As custom dictates, Phi brings the latest suite of working week puzzles to an end this Friday.
I found this to be towards the easier end of the Phi difficulty spectrum in the Indy. As I have had less time to solve and blog this week than usual, I was quite relieved that the solve didn’t require a Herculean effort in terms of time and effort.
The reference at 25 was new to me but was quickly explained by Google. My favourite clues today were 9, 15, 19 and 23, all for smoothness of surface; and, in particular, 5A, for both smoothness of surface and for the double interruption device.
I have spotted no particular theme today, but Phi will doubtless enlighten us if he had one in mind when setting this crossword.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
|
||
| 1 | PROBLEM |
US school dance about to occur involving student in difficulty (7)
|
| [L (=student, i.e. learner) in BE (=occur, happen)] in PROM (=US school dance) | ||
| 5 | JUMPERS |
Signs of hesitation interrupting magistrates, the bounders (7)
|
| UM + ER (=signs of hesitation, here entered separately) + JPs (=magistrates, i.e. Justices of the Peace) | ||
| 9 | REHAB |
That guy in pub turning things round with such treatment? (5)
|
| HE (=that guy) in BAR (=pub); “turning things round” indicates reversal | ||
| 10 | INVENTION |
Meaning to switch components of TV for this new idea (9)
|
| INTENTION (=meaning); “to switch components of TV (i.e. letters “t” and “v”)” means letter “t” is replaced by “v” | ||
| 11 | SCREEN TEST |
Conceal Hampshire river in preparation for film (6,4)
|
| SCREEN (=conceal, obscure) + TEST (=Hampshire river) | ||
| 12 | HARD |
Offering resistance, experienced absorbing resistance (4)
|
| R (=resistance, in physics) in HAD (=experienced, underwent) | ||
| 14 | NIGHT AND DAY |
Cole Porter song lasting 24 hours? (5,3,3)
|
| NIGHT AND DAY (=lasting 24 hours?); the reference is to the Cole Porter song Night and Day, from the 1932 musical Gay Divorce | ||
| 17 | INK |
Doctor abandoning booze for writing (3)
|
| <dr>INK (=booze, alcohol); “doctor (=Dr) abandoning” means letter “dr” are dropped | ||
| 19 | SUM |
Total shambles under manager initially (3)
|
| S<hambles> U<nder> M<anager>; “initially” means first letters only are used | ||
| 20 | SPREAD-EAGLE |
Agree pedals should be redesigned to lay flat and wide (6-5)
|
| *(AGREE PEDALS); “should be re-designed” is anagram indicator | ||
| 21 | SEAT |
Chair: place that one’s occupied (4)
|
| A (=one) in SET (=place, put) | ||
| 22 | TRAVESTIES |
Attempts to bury a piece of underwear? Ridiculous things (10)
|
| [A + VEST (=piece of underwear)] in TRIES (=attempts, goes) | ||
| 26 | POTENTIAL |
Late point scrambled, offering hope for the future (9)
|
| *(LATE POINT); “scrambled” is anagram indicator | ||
| 27 | ALACK |
A chess player sacrificing Bishop, sadly (5)
|
| A + <b>LACK (=chess player; “sacrificing bishop (=B, in chess)” means letter “b” is dropped) | ||
| 28 | ARCADIA |
Operatic song about scoundrel in delightful location (7)
|
| CAD (=scoundrel, rogue) in ARIA (=operatic song) | ||
| 29 | ELEVENS |
Soccer teams still enthralled by golfer (7)
|
| EVEN (=still, yet) in ELS (=golfer, i.e. South African Ernie Els) | ||
| DOWN
|
||
| 1 | PART SONGS |
Young fellow good in roles in choral pieces (4,5)
|
| [SON (=young fellow) + G (=good)] in PARTS (=roles, in play) | ||
| 2 | OTHER |
Different concern getting book cancelled (5)
|
| <b>OTHER (=concern, worry); “getting book (=B) cancelled” means letter “b” is dropped | ||
| 3 | LIBRETTIST |
Gilbert? It’s Gilbert, heading off, distressed over carpet, ultimately (10)
|
| *(IT’S + <g>ILBERT) + <carpe>T; “heading off” means first letter is dropped from anagram, indicated by “distressed”; “ultimately” means last letter only; the reference is to librettist Sir William Gilbert (1836-1911), half of the musical partnership Gilbert and Sullivan | ||
| 4 | MOISTENER |
Something causing damp is more fluid around late evening, say (9)
|
| TEN (=late evening, say) in *(IS MORE); “fluid” is anagram indicator | ||
| 5 | JIVES |
Japan is dismissive of Latin dances (5)
|
| J (=Japan) + <l>IVES (=is, exists; “dismissive of Latin (=l)” means letter “l” is dropped) | ||
| 6 | MIND |
Intellect exhibited by him in dramas? (4)
|
| Hidden (“exhibited”) in “hiM IN Dramas” | ||
| 7 | EPILATING |
Cheering about religious shaving hair? (9)
|
| PI (=religious, i.e. pious) in ELATING (=cheering, exhilarating) | ||
| 8 | SYNOD |
Academics upset about unknown church meeting (5)
|
| Y (=unknown, in algebra) in SNOD (DONS=academics; “upset” indicates vertical reversal) | ||
| 13 | CYBERSPACE |
Cold times on the rise – see carp struggling – place for net action? (10)
|
| C (=cold, as on tap) + YB (BY=times, as in 6 x 4; “on the rise” indicates vertical reversal) + *(SEE CARP); “struggling” is anagram indicator; the “net” of the definition is the internet | ||
| 15 | GYMNASTIC |
My acting’s dreadful but vigorous (9)
|
| *(MY ACTING’S); “dreadful” is anagram indicator; gymnastic is vigorous, athletic | ||
| 16 | DEAUVILLE |
French resort: la vie disrupted with duel? (9)
|
| *(LA VIE + DUEL); “disrupted” is anagram indicator; Deauville is a resort on the coast of Normandy | ||
| 18 | KEEPSAKES |
They help you remember time getting away from fortress palisade? (9)
|
| KEEP (=fortress) + S<t>AKES (=palisade; “time (=T) getting away” means letter “t” is dropped) | ||
| 21 | SEPIA |
Faded colour copies kept up with investment from Independent (5)
|
| I (=Independent) in SEPA (APES=copies, imitates; “kept up” indicates vertical reversal) | ||
| 23 | RAITA |
Indian dish: run articles about it (5)
|
| R (=run, on cricket scoreboard) + [IT in A A (=articles, i.e. 2 x indefinite article)] | ||
| 24 | INANE |
Popular staff ignoring leader? That’s foolish (5)
|
| IN (=popular) + <c>ANE (=staff, rod; “ignoring leader” means first letter is dropped) | ||
| 25 | ENID |
Stop to cuddle one lover of Geraint (4)
|
| I (=one) in END (=stop, finish); the tale of love between Geraint and Enid figures in Arthurian legend |
Yes, as RR says, less demanding but that suits me fine. Favourites were LIBRETTIST and JUMPER. Discovered that arRATia is also a delightful location, but not as delightful as ARCADIA. No scent of a theme.
Thanks both
This is the easiest Phi I’ve tackled for a while, with several straightforward anagrams, but enjoyable as always, and a nice tribute to the late Tom Stoppard.
Well spotted Quizzy Bob and well set Phi. I liked LIBRETTIST and GYMNASTICS. Thanks, all.
Well spotted indeed, Quizzy Bob. I recognize ARCADIA, TRAVESTIES, and JUMPERS, and the Web has supplied me with NIGHT AND DAY. Any other references?
The INVENTION of Love is another.
INDIAN INK and HARD PROBLEM too
Thanks both. Agreed. All straightforward, though for me there was one exception in that my answer of cyberscape (a word formed from cyberspace and landscape) instead of CYBERSPACE was rejected – given the vagueness of the definition, I would argue either answer works.