Independent 11,876 by Phi

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Our regular Phiday morning wake-up call.

As usual, Phi has dredged up some obscure meanings of several words (mostly in wordplay rather than definitions), but I think I’ve managed to find ways for them all to work. 14a makes me wonder if Phi has been following the England men’s cricket team recently. I liked the appropriate anagram in 17d and the vivid surfaces of 24d and 26d. No obvious theme today; I think our setter doesn’t include themes as often as he used to. Thanks Phi as always.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

ACROSS
1 SPHERE
Additional comment recalled at this point in class (6)
PS (abbreviation for postscript = additional comment) reversed (recalled), then HERE (at this point).

A “sphere” of society can mean a social class (according to Chambers and Collins).
4 KINGDOMS
Family document about good party with royal associations? (8)
KIN (family) + MS (abbreviation for manuscript = document), around G (abbreviation for good) + DO (slang for a party).

A slightly odd definition, but perhaps in the sense of “everything that’s associated with a king”.
9 LAUNCH PAD
Meal encapsulating a flat opening event? (6,3)
LUNCH (a meal) containing A, then PAD (as in “bachelor pad” = flat = an apartment).

Launch pad = an initial event or situation, for example a first public performance, from which you can go on to bigger and better things.
11 ANGEL
Theatrical sponsor: a new stage backed (5)
A + N (abbreviation for new), then LEG (stage = one of multiple sections in a long journey) reversed (backed).

An investor, particularly one who sponsors a theatre production.
12 CHEER
Entertainment from American singer with a repeat for English (5)
CHER (US singer, very popular with crossword setters), with the E (abbreviation for English) repeated.

As in “good cheer” = enjoyment.
13 PRURIENCE
Uncommonly nice and pure about a bit of rumpy-pumpy? This is being just the opposite (9)
Anagram (uncommonly) of NICE + PURE, around the first letter (a bit) of R[umpy-pumpy].

Extended definition: prurience = an unhealthy interest in sexual matters (rumpy-pumpy), rather than a “pure” attitude to them.
14 ONCE-OVER
Caught within six deliveries? Quick assessment required (4-4)
Cricketing terminology: C (abbreviation for caught), in ONE OVER (six deliveries = six balls bowled).

As in “give it the once-over” = a cursory check without going into detail.
16 BEDLAM
Wild situation with heartless devil seen in torchlight (6)
D[evi]L (heartless = inner letters removed), inside BEAM (torchlight).
19 STACKS
Biscuits etc seen aboard ship a good deal (6)
TACK (food, especially the nautical term for “ship’s biscuit” = long-lasting if somewhat inedible rations), inside SS (abbreviation for steam ship, so “aboard ship”).

Stacks = a good deal = slang for a large quantity of something.
21 BALDNESS
Student’s beset by evil, being blunt (8)
L (as in L-plate = learner = student), contained in (beset by) BADNESS (evil).

Baldness = being blunt = speaking frankly and directly.
24 DISHONOUR
Make bad comments about food prepared for us (9)
DISH (food) + ON (prepared?) + OUR (for us). I’m not sure how “on” = “prepared”, but perhaps in the sense of “Are you still on for the meeting this afternoon?”.
25 SEWER
One using needle or pin, not end of stick (5)
S[k]EWER (pin), without the K which is the end letter of [stic]K.
27 CACTI
Desert plants have a role in Channel Islands (5)
ACT (have a role in a play) in CI (abbreviation for the Channel Islands).
28 NEW GUINEA
Pacific island, genuine and raw, deposing King in rebellion (3,6)
Anagram (in rebellion) of GENUINE + [r]AW, without the R (as in Charles R = abbreviation for Latin Rex = King).
29 FILIGREE
I get food, gratis, coming in for nothing – it’s a delicate arrangement (8)
I + LIG (slang for take advantage of free refreshments = get food gratis; in particular, to help yourself to backstage hospitality when you’re not actually part of the show), inserted into FREE (for nothing).

Intricate decorative wire-work.
30 STREET
Plant embedded in stone thoroughfare (6)
TREE (large plant) embedded in ST (abbreviation for stone = imperial measure of weight).
DOWN
1 SALACIOUS
Promise to repay accepted by a class outraged about lustful behaviour (9)
IOU (acknowledgement of a debt = promise to repay), inserted into an anagram (outraged?) of A CLASS.
2 HOUSE
Contain our group in garden (5)
US (our group) in HOE (garden, as a verb = work the soil).

House, as a verb = provide a place for.
3 RICARDO
Actor Montalban, bit of a character in Brazilian city (7)
CARD (bit of a character = slang for an unconventional person) in RIO (short for Rio de Janeiro = Brazilian city).

Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban (known for mid 20th century US films and TV)..
5 INDIUM
Metal I note, dull, found around uranium (6)
I + N (abbreviation for note) + DIM (dull = not bright), around U (chemical symbol for uranium).

A silvery-white metal.
6 GRANITE
French holiday home containing rendered stone (7)
GITE (French word for a holiday home for rent) containing RAN (rendered, perhaps in the sense of “run someone in” = deliver them into custody?).
7 ORGANELLE
Left in one large reconstructed part of cell (9)
L (abbreviation for left) in an anagram (reconstructed) of ONE LARGE.

In biology, a part of a cell that has a specific function.
8 SOLVE
Work out without others? Very into that (5)
SOLE (alone = without others), with V (abbreviation for very) inserted into it.
10 PEPPER
Member of Parliament importing very soft pelt (6)
PEER (a member of the House of Lords) containing (importing) PP (in musical notation, abbreviation for Italian pianissimo = very soft).

Pepper, as a verb = pelt = to attack with lots of small missiles such as gravel or shotgun pellets.
15 CLASSICAL
Constant of the people to accept sopranos in such music? (9)
C (constant: the speed of light in a vacuum, or a generic label for a constant) + LAICAL (of the people, as distinct from the clergy), containing (to accept) SS (two S = abbreviation for soprano in musical notation).

A genre of music, which may or may not include sopranos or indeed any singers.
17 MISCREANT
A lot of nasty crime done – by me? (9)
Anagram (done) of NAST[y] (a lot of = all but the last letter) + CRIME.

Extended definition: miscreant = a criminal.
18 HARROW
Curtailment of complicated dispute to distress (6)
HAR[d] (complicated) without the last letter (curtailment of . . .) + ROW (dispute).

Perhaps more common in the form “harrowing” = distressing.
20 KNOWING
Currently blocking chesspiece, showing cunning (7)
NOW (currently) inserted into KING (chess piece).
22 DISRUPT
Interfere with day, getting purist upset (7)
D (abbreviation for day) + anagram (upset) of PURIST.
23 POUNCE
Attack joke about old church (6)
PUN (joke) around O (abbreviation for old), then CE (abbreviation for Church of England).
24 DECAF
Had to deal with getting up and coffee without the kick! (5)
FACED (had to deal with, as in “faced strong opposition”) reversed (getting up = upwards in a down clue).

Short for decaffeinated coffee.
26 WINCE
Trace of cork in Merlot perhaps producing pained expression (5)
First letter (a trace) of C[ork] in WINE (Merlot perhaps).

13 comments on “Independent 11,876 by Phi”

  1. Thanks Phi and Quirister

    Loved Miscreant and the rest of the clues were excellent

    Perfect Phiday crossword. I will decide there is definitely no theme about 30 seconds after Phi posts here to explain the clever theme I missed entirely

  2. Best Phi for a while in my book. Some very clever defs, as our blogger has noted, including several that turn into lovely extended defs such as MISCREANT, PRURIENCE, STACKS, CLASSICAL and WINCE. I did not know LIG so FILIGREE was unparsed, other than the FREE container. Other faves inc KNOWING, SOLVE, ONCE OVER and SPHERE.

    Thanks Phi and Quirister

  3. I agree that this was a fine puzzle and with PostMark’s choice of favourites. I vaguely remember Ligger from Private Eye. Thanks to Phi and Quirister

  4. Top faves: PRURIENCE, ONCE-OVER, MISCREANT and DECAF.
    Enjoyed the puzzle on the whole.
    Great blog.
    Thanks Phi and Quirister.

  5. LIG is a new one for me, so I was unable to parse 29A. 3D was a write-in, since even if you didn’t know any Montalbans it was a simple online check. Otherwise all very clear and enjoyable (and rather easy for a Phi), so thanks to him and Quirister.

  6. I remember ligger from the ’70s music press to refer to rock bands’ hangers-ons. I thought it was more to do with getting a backstage pass than free food, so FILIGREE unparsed for me.
    Worth the entrance fee for the fond memory of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
    Thanks Phi and Quirister.

  7. Private Eye was running a strip about a freeloader called ‘The Ligger’ years ago – haven’t looked recently.

    Theme: start with the bottom row.

  8. We have only just looked at the puzzle and came here as we couldn’t see a theme. Thanks for the hint Phi – Natasha Pulley. We’d never heard of her, or her books:
    The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
    The Bedlam Stacks
    The Kingdoms
    The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

    There is also Mars House but we can only see HOUSE.

    Thanks Phi – a good end to the week. Thanks Quirister.

  10. Thanks, Phi. Puzzle a bit easy by P’s standards but a fun solve. Being American I had no chance of getting the theme, but well done.

  11. Oh well. I have read all of Natasha Pulley’s book and enjoyed them immensely. And my prediction of deciding there was no theme etc was proved correct

    The half life of Valery k is also not there as far as I can see

  12. Phi@7. Never spotted the theme. Nor did anyone else apparently. Did read the book 4 years ago according to Libby, but can’t remember a thing about it. Never mind, it was a fun solve, just right for me.

    Thanks P and Q

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