Friday wouldn’t seem right without an Independent crossword from Phi.
Along with other bloggers of Phi puzzles, I often toss a few random grid entries into Google to see if there are any hints to a theme.
Initially, the best I could come up with this time was three princes – PARIS (Trojan Prince), ALBERT and HARRY, as well as a ROYALIST, plus a couple of Police ranks – SUPERINTENDENT and INSPECTOR, and a couple of French cities – PARIS again and NANCY. However none of these commonalities seemed to justify a theme.
Just as I was about to give up, I dredged up ALBERT HERRING from the depths of my mind and a bit of research showed there is a theme. ALBERT HERRING is an opera composed by Benjamin Britten [1913-1976] in 1946/1947. The cast list for the opera includes the title character, Lady BILLOWS, Florence PIKE, Miss WORDSWORTH, SUPERINTENDENT Budd, NANCY from the bakery and HARRY.
ROOMETTES is not a word I have come across before and I doubt if I will be using it conversation any time soon, but that was the only obscure word. A themed crossword often constrains the options for entries and Phi has done well to get so many well known words and phrases into the grid. BAGS I was another entry constrained by crossing letters, but it is a phrase I remember from my schooldays.
This puzzle was a good mental workout.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Special strategy game mostly involves me in plans (7) SCHEMES (plans) S (special) + (CHESS [game of strategy] excluding the final letter S [mostly] containing [involves] ME) S CHE (ME) S |
| 5 |
Source of apple tree to fix product of apple tree (6) PIPPIN (an apple of various varieties) PIP (seed from which an apple tree can grow) + PIN (fix) PIP PIN |
| 9 |
City not big enough to fill small municipal area (5) PARIS (city in France) PARISH (small municipal area) excluding the final letter H (not big enough to fill) PARIS |
| 10 |
One obliterates times in more left-wing surroundings, withholding power (3-6) INK-ERASER (an ERASER of india-rubber treated with fine sand, used for rubbing out INK marks) ERAS (periods of time) contained in (in) PINKER (more left-wing) excluding (withholding) P (power) INK (ERAS) ER |
| 11 |
Republican Italy so disposed – to dismiss me? (8) ROYALIST (monarchist, one opposed to the concept of republicanism) R (Republican) + an anagram of (disposed) ITALY and SO R OYALIST* |
| 12 |
Warning enthralling British: German close to the throne (6) ALBERT (reference Prince ALBERT of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha [Germany], consort of Queen Victoria – German close to the throne) ALERT (warning) containing (enthralling) B (British) AL (B) ERT |
| 14 |
An opening for camaraderie in US city or French city (5) NANCY (city in France) (AN + C [first letter of {opening for} CAMARADERIE]) contained in (in) NY (New York, US city) N (AN C) Y |
| 16 |
Recalled Phi, say, securing word for ‘farmyard noise’ in Chambers (9) ROOMETTES (sleeping compartments in a train or small bedrooms to let; chambers) (SETTER [Phi, SETTER of this crossword] containing [securing] MOO [word for a farmyard noise made by a cow]) all reversed (recalled) (R (OOM) ETTES)< |
| 17 |
European shock about billion heading for China? (9) EASTBOUND (direction towards [heading for] China, if you are starting from Europe) (E [European] + ASTOUND [shock]) containing (about) B (billion) E AST (B) OUND |
| 19 |
Cancel culture initially has a problem linked to Society (5) SCRUB (abandon; cancel) S (society) + C (first letter of [initially] CULTURE) + RUB (difficulty; problem) S C RUB |
| 20 |
Non-threatening party line adopted by French company (6) DOCILE (submissive; non-threatening) DO (party) + (L [line] contained in [adopted by] CIE [French for company]) DO CI (L) E |
| 21 |
Over with new ball unexpectedly delivered by in-house squad? (3,5) OWN LABEL (product carrying the trademark or label of the store that sells the it) O (over) + an anagram of (unexpectedly) NEW BALL O WN LABEL* |
| 24 |
Something to avoid there, pushing English forward? The very same (4,5) NONE OTHER (the very same) NO-NO (something to avoid) + THERE with the final E (English) moved forward (pushing … forward) into NO-NO NO N E O THER |
| 25 |
Catholic getting on in prison (5) CAGED (in prison) C (Catholic) + AGED (getting on in years) C AGED |
| 26 |
Mineral dial surrounding watch, reflective (6) GYPSUM (soft mineral, hydrated calcium sulphate) (MUG [face; dial] containing [surrounding] SPY [watch]) all reversed (reflective) (G (YPS) UM)< |
| 27 |
Start to haul off fish (7) HERRING (type of fish) H (first letter of [start to] HAUL) + ERRING (inaccurate; off) H ERRING |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Half-hearted meal set to involve last boss of seven? (14) SUPERINTENDENT (officer senior to [boss of] INSPECTOR [entry at seven down]) SUPPER (meal) excluding one of the central letters P (half hearted) + (INTENT [determined; set] containing [to involve] END [last]) SUPER INT (END) ENT |
| 2 |
Hound beginning to howl, heading off bear (5) HARRY (harass; hound) H (first letter of [beginning to] HOWL) + CARRY (bear) excluding (off) the first letter C [heading] H ARRY |
| 3 |
Make a poor move and lose, though capturing pawn (7) MISPLAY (make a poor move in a sport or game) MISLAY (lose) containing (capturing) P (pawn, in chess) MIS (P) LAY |
| 4 |
Style of hair shown by sibling around front of Criminal Courts, possibly (7,3) SCISSOR CUT (style of hair) (SIS [sister; sibling] containing [around] C [first letter of [front of] CRIMINAL) + an anagram of (possibly) COURTS S (C) IS SOR CUT* |
| 5 |
Component of dive to get fish (4) PIKE (posture in which the body is bent sharply at the hips with legs kept straight at the knees and toes pointed; a position in diving) PIKE (voracious freshwater fish) double definition PIKE |
| 6 |
Former prisoner having a part in prison escape, initially (7) PAROLEE (prisoner who has been conditionally released; former prisoner) (A + ROLE [part in a play]) contained in (PE [first letters of [initially] each of PRISON and ESCAPE) P (A ROLE) E |
| 7 |
Prices not wrongly set for municipal official? (9) INSPECTOR (title of some municipal officials) Anagram of (wrongly) PRICES NOT INSPECTOR* |
| 8 |
Lurid sight – Bob struggling to restrain large family pet? (7,7) BRITISH BULLDOG (example of a family pet) Anagram of (struggling) LURID SIGHT BOB containing (to restrain) L (large) BRITISH BU (L) LDOG* |
| 13 |
Poet in argument over merit (10) WORDSWORTH (reference William WORDSWORTH [1770-1850], English poet) WORDS (argument) + WORTH (merit) WORDS WORTH |
| 15 |
Had a look round prison, getting unknown drug (4,5) NOSE CANDY (cocaine; drug) (NOSED [had a look] containing [round] CAN [prison]) + Y (letter frequently used as to represent an unknown value in mathematics) NOSE (CAN) D Y |
| 18 |
Waves of poor quality that front of ship circumvents (7) BILLOWS (waves) BOWS (front of a ship) containing (circumvents) ILL (of poor quality) B (ILL) OWS |
| 19 |
One cutting outside power – here’s tool for reconnection? (7) SPLICER (a tool that joins things together or reconnects something that has frayed or broken) SLICER (one who cuts) containing (outside) P (power) S (P) LICER |
| 22 |
Let me take that – British silver is turning up … (4,1) BAGS I (I lay claim to; let me take that) B (British) + AG (chemical symbol for silver) + IS reversed (turning up; down entry) B AG SI< |
| 23 |
… alas, mostly fake (4) SHAM (fake) SHAME (alas) excluding the final letter E (mostly) SHAM |
Though not an opera fan, I had heard of ALBERT HERRING, then on completion I found the other linked entries online. There’s also a character CIS, one of the village children, which appears in 4D, but that may be unintentional. From the synopsis, this opera sounds great fun, so I might listen one day. Thanks Phi and Duncan.
I had no chance of ever spotting the theme. Very well done Duncan.
Good mental workout indeed with some very satisfying word play.
Re 11A I thought the entire clue was the definition? Although maybe Phi is a well known royalist?
Thanks Phi and Duncan.
I never stand a chance of spotting a Phi theme as I am content to simply solve the puzzle.
Which I liked today. Finding the theme is akin to the endgame in an Inqy.
Although I vaguely remember finishing one of Phi’s IQs
Thanks Phi and Duncan
I thought 11ac was a cad too. I wondered about the two municipals, especially as it wasn’t strictly necessary for INSPECTOR, but unless the opera is set in a local authority, it must have been a red herring. Heading for China was a nice bit of misdirection. Thanks both.
I saw ALBERT HERRING and knew it was an opera by Benjamin Britten, but that was as far as I could get in the theme hunting stakes. A v. good spot to those who could identify it.
The usual quality Phi puzzle, theme or no theme. I enjoyed INK-ERASER and GYPSUM for the parsing and for a different reason, ROOMETTES for highlighting what a good word ROOM is, something I’d never noticed before.
Thanks to Phi and Duncan
I happened to be listening to Albert Herring at the time and noticed the preponderance of dictionary words amongst the character’s names.
Odd fact of the day: the singer who first played Superintendent (Billy?) Budd found a degree of post-operatic fame as J R Hartley, author of Fly-Fishing in a well-known TV ad for Yellow Pages.
Thanks Phi, that was great even without knowing the theme. It was a struggle in places but that’s what I like. PIPPIN, ROOMETTES, EASTBOUND, BRITISH BULLDOG (great surface), and NOSE CANDY were favourites. Thanks Duncan for the well-done blog and explaining INK ERASER.
Thanks Phi, this was enjoyable.
No chance of spotting the theme but I did notice the other commonalities.
Loved ROOMETTE as it is one of those words that you think “surely not” then reach for the eDict.
The definition of 11a eluded me too, but that had to be the answer.
Thanks for the blog Duncan.
It’s been a good many years since I last saw Albert Herring, and I totally missed the theme. Forgotten about the J R Hartley connection. However back in 2009 I was invited to a house-warming party in south Scotland. A Scottish friend had moved back north and bought a house and had her elderly mother move in. Morag was pleased to have just got a copy of the first recording of Albert Herring as a present for her mother, Anne Sharp, who’d sung on the recording, made in Copenhagen back in 1949.