Phi in his usual Friday slot.
An enjoyable puzzle as usual, with a range of clues from straightforward to needing-a-bit-more-thought, but all passing the test of “obviously correct when you see it”. I liked the misleading “something with suspense” and the image of someone outraged by women’s underwear.
There’s a pair of very similar clues in symmetrical positions at 9d and 13d where the solutions have opposite meanings. This prompted me to look for other symmetrical pairs: we have 6d / 16d with roughly opposite meanings (expected / unexpected), and rhyming pairs at 8a / 27a and 10a / 25a. This is typical for Phi, who’s previously said that he likes to start a grid with some sort of structure even if it isn’t a specific theme. Thanks to him as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | EXPENSIVE |
Dear former lover, lost in thought (9)
|
| EX (former lover) + PENSIVE (lost in thought). | ||
| 9 | AGAVE |
America supplied desert plant (5)
|
| A (abbreviation for America) + GAVE (supplied).
Desert plant from the Americas. |
||
| 10 | GAUDY |
University Department involved in colourful college festivity (5)
|
| U (abbreviation for university) + D (abbreviation for department), inserted into GAY (colourful).
University name for a college festival or celebratory dinner, from the Latin word for rejoicing. |
||
| 11 | INCEPTION |
Version of end of scene not in pic, Nolan pic (9)
|
| Anagram (version of . . .) of the end letter of [scen]E + NOT IN PIC.
2010 film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. |
||
| 12 | ANNUALISE |
Institute in Lausanne reorganised and put on a 12-month basis (9)
|
| I (abbreviation for institute) in an anagram (reorganised) of LAUSANNE. | ||
| 14 | LAITY |
No indication of disapproval for immoral behaviour in other than the clergy (5)
|
| LA[x]ITY (immoral behaviour) without the X (a sign used to mark an answer as incorrect = indication of disapproval). | ||
| 15 | TOP-UP |
Refill also reduced by 22 Across? (3-2)
|
| TO[o] (also) without the last letter (reduced), then PUP (a young animal, or metaphorically a young person: reference to 22a YOUNGSTER). | ||
| 17 | HUE |
What may be loud colour (3)
|
| Double definition. As in “hue and cry” = a loud shout, originally to attract assistance in catching a criminal; or a shade of colour. | ||
| 19 | IN REM |
Concerning start of machinations against property? (2,3)
|
| IN RE (Latin-derived legal term meaning “in the matter of” = concerning = on the subject of) + starting letter of M[achinations].
Another Latin-derived legal term, meaning an action or judgement that is directed towards property or an object rather than towards a person. I can’t help feeling that this is a weak clue because in re and in rem have basically the same derivation: from in (in or on) + res (a thing). |
||
| 21 | DACHA |
Country cottage, one with central heating, secured by US lawyer (5)
|
| A (the indefinite article = one) + CH (abbreviation for central heating), in DA (abbreviation for District Attorney = US lawyer).
Russian term for an out-of-town second home. |
||
| 22 | YOUNGSTER |
One inexperienced guy with no rest at work (9)
|
| Anagram (at work) of GUY + NO REST. | ||
| 24 | LOLLIPOPS |
To relax is to overwhelm chart stuff with light classics (9)
|
| LOLL (to relax = to lounge around) + IS (from clue text) containing (overwhelming) POP (music from the pop charts).
In classical music, an old and rather disparaging term for short popular pieces played as crowd-pleasers. |
||
| 25 | BAWDY |
Lewd howl about women’s drawers at the outset (5)
|
| BAY (as a verb = to howl like a dog), around the first letters (at the outset) of W[omen’s] D[rawers]. | ||
| 26 | TWANG |
Tense, distress continually returning – you can hear it in the voice (5)
|
| T (abbreviation for tense), then GNAW (to cause anxiety over a long period = distress continually) reversed (returning).
A distinctive nasal-sounding voice or regional accent. |
||
| 27 | OFFENSIVE |
Attack originating in part of East Anglia? One’s behind that (9)
|
| OF FENS (originating from the Fens, wetland areas in East Anglia) + I’VE (one’s = one has). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SERGEANT |
Officer in work unit in the main not losing heart (8)
|
| ERG (scientific unit of work or energy) in SEA (the main), then N[o]T without the middle letter (heart). | ||
| 2 | UPTURN |
Revival to appear after switching components (6)
|
| TURN UP (appear or arrive, as in “they turned up five minutes early”), with the order of the two words switched. | ||
| 3 | ENVY |
Sin that sounds reducible to its core elements? (4)
|
| The word ENVY is pronounced the same as its two inner letters (core) N V.
One of the seven deadly sins. |
||
| 4 | DIMINISH |
Make smaller vessel to carry small car (8)
|
| DISH (vessel = container), containing MINI (a 20th-century British small car model). | ||
| 5 | RESCUE |
Save others after overlooking final indication to proceed (6)
|
| RES[t] (the rest = the others), overlooking (ignoring) the final letter, then CUE (an indication to proceed, especially in stage acting or music). | ||
| 6 | FAMILIAR |
Intimate female friend in Paris, duplicitous one (8)
|
| F (abbreviation for female) + AMI (French word, so “in Paris”, for a friend) + LIAR (a duplicitous person). Nice misdirection because ami in French is specifically a male friend not a female one (amie). | ||
| 7 | HEANEY |
That chap with a revolutionary desire is an Irish poet (6)
|
| HE (that chap) + A (from clue text), then YEN (desire) reversed (revolutionary).
Irish poet Seamus Heaney. |
||
| 9 | APPALLING |
Taking off, having snatched cover from coffin? That’s dreadful (9)
|
| APING (taking off = slang for imitating, especially as a satirical impersonation), containing (having snatched) PALL (a cloth spread over a coffin). | ||
| 13 | APPEALING |
Taking off, having snatched a number of bells? That’s tempting (9)
|
| APING (taking off = slang for imitating, as in 9d), containing PEAL (a group of bells rung as a set). | ||
| 16 | PECULIAR |
Particular copper having bar turned over after place emptied (8)
|
| CU (Cu = chemical symbol for copper, from Latin cuprum), then RAIL (bar) reversed (turned over), after P[lac]E (emptied = inner letters removed).
Peculiar = specific to a place or group = particular. |
||
| 18 | EMULSIFY |
Use film innovatively, with unknown factor, to create something with suspense? (8)
|
| Anagram (innovatively) of USE FILM, then Y (mathematical symbol for an unknown quantity).
To create an emulsion = droplets of one liquid suspended in another. |
||
| 20 | MORAY EEL |
I agree to pack additional line for this fish (5,3)
|
| AYE (I agree) inserted into (packing) MORE (additional), then L (abbreviation for line). | ||
| 21 | DILUTE |
Thin top erected over Aussie truck (6)
|
| LID (top) reversed (erected = upwards in a down clue), before (over, in a down clue) UTE (Australian abbreviation for “utility vehicle” = a truck designed to handle rough ground).
Dilute = to thin a liquid by adding water. |
||
| 22 | YOO-HOO |
Solver that is audible in greeting (3-3)
|
| Sound-alike (audible) of YOU WHO (you who are reading this clue = the solver who is reading this clue).
An informal greeting to attract attention. |
||
| 23 | TOWNIE |
No country lover? Drag one into Northumberland area (6)
|
| TOW (drag behind a vehicle), then I (one in Roman numerals) inserted into NE (abbreviation for North-Eastern England, for example the county of Northumberland).
Disparaging term used by people who live in the countryside, describing urban dwellers who don’t know or care about rural life. |
||
| 25 | BOND |
Spy, note, probing a lot of evidence of murder? (4)
|
| N (abbreviation for note), inserted into (probing) BOD[y] (dead body = evidence of a murder) without the last letter (a lot of . . .).
Ian Fleming’s fictional spy James Bond. |
I found this a “Phi-lite”; I won’t say “easy”, but less taxing than I usually find Phi’s challenges.
Ditto, I always have a quibble or two, but not today.
Precise clueing and many clever pathways to the solutions. No obscurities!
Like Ms.Q, I sort of felt there were some linked couplets, but there’s probably something I’m missing?
Lovely stuff, P & Q