A bit tricky from Phi this morning.
A couple of the entries were unfamiliar words, particularly 26a (for which a rather non-standard pronoun required by the wordplay didn’t help matters), and there were some slightly loose definitions as noted below. On the plus side, I liked the Billy Bunter image in 10a, the neat simplicity of 15a and 23a, the quirky definition of 2d/3d, and the long anagram of 5d. My favourite was probably the extended definition of 20a: perhaps not really an image you want at breakfast, but it made me laugh. Thanks Phi as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | UMBRIA |
Not speaking, not at first, having called back atmosphere in Italian region (6)
|
| [d]UMB (not speaking) without its first letter (not at first), then AIR (atmosphere) reversed (called back).
Region in central Italy. |
||
| 5 | FLAGMAN |
He signals decline lots of people curtailed (7)
|
| FLAG (slow down through exhaustion = decline) + MAN[y] (lots of people) without the last letter (curtailed).
A railway employee using flag signals to protect workers on the line from approaching trains, or the equivalent for road works. |
||
| 9 | ELECTRONIC |
Voter, missing nothing, mostly put off regarding online voting? (10)
|
| ELECT[o]R (a voter) without the O (zero = nothing), then ON IC[e] (slang for postponed = put off) without its last letter (mostly).
A slightly loose definition by example, indicated by the question-mark: “electronic” can be used for “online”, but “online voting” seems a bit too specific for a synonym. |
||
| 10 | MAGE |
“Wizard spread,” Bunter finally expressed (4)
|
| MA[r]GE (short for margarine = spread), without (expressed = pushed out) the final letter of [bunte]R. The surface suggests the fictional public schoolboy Billy Bunter and his early 20th-century slang for an enjoyable meal. | ||
| 11 | OCTAVALENT |
Description of some molecular bonding providing energy in vacant lot, possibly (10)
|
| E (scientific symbol for energy) in an anagram (possibly) of VACANT LOT.
Description of an element whose atom can form bonds with 8 hydrogen atoms (or with other atoms using 8 electrons in total). My O-level chemistry was a long time ago, but made this one just about guessable. |
||
| 14 | MOVE ON |
Have to get satellite in orbit to make progress (4,2)
|
| ‘VE (a contraction of “have”), with MOON (a satellite) around it (in orbit). | ||
| 15 | TAPESTRY |
Records attempt to deliver ornamental textile (8)
|
| TAPES (as a verb = records on tape; or as a noun = recordings used as evidence) + TRY (attempt). | ||
| 17 | DOMESTIC |
Cathedral getting a lot of criticism in the home (8)
|
| DOME (a cathedral? It means that in some Latin-derived European languages, but in English I think it just means a curved roof) + STIC[k] (slang for criticism, as in “Phi might get a bit of stick for these loose definitions”). | ||
| 19 | FLIGHT |
Fine of low value for escape (6)
|
| F (abbreviation for fine, as opposed to coarse) + LIGHT (of low value, as in “light punishment”). | ||
| 20 | SHIRE HORSE |
Pay for ultimate in mulch, put amongst flourishing roses – equine source? (5,5)
|
| HIRE (pay for) + last letter (ultimate) of [mulc]H, put into an anagram (flourishing = waving around, perhaps?) of ROSES.
Extended definition: a Shire horse (equine) is a source of . . . something you might use as a mulch around your rose bushes. |
||
| 23 | MINI |
Brief note left incomplete (4)
|
| MINI[m] (a musical note of a specific length) without its last letter (left incomplete).
As in mini-skirt: short and not providing much coverage. |
||
| 24 | TRAMPOLINE |
Gym equipment? Cargo boat has old stock on hand (10)
|
| TRAMP (tramp boat = a boat that takes cargo for hire rather than operating to a fixed schedule) + O (old) + LINE (a particular product available for sale in a shop = stock? Or as in family line = stock?). I’m not sure what “on hand” adds here. | ||
| 25 | SINCERE |
True crime about to involve church (7)
|
| SIN (crime) + RE (on the subject of = about), containing (to involve) CE (Church of England). | ||
| 26 | TAPETI |
Young child returned cuddling a cat or dog, say, or rabbit (6)
|
| IT (a young child may sometimes be referred to as “it” rather than he/she) reversed (returned), containing (cuddling) A PET (a cat or dog, say).
An endangered species of rabbit in South America. No, I’d never heard of it either, but that’s what Wikipedia is for. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 2/3 | MILLRACE |
Motivational channel showing poor run hosted by club (8)
|
| ILL (poor) + R (run, in cricket scoring), inserted into (hosted by) MACE (club = weapon).
A channel of water that provides the motive power for a water-driven mill. |
||
| 4 | AFRICAN |
Endless strain suppressed by a supporter from Tunisia, say (7)
|
| RIC[k] (as in “to rick one’s neck” = strain = damage by twisting or stretching) without its last letter (endless), inserted into (suppressed by) A FAN (a supporter). | ||
| 5 | FANTASTIC VOYAGE |
SF film? Activate SF agony with adaptation (9,6)
|
| Anagram (with adaptation) of ACTIVATE SF AGONY.
1966 sci-fi film. |
||
| 6 | ARC-LAMP |
Army regulation requires something to fix bright light (3-4)
|
| AR (abbreviation for Army Regulation, though some dictionaries say this is specifically US usage) + CLAMP (something used to fix things in place). | ||
| 7 | MEMBERSHIP |
Male remains with it – it’s something a club has? (10)
|
| M (male) + EMBERS (the remains of a fire) + HIP (with it = fashionable).
Membership = the people who belong to a club. |
||
| 8 | NIGHT |
Upturn in light swamping last of encircling dark (5)
|
| THIN (light, as in “light clothing”) reversed (upturn in = upwards in a down clue), containing (swamping) the last letter of [encirclin]G. | ||
| 12 | LOGO |
Ladies perhaps welcoming good company image (4)
|
| LOO (toilet, perhaps a “Ladies” public toilet) containing (welcoming) G (good). | ||
| 13 | REPETITION |
Starts to reject each request to Government – duplicated entries? (10)
|
| Starting letters of R[eject] E[ach] + PETITION (request to Government). | ||
| 16 | RUHR |
Intermittently rougher part of Germany (4)
|
| Alternate letters (intermittently) of R[o]U[g]H[e]R.
Region in north-west Germany. |
||
| 18 | THEATRE |
Drama and passion in plane possibly losing tail (7)
|
| HEAT (passion), in TRE[e] (possibly a plane tree) losing its last letter (tail).
Theatre as in the art form, rather than the building. |
||
| 19 | FUSSPOT |
France and America notice a source of irritation? (7)
|
| F (abbreviation for France) + US (America) + SPOT (notice = observe).
Fusspot = someone who causes annoyance by excessive attention to detail. |
||
| 20 | SAILS |
Feel unwell aboard boat trips at sea? (5)
|
| AIL (feel unwell), inserted into SS (abbreviation for steam-ship). “Aboard” is a common crossword convention for “inserted into a word meaning a ship or boat”.
Sail = a voyage in a sailing boat. |
||
| 21/22 | SLIPKNOT |
Error with nautical speed? Tug will put paid to it (8)
|
| SLIP (mistake or omission = error) + KNOT (measure of speed on water, one nautical mile per hour).
A temporary knot that is easily undone by a tug on the loose end. |
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