Independent 11,480 / Phi

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Phi brings another week’s selection of working week puzzles to an end today.

I found this to be towards the easier end of the Phi spectrum in terms of difficulty, despite not knowing either the tackle at 9 or the composer at 17D. This grid offers lots of initial letters, which probably facilitated solving. I made fairly swift progress, but then faltered in the NW quadrant, with 9, teased out from the wordplay, being my last-one-in.

I am fairly happy with my parsing today, although I would be interested to hear if others have parsed 8, 15D and 27 as I have – I have amended the blog at 8 having read solvers’ comments below, for which thanks 🙂

My favourite clues today are 1, 4, 6 and 11, all for their smooth surface readings.

Unsurprisingly, I have spotted no theme here today, but maybe other solvers have?

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across  
   
09 CRUPPER Rider’s foremost in support for each part of riding tackle

[R<ider> (“foremost” means first letter only) in CUP (=support, in a bra)] + PER (=for each); a crupper is a strap of leather holding a saddle in place
   
10 OVATION Account taken from love trip gets great response

O (=love, i.e. zero score in tennis) + V<ac>ATION (=trip; “account (=AC) taken from” means letters “ac” are dropped)
   
11 BANAL Bar with a large stock

BAN (=bar, stop) + A + L (=large, in sizes); e.g. stock phrases are banal, commonplace
   
12 METEORITE Astronomical feature’s boundary having old form

METE (=boundary) + O (=old, as in Old Testament) + RITE (=(ceremonial) form)
   
13 YOUNGSTER Gone rusty, in decay? One has little experience anyway

*(GONE RUSTY); “in decay” is anagram indicator
   
15 USAGE Universal example of wisdom in customary behaviour

U (=universal) + SAGE (=example of wisdom, i.e. a wise man)
   
16 RISES Increases reservation about island

IS (=island) in RES (=reservation, e.g. Native American)
   
17 MAE Sexy star of yesteryear extracting bit of life from chap

MA<l>E (=chap); “bit of life” from” means first letter – “l” – is dropped; the reference is to the US actress Mae West (1893-1980)
   
18 CLOCK Look at // the time here?

Double definition: to clock is to look at, observe, colloquially AND a clock displays the time
   
19 LOTUS Tense, moving among yobs? This will make you forget

LOUTS (=yobs); ‘tense (=T) moving” means letter “t” changes places
   
20 SURPRISES Unexpected consequences from certain reduced forces

SUR<e> (=certain; “reduced” means last letter is dropped) + PRISES (=force (open))
   
23 PALLADIUM Significant element of London theatreland?

Cryptic definition: palladium is a metallic element, atomic number 46, while the London Palladium is a West End theatre!
   
25 DIVAN Bed I’d pushed back to front

DI (I’D; “pushed back” indicates reversal) + VAN (=front, as in vanguard)
   
27 AINTREE Excellent main course, not first course

A1 (=excellent) + <e>NTREE (=main course, especially in US English; “not first” means first letter is dropped); Aintree is a racecourse near Liverpool
   
28 STORAGE Keeping soldiers in step

OR (=soldiers, i.e. other ranks) in STAGE (=step, leg)
   
Down  
   
01 SCABBY Showing evidence of disease, bishops will occupy small island

B B (=bishops, i.e. 2 x B, in chess) in [S (=small, in sizes) + CAY (=island, i.e. a low islet, key)]
   
02 TURN Italian city I neglected in tour

TUR<i>N (=Italian city); “I neglected” means letter “i” is dropped; a turn in a car is a ride, drive, tour, spin
   
03 APOLOGISTS They advocate a sport’s points

A + POLO (=sport) + GISTS (=points, main ideas)
   
04 PROMPT Suggest concert needs piano quartet’s finale

PROM (=(promenade) concert) + P (=piano, i.e. softly in music) + <quarte>T (“finale” means last letter only)
   
05 NOCTURNE Nobody will welcome nasty curt piano piece?

*(CURT) in NONE (=nobody); “nasty” is anagram indicator
   
06 SAGO Small success importing a cereal

A in [S (=small, in sizes) + GO (=success, as in to make a go of)]
   
07 VIVIPAROUS Important figure brought in unexpected saviour of human reproduction?

VIP (=important figure) in *(SAVIOUR); “unexpected” is anagram indicator; humans are viviparous, i.e. give birth to live young
   
08 KNEE-JERK A couple of joints and fool’s heading off without thinking

KNEE (=joint, in body) + J (=joint, of marijuana) + <b>ERK (=fool; “heading off” means first letter is dropped)
   
14 UNSETTLING International group getting tougher about Luxembourg? That’s worrying

UN (=international group, i.e. United Nations) + [L (=Luxembourg, in IVR) in SETTING (=getting tougher, hardening)]
   
15 UNCARED-FOR Vehicle seen in article from Renault – struggling Ford neglected?

CAR (=vehicle) in [UNE (=article from Renault, i.e. a French indefinite article) + *(FORD)]; “struggling” is anagram indicator
   
16 ROLE-PLAY Look up during later chance to see training process?

OL (LO=look; “up” indicates vertical reversal) in REPLAY (=later chance to see, e.g. TV programme)
   
17 MESSIAEN Redraft of Mass in E to involve English composer

E (=English) in *(MASS IN E); “redraft of” is anagram indicator; the reference is to French composer, organist and ornithologist Olivier Messiaen (1908-92)
   
21 REMISS Building lacking power and some energy? That’s negligent

<p>REMIS<e>S (=building); “lacking power (=P) and some energy (=E)” means the letter “p” and one letter “e” are dropped
   
22 SUNSET Students picked up a number of games for the end of the day

SUN (NUS= students, i.e. National Union of Students; “up” indicates vertical reversal) + SET (=a number of games, e.g. in tennis)
   
24 AIRY I will board a railway without a care

I in [A + RY (=railway)]; airy is nonchalant, casual, hence “without a care”
   
26 VEAL John’s upset about European meat

E (=European) in VAL (LAV=john, loo; “upset” indicates vertical reversal)
   

 

28 comments on “Independent 11,480 / Phi”

  1. Thanks, Phi and RR!
    Liked LOTUS, DIVAN, APOLOGISTS, REMISS (though the ‘power and some energy’ bit was somewhat not sweet) and PALLADIUM.

    KNEE-JERK
    I parsed as below:
    A couple of joints=KNEE +J(oint), fool=jERK, jERK heading off=ERK.

    UNCARED FOR and AINTREE
    Parsed as you did.

  2. We hadn’t heard of the composer at 17d either and wondered whether that was the theme but couldn’t find anything.

    A gentle puzzle though to end the week.

    Thanks Phi and RR.

  3. PALLADIUM
    Significant: Is this in the archaic sense of ‘Sign’. Palladium, in Greek religion, image of the goddess Pallas (Athena), especially the archaic wooden statue of the goddess that was preserved in the citadel of Troy as a pledge to the safety of the city.

    Is Palladium a theatre or a theatreland?

    Land (fictional): The Palladium world is a magical world, with several different kinds of magic practices, as well as psychic powers.

    TURN
    Tour=a turn or shift of work. Does this work better?

    REMISS
    Energy=E. Maybe ‘some energy’ means ‘one of the two e’s. Not sure though it works that way.

  4. I thought maybe the fool was a BERK, but wasn’t sure about J for the second joint. As well as a DD CLOCK was also a clue as definition. Is there anything significant about PALLADIUM, or was it just for the surface? I enjoyed this.

  5. For 27, I had ( KNEE J ) = a couple of joints, J so quoted being in my Chambers 2003 plus ERK = BERK minus B ( heading off ).

    Aintree is technically in Liverpool I think ( L9 L10 ) – my grandmother hailed from there.

    Thank you Phi and RR.

  7. Also had BERK. J for joint (of marijuana) is in Chambers (had to look that one up). As a matter of interest, does anyone in the UK use ‘entree’ for ‘main course’?

  9. KVa@3 – The London Palladium is a theatre in Soho, specialising in musical theatre. There used to be a long-standing series “Saturday Night at the L.P”.

    {re the composer: late in the last century the Observer Magazine ran a series “The Expert’s Expert”. The selection of living classical composers picked Olivier Messiaen as the greatest then living composer. For my money he is up there with Tippett and Stravinsky as one of the greatest since Beethoven.]

  10. did anyone else find this one twice as hard as the average Phi? much obliged for the explanations, RR!

  11. KVa@6 I think of JERK having a moral as well as an intellectual dimension, but also I find it less elegant to remove a j and then replace it.

  18. e.a. @10. Yes I found it difficult too but persevered and got there. Took ages to get started and had a real blind spot for Role Play and Lotus ( didn’t know the Lotus Eater myth) so they were my last two.

  19. KVa @3 and Petert @4. I couldn’t see the significance of ‘significant’ at 23A either but suppose it refers to the LP being a significant theatre. Messiaen composed the extraordinary Turangalîla Symphony featuring the extraordinary ondes martenot instrument. Very nice, so thanks Phi and RatkojaRiku.

  20. To add to JERK and BERK for decapitation: NERK
    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nerk
    ‘(slang, derogatory) – A stupid or objectionable person.
    1980, Brian Thompson, Tishoo, a Play: “Plants understand more than that. The celery in Barbara’s sandwiches has a greater grasp of it than you, you nerk.”
    1987, Punch, volume 293, number 7662-7669:
    “The real Socialists lost that election. They lose council elections too. They always lose elections, which, in view of the kind of nerks who often do get elected, is a shame.”‘
    I’m sure I heard it on The Goon Show but that was the alternative spelling NURK
    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nurk
    1979, Paul Ableman, Porridge: The Inside Story: “Ives, who is better known for sliminess than courage, approached Samson who was dutifully attending his feudal lord Grouty as usual, and remarked:’I think you’re a stupid nurk, Samson.'”

  21. Ea@10 and JBG@18. Yes, I found it tough too. Bottom half OK but struggled up top. All good stuff though.
    Played around with eNTREE a lot but never spotted AINTREE , which is a disgrace having raced there many times. Always thought it was in Everton, strangely.

  22. Messiaen is one of my favourite composers. A friend played to me a recording of the Tuarangalila symphony when I was at university in the early seventies and it blew my mind. A few years later I was at a concert in London where he received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s gold medal. I’d recommend his piano music including the 2-hour long Vingt Regards sur L’Enfant-Jesus.

  23. The theme lies in lyrics from a different composer. Some of my favourite Sondheim rhymes, all from one song:

    Perpetual SUNSET is rather an UNSETTLING thing
    The hands on the CLOCK TURN but don’t sing a NOCTURNE just yet
    Surprise of SURPRISES it instantly RISES again

    All from A Little Night Music.

  24. I am reminded of Kit and the Widow’s song People Who Like Sondheim with it’s reference to “eternal, infernal, internal rhymes”.

    I’m very fond of Sondheim but I’ve only seen A Little Night Music once and don’t know it at all well.

  25. Phi@23
    Thanks, Phi for dropping in and revealing the theme.
    Was eager to know what you had in mind in respect of PALLADIUM (multiple layers)
    and REMISS (some energy to indicate one e).

  26. Hi Phi@23 – Rhyming again, eh? – You don’t know how fond I’m of Sondheim.
    I had noticed RISES SURPRISES but it’s a common rhyme – Google gives you Katy Perry’s Rise, The Last Poets’ Surprises and Radiohead’s No Surprises
    for Night Waltz ll-The Sun Sits Low to hide amidst. From A Little Night Music(1973) – yet another 50-year-old music theme.
    SUNSET UNSETTLING is much subtler. (It rhymes with butler – but nothing rhymes with locksmith, does it?).
    And I’d never have seen CLOCK TURN NOCTURNE in a cliched number of years.
    I’d been absolutely certain of WATCH instead of CLOCK early on, before a bunch of JERKS, BERKS and NERKS proved me wrong.
    I’d loved Send In The Clowns and Losing My Mind for years without realising they were by Sondheim.
    The recent death of Astrud Gilberto, singer of The Girl from Ipanema led me to discover the parody The Boy From…
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_From…
    …Tacarembo la Tumba del Fuego Santa Malipas Zacatecas la Junta del Sol y Cruz – maybe you could put that in a NIna some time.
    “Why are his trousers vermilion? | Why does he claim he’s Castilian? I Why do his friends call him Lillian? | And I hear at the end of the week, | he’s leaving to start a boutique.”
    At the end he’s “moving to Wales | to live in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.”
    Nice PALLADIUM MESSIAEN MacGuffins. “I like the island Manhattan | Smoke on your pipe and put that in!”
    Thanks Phi & RR

  27. Indie puzzles tend to appear six or seven weeks after clueing so remembering what I thought at the time…but here goes.

    The ‘significant’ in PALLADIUM is zeugmatic, and intended to cover both components (nearly wrote ‘elements’). Mentioning ‘zeugma’ means that my mind reverts to Flanders and Swann, so you may get a Madeira-themed puzzle eventually.

    As for REMISS – there are two Es in ‘premises’ and I wasn’t deleting all of them.

    Despite using it recently as an anniversary seed for the BBC Music Magazine, I had forgotten that ALNM was fifty years old this year.

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