Phi brings another suite of mid-week puzzles to an end in fine style.
I found this be a typical medium-difficulty Phi puzzle, which I worked my way through at a steady pace, but which I haven’t been able to get around to blogging until late, alas.
Since finishing the puzzle, I have scoured the grid for a theme but found nothing – perhaps more eagle-eyed solvers have and can enlighten the rest of us?
I didn’t know the mystical scientist at 1, but the internet confirmed it, nor did I know this derivation of plasma at 5 – we live and learn! My favourite clues today were 8, 19A and 24A, all for surface and the latter for all the weather references. One final point: I hope that I am not missing anything in my parsing of 16.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
|
||
| 9 | WONDERFUL |
Splendid Welsh league accepting representation of founder (9)
|
| *(FOUNDER) in [W (=Welsh) + L (=league); “representation of” is anagram indicator | ||
| 10 | BROTH |
Relative turned about to go for soup (5)
|
| BROTH<er> (=relative; “turned (=reversed) about (=re-, regarding) to go (=be dropped)” means letters “er” are dropped) | ||
| 11 | DIURNAL |
Face consuming supply of tea every 24 hours (7)
|
| URN (=supply of tea) in DIAL (=face, on watch, say) | ||
| 12 | SHOWERY |
Former Queen in flamboyant clothing, experiencing damp weather (7)
|
| ER (=former Queen, i.e. Elizabeth Regina) in SHOWY (=flamboyant) | ||
| 13 | NIGHT |
Dark period with good hearts suppressed by idiot (5)
|
| [G (=good) + H (=hearts, i.e. suit in cards)] in NIT (=idiot) | ||
| 14 | TRAUMATIC |
Try dropping unknown firearm, not given to wounding (9)
|
| TR<y> (“dropping unknown (=y, in algebra)” means letter “y” is dropped) + AU<to>MATIC (=firearm; “not given to” means letters “to” are dropped); a wounding experience can be traumatic, harrowing | ||
| 16 | ODD |
Such characters in old ode? (3)
|
| semi- & lit.; the odd (=not even) characters (=letters) in O<l>D <o>D<e> give the word “odd (=unusual, rare)”, which the letters in an old poem may well be! | ||
| 17 | BOSWELL |
Feel pride, say, after former schoolfellow returned as biographer (7)
|
| BO (OB=former schoolfellow, i.e. old boy; “returned” indicates reversal) + SWELL (=feel pride, say); the reference is to Scottish author James Boswell (1740-95), known for his biography of Samuel Johnson, published in 1791. | ||
| 19 | SIR |
Title is backed by publisher finally (3)
|
| SI (IS; “backed” indicates reversal) + <publishe>R (“finally” means last letter only) | ||
| 20 | GATECRASH |
Number of attendees to drop? Get in without paying (9)
|
| GATE (=number of attendees) + CRASH (=to drop, collapse) | ||
| 23 | FUTON |
Horseplay when coming round to bed (5)
|
| TO in FUN (=horseplay) | ||
| 24 | SQUALOR |
A lot of wind leads to oppressive rain and bad conditions (7)
|
| SQUAL<l> (=wind; “a lot of” means last letter is dropped) + O<ppressive> R<ain> (“leads to” means first letter of each is needed) | ||
| 25 | BALDRIC |
Sword carrier without charm, not entirely well-set-up (7)
|
| BALD (=without charm, blunt) + RIC<h> (=well-set-up; “not entirely” means last letter is dropped); a baldric is a warrior’s belt for supporting a sword | ||
| 26 | CLASS |
Form line when entering Court of Session (5)
|
| [L (=line) + AS (=when, as conjunction)] in CS (=Court of Session); a form is a class in a school | ||
| 27 | PATRONAGE |
Time in Church House, ignoring special sponsorship (9)
|
| T (=time) in PAR<s>ONAGE (=church house; “ignoring special (=S)” means letter “s” is dropped) | ||
| DOWN
|
||
| 1 | SWEDENBORG |
Mystical scientist sending river into European country marsh (10)
|
| R (=river) in [SWEDEN (=European country) + BOG (=marsh)]; the reference is to the Swedish mystic scientist Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) | ||
| 2 | INDULGED |
I note failure to restrain large pet (8)
|
| I + N + [LGE (=large) in DUD (=failure, flop)]; as an adjective, pet means favourite, indulged, pampered | ||
| 3 | PEANUT |
Seed a Parisian turned up in vegetable matter (6)
|
| NU (UN=a Parisian, i.e. a French word for a) in PEAT (=vegetable matter); the peanut is the edible seed of the groundnut | ||
| 4 | AFFLATUS |
A lot of commotion about dull inspiration (8)
|
| FLAT (=dull, uninspired) in [A + FUS<s> (=commotion, ado; “a lot of” means last letter is dropped)] | ||
| 5 | PLASMA |
Ionised gas: contrived a sample to emit energy (6)
|
| *(A SAMPL<e>); “to emit energy (=E)” means letter “e” is dropped from anagram, indicated by “contrived”; in physics, plasma is a very hot ionised gas | ||
| 6 | ABNORMAL |
Strange Buddhist priest heading heavenwards, newly born inside (8)
|
| *(BORN) in AMAL (LAMA=Buddhist priest; “heading heavenwards” indicates vertical reversal); “newly” is anagram indicator | ||
| 7 | MOMENT |
Doctor satisfied about national importance (6)
|
| MO (=doctor, i.e. Medical Officer) + [N (=national, as in RNLI) in MET (=satisfied, i.e. condition)] | ||
| 8 | WHEY |
Question importing English dairy product (4)
|
| E (=English) in WHY (=(a) question) | ||
| 15 | CHRONICLER |
Storyteller has buckled horn carried by vagrant cleric (10)
|
| *(HORN) in *(CLERIC); “bucked” and “vagrant” are both anagram indicators | ||
| 17 | BACKLASH |
Spooner’s to miss party, leading to unpleasant response (8)
|
| Spoonerism of “lack (=(to) miss) + bash (=party)” | ||
| 18 | EXHIBIT A |
Cut up about greeting piece of early evidence? (7,1)
|
| [HI (=greeting) + BIT (=piece of)] in EXA (AXE=cut; “up” indicates vertical reversal); logically, Exhibit A will come before Exhibit B, C, D, in a court case | ||
| 19 | SATURDAY |
Malaysian dish keeping Pakistani all but enthralled for 24 hours (8)
|
| URD<u>(=Pakistani; “all but” means last letter is dropped) in SATAY (=Malaysian dish, i.e. skewered meat in a peanut sauce) | ||
| 21 | TOUCAN |
Bird in quantity of film after holiday cut short (6)
|
| TOU<r> (=holiday; “cut short” means last letter is dropped) + CAN (=quantity of film, at a studio) | ||
| 22 | ABRUPT |
Rough area, dry, containing phosphorus (6)
|
| A (=area) + [P (=phosphorus) in BRUT (=dry, of champagne)]; a rough, short manner is abrupt | ||
| 23 | FOLLOW |
Go behind congregation, mostly depressed (6)
|
| FOL<d> (=congregation; “mostly” means last letter is dropped) + LOW (=depressed) | ||
| 24 | SOCK |
Item of clothing very much attached to designer logo? (4)
|
| SO (=very much, greatly) + CK (=designer logo, i.e. Calvin Klein) |
Seeing Boswell and WONDERFUL BROTH staring out at me from the grid made me wonder if there was a scene in the tour round Scotland involving broth, and Google confirmed that there was.
We have been out most of today so have only just finished the puzzle.
We feel there must be something going on – why have EXHIBIT A rather than EXHIBITS?
However, we cannot see anything but thanks to RR and Phi.
Sadly, 9(ac), wherein “Welsh league” = WL, sums up this puzzle for me.
“Court of Session” = CS, 26(ac), puts the lid on it.
As per 4(d), “dull inspiration”.
Apologies, but I found this Phi, a grind, and a no-fun zone.
Thanks, RR
Bertandjoyce #2. EXHIBIT A, from definition, is early evidence, ie the first evidence shown/exhibited in a trial/court case, like a picture or a statement or an object. The A has to be there from wordplay. AXE reversed in a down clue, as the blog gives, around HI and BIT.
PS. B&J #2 . Perhaps if unfamiliar with Court protocol, physical evidence produced in Court is listed as EXHIBIT A etc in order.