveller that is carrying the can, getting harangue (9)
|
| IE (i.e. = short for Latin id est = that is), containing (carrying) TIN (a can), then RANT (harangue). | ||
| 8 | RE-ENTRY |
Inexperienced, not beginning to attempt part of space mission (2-5)
|
| [g]REEN (inexperienced; not beginning = first letter dropped) + TRY (attempt). | ||
| 14 | MELODRAMA |
Master a mad role, performing in sensational play (9)
|
| M (abbreviation for master, for example in MA or MSc degrees) + anagram (performing) of A MAD ROLE. | ||
| 16 | SMOKED OUT |
Discovered donkey in studio I abandoned, unfortunately (6,3)
|
| MOKE (slang for a donkey), in an anagram (unfortunately) of STUD[i]O with the I abandoned.
Smoke out = to force someone out of a hiding place into the open. Discover = find, but it can also mean to reveal something and make it known, so the definition just about works. |
||
| 17 | SENTIENT |
Conscious and excited about new obligation (8)
|
| SENT (excited, as in the song title “You Send Me”), containing (about) N (new) + TIE (obligation). | ||
| 18 | APROPOS |
A rugby forward getting unusually large? That’s pertinent (7)
|
| A PROP (a forward player in rugby) + OS (short for outsize, describing clothing = unusually large). | ||
| 20 | COLLIDE |
Pass on story about Democrat clash (7)
|
| COL (pass = gap between two mountain peaks) before (on = above, in a down clue) LIE (story), containing (about) D (abbreviation for Democrat). | ||
| 21 | PATROL |
Exactly right function, mainly – for a police officer? (6)
|
| PAT (exactly right, as in “off pat” = word-perfect as a result of rehearsal) + ROL[e] (function = mainly = last letter dropped).
Patrol = a police officer “on the beat”, responsible for a specific area. |
||
| 23 | REBEL |
Revolutionary Bishop enthralled by rock (5)
|
| B (abbreviation for bishop, in chess notation), contained in (enthralled by) REEL (rock = sway unsteadily). | ||
| 25 | SNAFU |
United supporters turning up in a bad way (5)
|
| U (short for United in the names of football teams) + FANS (supporters), all reversed (turned up = upwards in a down clue).
Military slang abbreviation for Situation Normal All F****d Up = a bad situation as usual, or sometimes a verb meaning “to mess up”. I can’t quite make this work grammatically, because I think the clue text requires the definition to be an adjective or adverb, and I’m not sure it works that way; perhaps someone more familiar with military slang can provide an example. Great surface though. |
With regard to THEY, I’m probably more used to ‘Them’ as people of authority but it works OK: “They really should do something about it” with ‘They’ being ‘whoever is responsible but certainly not me’. And I took SOLDIER to be an &lit, albeit a slightly awkwardly phrased one.
A really nice Phi today. Not too impenetrable. As far as I can tell, the only real puzzle was the wild goose chase for Bob Marley minutiae prompted by the juxtaposition of the first two across clues. But, like Quirister, I can find nothing else.
Owls are appearing fairly regularly this year but it’s nice to welcome a slightly less common African resident in the OKAPI which has only popped into one G puzzle in 2021. I had ticks for BUFFALO, SYMPATHY, PLAY BY EAR, POETIC and RE-ENTRY.
Thanks Phi and Quirister
PostMark @1: yes, that’s a good example for THEY, thanks.
Some weeks Phi floors me completely (but always fairly) and some weeks it all fits together very nicely. Despite not knowing that synonym of donkey this was a successful week.
Very enjoyable.
Thanks to Phi and Quirister.
DSQ @3: I think I only know MOKE from crosswords but I believe it was the inspiration behind the Mini Moke which is one of those slightly off the beaten track British vehicles.
Whizzed through this in under 15 minutes despite initially putting GANDER (anagram of DREG round AN) for 13.
I do find it strange how some days – or even times of the same day – the brain seems to be in ‘crossword mode’ whilst at others it definitely isn’t.
Thanks to Phi and Quirister (minding my Ps and Qs !)
I agree redddevil @5. My brain definitely works better for crosswords in the morning, not the evening (can’t be anything to do with the wine; of course not). Can’t match your 15 minutes though even so! Thanks to Phi and Quirister
A pleasant diversion over coffee. The only thing we couldn’t parse was SENTIENT although we might have had trouble with ‘condo’ in 3dn had we not remembered it from another crossword a while ago.
Looking at the completed grid we have a vague feeling that there’s a theme lurking somewhere there, but there’s nothing we can really put the finger on. Anyone else got that impression?
Anyway, theme or no theme, thanks, Phi and Quirister.
We finished this over lunch. We liked POETIC and one of us had remembered MOKE.
We came here hoping to have a theme pointed out to us but maybe there isn’t one.
Even without one it was a good way to end the week. Thanks to P&Q.
Maybe the OKAPI is in a zoo and thus “stolen from Africa”? “If you know your history, then you would know” who ANASTASIA was. I couldn’t find a theme either but I enjoyed looking. My only tiny quibble is that I think of OWLISH more as looking like an owl than being wise like an owl, but to borrow someone else’s joke, who gives a hoot.
This is my annual puzzle where my search for fodder to fill an empty grid starts with the implausible names given to the entries in the Wellington Burger Festival. BUFFALO SOLDIER and SCARLET LETTUCE were indeed among them, as were ALL AT SEA, SMOKED OUT and BIG BANG. There’s a sixth in there somewhere but I can’t recall it.
As I have said before, a lot of the time I am simply searching for a few words to help structure the grid – if the theme that emerges is the sort of thing that solvers can identify, all well and good, but I certainly don’t intend that you have to.
After a couple of ropey days I got back to my usual ~75% without help and then at least understood the next 25% ! OKAPI I enjoyed as “African Resident”, PLAY-BY-EAR and RE-ENTRY my other favourites
Thanks to Phi and Quirister
Thanks Phi – I was sure that the top and bottom lines meant something, so I’m glad to find I didn’t miss something obvious. Sounds like a fun festival!
Phi @10. If the 6th burger isn’t “FAUNA MELODRAMA” then I might enter that one next year! Thanks again for the challenge
Thanks Phi. We love your themes like this – they always raise a smile. How about GOUDA LIMOUSINE for the missing one?
Phi @10: doubt you’ll pop in again but the Sherlock Holmes in me would like to venture the LIMOUSINE as your missing sixth. If you put the other five into a Google search, you get the (very lengthy) bravo welly menu (or, at least, that’s what it appears to be) and all the burger titles appear, as does LIMOUSINE.
B&J @14: you weren’t there when I typed! Either you’ve done similar research or, if I’m right, you’ve chanced upon the bullseye. 😀
LIMOUSINE was the one I had in mind for the sixth. Yes, they do get called Welly burgers. Normally the festival is in August but 2020’s (for some reason…) was deferred to October and I only got round to the puzzle a bit later. The better names tend to be puns where the components are transmogrified into not-quite-words, alas.
We found it really hard to get going on this, then when we’d got about a third of it done the rest quickly fell into place.
Never hard of moke, needed the thesaurus for that!