Phi rounds off another set of mid-week puzzles in time-honoured fashion.
There was a lot to get one’s teeth into today, for blogger and solver alike, since this grid accommodated a large number of entries, to which the clues contained a good measure of intricate wordplay to be teased out. I almost had to accept defeat at 24A and 24D, but when the penny dropped for one, the other soon revealed itself thanks to the extra letter. My last-one-in was 21, for which I could see no other viable solution than the correct one, but I simply couldn’t see the wordplay for ages.
I think I got there in the end, but I would appreciate confirmation (or otherwise) of my parsing at 8. I am also not sure about 25, where there seem to be two anagram indicators, but for no apparent reason.
My favourite clues today where 21, for the PDM when it finally came; 20, for overall construction, despite its length; and 3 and 28, both for their smooth surface.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | SECRET | Clandestine group limiting City resistance
[EC (=City, of London) + R (=resistance, in electricity)] in SET (=group) |
| 05 | THEATRE | Consoling comment about reservists retreating in field of operations
AT (TA=reservists, i.e. Territorial Army; “retreating”’ indicates reversal) in THERE (=consoling comments, cf. There, there!) |
| 10 | OLEIC | Military leader receiving island tribute in the form of oil
LEI (=island tribute, i.e. Hawaiian wreath) in OC (=military leader, i.e. Officer Commanding) |
| 11 | GRENADIER | Infantryman reading about return of engineers
*(READING) + ER (RE=Royal Engineers; “returning” indicates reversal); “about” is anagram indicator |
| 12 | GET KNOTTED | Understand United? Go on with you!
GET (=understand, see, as in I get it) + KNOTTED (=united, intertwined) |
| 13 | FISH | Search is going between France and Hungary
IS in [F (=France) + H (=Hungary)]; cf. to fish for information, compliments |
| 15 | DANCES | Europeans seen around college balls
C (=college) in DANES (=Europeans) |
| 16 | ASTERISM | More than one star is seen in stream, frolicking
IS in *(STREAM); “frolicking” is anagram indicator; an asterism is a group of stars that is smaller than a constellation |
| 18 | SOFT-SHOE | Second foot he’s twisted, following a type of tap-dancing
S (=second) + *(FOOT HE’S); “twisted” is anagram indicator |
| 21 | PARSON | Minister looking OK at this hole?
Cryptically, if a par’s on (=gettable) in golf then it’s “looking OK at this hole” |
| 24 | BLOW | Right-angled shape blocking curved shape? That’s a setback
L (=right-angled shape) in BOW (=curved shape, as in bow window) |
| 25 | SPACECRAFT | Wacky SF caper cast adrift losing a second starship
*(SF CAPER CA<s>T); “losing a second (=S)” means one letter “s” is dropped from anagram, indicated by “wacky” and “adrift” |
| 27 | NONPAREIL | Unequalled iron plane crashed
*(IRON PLANE); “crashed” is anagram indicator |
| 28 | ADIEU | See you stop investing in gold
DIE (=stop, expire) in AU (=gold, i.e. chemical symbol) |
| 29 | ENDLESS | Spelling out exhortation to save, perhaps on a continual basis?
<sp>END LESS! (=exhortation to save); “spelling (=SP) out” means letters “sp” are dropped |
| 30 | PARADE | Criminal charge backed: achieved though not foremost in line-up
PAR (RAP=criminal charge; “backed” indicates reversal) + <m>ADE (=achieved, e.g. progress; “thought not foremost” means first letter is dropped); e.g. an identity parade is a line-up of suspects |
| Down | ||
| 02 | EVERTON | Reputation surrounds churchman turning up in district of Liverpool
VER (REV=churchman) in NOTE (=reputation, fame); “turning up” indicates vertical reversal |
| 03 | RACONTEUSE | A recount’s ordered before vote’s conclusion. She’ll give the story
*(A RECOUNT’S) + <vot>E (“conclusion” means last letter only); “ordered” is anagram indicator |
| 04 | TIGHTS | Tense tussles, with loss of fine hosiery
T (=tense, in grammar) + <f>IGHTS (=tussles; “loss of fine (=F)” means letter “f” is dropped) |
| 05 | THESEUS | Mythological figure seen in doctoral submissions around university
U (=university, as in OU) in THESES (=doctoral submissions) |
| 06 | ELAN | Style revealed in electronic computer network
E (=electronic) + LAN (=computer network, i.e. Local Area Network); élan is style, vigour, brio |
| 07 | TBILISI | Capital – is Liberal in it upset?
[IS + LIB (=liberal)] in IT; “up” indicates vertical reversal; Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia |
| 08 | EARTH | Planet’s core seeing drop in hydrogen
HEART (=core); “seeing drop in hydrogen (=H)” means letter “h” falls to a lower position in the word |
| 09 | LONG ODDS | Small chance city’s not willing to welcome influential man
GOD (=influential man, in a particular field) in LOND<on>’S (=city’s; “not willing (=ON, e.g. to participate in a bet, activity)” means letters “on” are dropped) |
| 14 | SEDAN CHAIR | Historic transport requiring arrangement of 15 locks
*(DANCES (=entry at 15) + HAIR (=locks); “arrangement of” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | AXE | Cut in tax expected
Hidden (“in”) in “tAX Expected” |
| 17 | MINOTAUR | Sort of cross evident in insignificant hybrid creature
TAU (=sort of cross, i.e. St Anthony’s cross) in MINOR (=insignificant) |
| 19 | FROWNED | Father had looked serious
FR (=father, in religion) + OWNED (=had, possessed) |
| 20 | ORPHEUS | Musical work’s about right, absorbing that man, a classical musician
R (=right) + HE (=that man) are inserted separately into OPUS (=musical work); the reference is to the excellent lyre-player in classical mythology |
| 22 | SEABIRD | Marine creature loses water when soaring around sailor
AB (=sailor, i.e. able-bodied seaman) in SEIRD (DRIES=loses water; “when soaring” indicates vertical reversal) |
| 23 | SCHLEP | School student recording difficult journey
SCH (=school) + L (=student, i.e. learner) + EP (=recording, i.e. extended-play); from Yiddish, a schlep is a trek, hence “difficult journey” |
| 24 | BINGE | Overindulgence for one writer, on reflection
E.G. (=for one, for example) + NIB (=writer, on pen); “on reflection” indicates reversal |
| 26 | GAME | Spirited English publication is kept up
E (=English) + MAG (=publication, i.e. magazine); “is kept up” indicates vertical reversal |
Didn’t notice the double anagram indication in 25a when solving. I thought at first that 7d seems to be clueing TBILSII but eventually saw how it works. Brain not fully awake yet.
Not sure where your doubts in your parsing of 8d lie RR. Looks perfect to me.
ASTERISM is today’s new word, for me anyway.
Some underground links – THESEUS, ORPHEUS, EARTH, MINOTAUR – but enough for a theme? Hmmm. I’m sure someone will spot the real answer.
Thanks to Phi fir Friday fun and RR fir blog.
I’ve found the theme! It’s Harrison Birtwistle. Endless Parade, Secret Theatre, Minotaur etc
Theseus Game and Earth Dances are two more.
Most of this was reasonably straightforward but I did get bogged down towards the end with PARSON (lovely pdm) and LOI, ASTERISM which was a bit of a guess.
The same links Salad mentions for an underground theme may also give a remote vehicle theme – THESEUS and MINOTAUR appear to be satellites and ORPHEUS is a deep sea exploration vessel – but I can’t find any more (PARSON sounds an unlikely moniker for a family of space rockets!)
SEDAN CHAIR made me smile as did FISH; NONPAREIL and SEABIRD were both very nice. Setters appear to be divided as to whether TA needs a qualifier now the organisation has been re-named. I’ll admit to raising an eyebrow at influential man = GOD but, yes, a rock god is a male – phew. I’m not sure I fully understand how ‘investing in’ works as an insertion indicator in ADIEU; feels like it should be ‘being invested in’ or simply ‘invested in’ (though it would mess the surface)
Thanks Phi and RR
Thank you Herb @3 & @4! I would never have got that connection.
Thanks both. As usual with a Phi puzzle I looked without success to identify a theme, although I could lie and say of all the Birtwistle boys, Harrison was the most likely to crop up on a Friday…..meaning great name, but never heard of the dude
I have to say I was slightly uncomfortable at using only the Lib part of Liberal in the anagram fodder for 7D as these things are usually quite literal.
Theme – as is usual with Phi – went right over my head but I enjoyed the solving process nonetheless.
Thanks to Phi and RR
Thanks RatkojaRiku, I couldn’t parse 29A and agree you are spot on with 8d, one of many nice inventive clues. I wonder if Phi couldn’t decide which anagrind to ditch in 25a and then forgot about it?
No idea re theme so well spotted Herb@3 – is there anything by HB that you would recommend to a newcomer? For some reason i associate his name with rather ‘difficult’ modern classical music, maybe unfairly.
Redddevil@8 it is not an anagram, it is an inversion with inclusion (as set out above) but a fiendish one (I had the same confusion as Hovis@1, compounded as I am sure it never used to have that first ‘i’).
Lots to enjoy and stretch the little grey cells (I liked SEABIRD best, deceptive definition but a nice hint in the wordplay), thanks Phi.
Fairly straightforward and no knowledge of the theme required – though we guessed there was something going on with THESEUS, MINOTAUR and ORPHEUS.
We couldn’t make out how ‘following a’ worked in SOFT-SHOE, but on reflection we suppose ‘following’ just means the anagram follows the initial S, and the ‘a’ is part of the definition. And we rather think GET KNOTTED is something more forceful than ‘go on with you!’
Gazzh@9: Both our atlases (the older one from 1972) have the spellingTBILISI.
Plenty to like. Thanks, Phi and RR.
Get table without the theme luckily as I’ve never heard of any of it! All good but sp for spelling? Really?
This is a bizarre coincidence! Looked for some music to listen to whilst solving this and picked the old London Sinfonietta recording of Verses for Ensemble and Nenia on the Death of Orpheus. Imagine my surprise when two of the earliest clues I got were ORPHEUS and THESEUS. Then looked for more theme-related answers as I went along. Must be fifty years since I first heard Nenia on the Death of Orpheus on the radio. Saw Birtwistle many times over the years at concerts and operas. Alas, no more.
Thanks Phi for a pleasant crossword with FROWNED, SCHLEP, BINGE, and ADIEU being among my top choices. I knew the term ASTERISM; I always remember it by a well-known example, Orion’s belt. I sensed a theme but could not connect the dots. Thanks RR for the blog.
Ericw @ 11
sp for spelling is a common abbreviation used by teachers when marking spelling mistakes in test / exam papers. I first came across it at least 50 years ago.
I wondered whether anyone would pick up the theme (expecting Dormouse to come along eventually) – the puzzle was gridded on the day HB’s death was announced (and I’ve since plundered his works for another list of words from which to construct a grid – you have been warned).
I also recently listened to that London Sinfonietta recording, though I can’t say I actually wrote any clues during the time!