Phi is back to his usual Friday schedule this week.
A few slightly stretched definitions but it all makes some sort of sense, though I wasn’t too fond of the barely-cryptic definition at 22a (unless I’m missing something). I liked the not-so-small child, the off-Broadway musical and the misleading “fall guy”. Thanks Phi as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ANIMUS |
Hate return of problem in area (6)
|
| SUM (arithmetical problem) + IN + A (abbreviation for area), all reversed (return of . . .).
Animus = hate, as a noun = intense dislike. |
||
| 5 | THRALL |
Remarkable to keep business department in servitude (6)
|
| TALL (remarkable, as in a “tall story” that seems improbable), containing HR (abbreviation for Human Resources = what used to be called the personnel department). | ||
| 8 | KIWI FRUIT |
Exotic produce – spouse reduced a lot of damage bringing equipment round (4,5)
|
| WIF[e] (spouse) without the last letter (reduced) + RUI[n] (damage) without the last letter (a lot of . . .), all surounded by KIT (equipment). | ||
| 9 | PLAID |
Patterned material I brought into quiet cove? (5)
|
| I inserted into P (p = abbreviation for Italian piano = quiet, in musical notation) + LAD (cove = old-fashioned slang for a boy or man; not a precise match for “lad”, hence the question mark perhaps).
Fabric with a woven check pattern. |
||
| 11 | REEK |
Stench in river preceding alarmed response (4)
|
| R (abbreviation for river) + EEK (an exclamation of alarm). | ||
| 12 | AGRONOMIST |
Margins too tricky for rural expert (10)
|
| Anagram (tricky) of MARGINS TOO.
Someone who knows about growing and harvesting crops. |
||
| 13 | UNSUITED |
Crazy nudist due to lose cap – becoming this? It’s inappropriate (8)
|
| Anagram (crazy) of NUDIST + [d]UE, losing the first letter (cap) of “due”. I’m not sure what “becoming this” is supposed to contribute; the nudist would presumably be “un-suited” (not wearing clothes) with or without a cap. | ||
| 15 | ANGER |
Rhythmic song, releasing primary passion (5)
|
| [b]ANGER (slang for a popular song with a strong beat that you can dance to), without its first (primary) letter. | ||
| 17 | FACET |
Paper capturing expert angle (5)
|
| FT (abbreviation for the Financial Times newspaper) containing ACE (slang for an expert).
Obviously facets and angles are very different things in geometry, but both words can be used to mean a particular aspect of something. |
||
| 19 | ARPEGGIO |
Series of notes from wretched pager work – I must come in (8)
|
| Anagram (wretched) of PAGER, then GO (work, as in “does it go?” = does it work correctly?), with I inserted.
A series of musical notes, usually the notes from a standard chord but played one after another rather than together. |
||
| 22 | ICING SUGAR |
Material to make decorative display for candles? (5,5)
|
| Cryptic (?) definition. Powdered sugar used to make icing for cake decoration, on top of which you might add candles if it’s a birthday cake. | ||
| 23 | LAMA |
Priest not bad in sensual dance (4)
|
| LAM[bad]A (a sensual dance originating from Brazil) with BAD removed.
A Buddhist priest or monk. |
||
| 25 | GUAVA |
Tropical tree seen during Antigua vacation (5)
|
| Hidden answer (seen during . . .) in [anti]GUA VA[cation].
Tropical fruit tree, which might well grow in Antigua. |
||
| 26 | UNDECEIVE |
Uncover the truth to nude dancing: a form of English vice (9)
|
| Anagram (dancing) of NUDE, then another anagram (a form) of E (abbreviation for English) + VICE.
To reveal the truth to someone who had previously been deceived. |
||
| 27 | POTEEN |
Jug and still, as before, for hooch (6)
|
| POT (jug = vessel for liquid) + E’EN (archaic version of “even” = still: as before = as it was in older times).
Hooch = poteen = illicitly brewed alcoholic drink. |
||
| 28 | EXTORT |
Exact child no longer accepting element of education? (6)
|
| EX-TOT (one who is no longer a small child), containing R (one of the whimsical “three Rs” of basic education).
As in “to exact a penalty” = to obtain it by threats or force. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | NEWNESS |
Introduction of water into river taking ship? There’s originality (7)
|
| First letter (introduction) of W[ater] inserted into NENE (a river in eastern England), then SS (abbreviation for a steamship). | ||
| 3 | MIFF |
Annoy if coming between the sexes (4)
|
| IF inserted between M + F (abbreviations for male and female sexes).
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this as an active verb, though the dictionaries accept it. The common usage is the past participle treated as an adjective: “I’m a bit miffed” = I’m mildly annoyed. |
||
| 4 | SMUGGLED |
Did something criminal – unduly pleased with gamble initially under control (8)
|
| SMUG (unduly pleased with oneself) + initial letter of G[amble] + LED (as in a team led by its captain = under control). | ||
| 5 | TATTOO |
Display diplomacy, ousting Conservative as well (6)
|
| TA[c]T (diplomacy) without the C (abbreviation for Conservative) + TOO (as well).
A public display of military forces. |
||
| 6 | REPROBATE |
Scoundrel supporting blocking refund (9)
|
| PRO (supporting a particular cause), inserted into (blocking) REBATE (a refund, especially of taxes). | ||
| 7 | LEADING |
Most prominent metal in building, ultimately (7)
|
| LEAD (a metal) + IN + last letter (ultimately) of [buildin]G. | ||
| 8 | KERFUFFLING |
Agitating half of lake, getting ruff flying over pitch (11)
|
| Second half of [la]KE + anagram (flying) of RUFF + FLING (pitch, as a verb = throw).
Again, I don’t think I’ve seen this as a verb, though the noun form “kerfuffle” is common enough. The dictionaries suggest the verb usage is more Scottish than English. |
||
| 10 | DETERIORATE |
Put off lecture after I decline (11)
|
| DETER (put off = discourage someone from doing something), then ORATE (lecture, as a verb = speak out loud) after I. | ||
| 14 | INTEGRATE |
International exchange data restricting for one to assimilate (9)
|
| INT (abbreviation for international) + RATE (as in exchange rate = data comparing currency values), containing (restricting) EG (from Latin exempli gratia = for example = for one). | ||
| 16 | ORGANDIE |
Gauzy material also evident in a lot of wild parties (8)
|
| AND (also) inserted into ORGIE[s] (wild parties) without the last letter (a lot of . . .).
Semi-transparent cotton fabric. |
||
| 18 | CHICAGO |
Broadway musical that’s very much off-Broadway! (7)
|
| Definition and cryptic definition. 1975 musical based on a 1926 play; or the US city in Illinois, several hundred miles from the Broadway theatre area of New York City. | ||
| 20 | GLAZIER |
Tradesman beginning in garden, getting increasingly fond of bed? (7)
|
| Beginning letter of G[arden] + LAZIER (more fond of staying in bed). | ||
| 21 | AUTUMN |
Fall guy uncovered in a corporation’s meltdown finally (6)
|
| [g]U[y] (uncovered = outer letters removed) inserted into A + TUM (corporation = slang for a fat belly), then the final letter of [meltdow]N.
For those who don’t like Americanisms in crosswords, it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t really one. “Fall” was an English word for the season before the settlers left for America, but has now mostly dropped out of use here.. |
||
| 24 | ECHT |
German playwright dismissing British for real (4)
|
| [br]ECHT (German playwright Bertolt Brecht) without BR (abbreviation for British).
A German word absorbed into English, meaning genuine or authentic. |
I had no quibbles with this Phi, though I’m in Ms.Q’s camp, re ICING SUGAR, it is barely a clue.
So many of the definitions were so obvious and direct, that they were simply too easy. ( I may live to regret that comment ).
A few very odd words, kerfuffling, animus, undeceive, et al, but nothing truly obscure.
It’s the usual thumbs up to the A Team, Phi plus Ms.Q
I found the SE corner of the grid pretty tough, but not helped by the fact I put DETERIATION instead of DETERIORATE which I should’ve gotten, and firstly putting RUMA for the priest (RUMBA missing B for bad), then changing it to SAMA (SAMBA – B) when I got GLAZIER crossing it. I didn’t think of LAMBADA but I should’ve gotten LAMA as it’s commonly used in crosswords for priest (I even said it to myself when I first looked at the clue but dismissed it)
I also kept thinking 26A began with UNDER as I’d put TRUE for 24D assuming there may have been a German playwright called TRUBE but there presumably isn’t
As always with a Phi puzzle there’s a few words that I personally haven’t heard of – THRALL, AGRONOMIST and ECHT being the 3 NHOs for me today
Thanks Phi and Q