Phi is occupying his usual Friday slot today.
Personally speaking, I found this towards the easier end of the Phi spectrum and didn’t come unstuck with a handful of clues at the end, which often happens. Needless to say, I haven’t spotted a theme, which is, once again, fairly customary for me.
Of interest today were the more unusual anagram indicators at 28 (“jadedly”) and 18 (“sporting”), which some purists – myself not included! – might take issue with. I wondered about 4, where I couldn’t come up with a sentence in which “presiding” and “decisive” could be interchanged – any offers?
My favourites today were 6, for its use of “main”, and 27, for its surface.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clue
| Across | ||
| 01 | SPRUCE PINE | Long hiding behind elegant tree
SPRUCE (=elegant, dapper) + PINE (=long, ache (for)) |
| 06 | CHEF | Main supplier? One ignored in main
CH<i>EF (=main, principal); “one (=I) ignored” means letter “i” dropped; cryptically, a chief is a “main (course) supplier” |
| 10 | VINTAGE | New name in contest? It goes back some way
[N (=new) + TAG (=name)] in VIE (=contest, struggle) |
| 11 | TROUSER | Appropriate time to wake up Queen
T (=time) + ROUSE (=to wake up) + R (=Queen, i.e. regina); to trouser is to appropriate, pocket e.g. money |
| 12 | EDWARDIAN | End upset about conflict and support returning in style of pre-war period
[WAR (=conflict) + DIA (AID=support); “returning” indicates reversal)] in *(END); “upset” is anagram indicator |
| 13 | VIOLA | Mostly quick to return carrying old stringed instrument
O (=old) in VILA (ALIV<e>=quick; “mostly” means last letter dropped; “to return” indicates reversal) |
| 14 | DISINCENTIVE | This put you off? Since invited, after amendment
*(SINCE INVITED); “after amendment” is anagram indicator |
| 19 | THOROUGHBRED | Cooked hot, coarse food, though unable to eat a horse?
*(HOT) + ROUGH (=coarse) + BRE<a>D (=food; “though unable to eat a” means letter “a” is dropped); “cooked” is anagram indicatorOHOThhH |
| 22 | RIDGE | Missing lead in game, though having edge
<b>RIDGE (=game); “missing lead” means first letter is dropped |
| 23 | PARALYTIC | Urban area – US one – to censure reeling drunk
CITY (=urban area) + L.A. (=US city) + RAP (=to censure); “reeling” indicates reversal |
| 25 | HARNESS | Difficulty disposing of daughter’s stuff for horse
HAR<d>NESS (=difficulty); “disposing of daughter (=D)” means letter “d” is dropped |
| 26 | VETERAN | Check time – new in historic terms
VET (=check, inspect) + ERA (=time, age) + N (=new) |
| 27 | POST | Indication of being after // a job
The prefix “post-” means after, as in post-natal, post-prandial |
| 28 | STEREOTYPE | Eye protest jadedly – it conforms to expectations
*(EYE PROTEST); “jadedly” appears to be the anagram indicator |
| Down | ||
| 01 | SEVRES | China is adequate, on reflection
SERVES (=is adequate); “on reflection” is anagram indicator; Sèvres is a type of porcelain produced at Sèvres, near Paris |
| 02 | RENOWN | Note where now name is only potentially visible
Hidden (“is only potentially visible”) in “wheRE NOW Name”; e.g. a musician of note/renown |
| 03 | CHAIR | One brought in to do work overseeing meeting
I (=one) in CHAR (=to do, as in I have someone who does for me) |
| 04 | PRESIDING | Decisive power regarding part of rail network
P (=power) + RE (=regarding, concerning) + SIDING (=part of rail network) |
| 05 | NOT ON | Taboo idea I dismissed
NOT<i>ON (=idea); “I dismissed” means letter “i” is dropped |
| 07 | HISTORIC | Fellow’s almost excessively wealthy, almost without precedent
HIS (=fellow’s) + TO<o> (=excessively; “almost” means last letter is dropped) + RIC<h> (=wealthy; “almost” means last letter is dropped) |
| 08 | FORSAKEN | Left ranks to struggle with foe
*(RANKS + FOE); “to struggle” is anagram indicator |
| 09 | CONVINCE | Persuade number engaged in crime to support study
CON (=study, as verb) + [N (=number) in VICE (=crime)] |
| 15 | IDOMENEO | I’d sign ENO will drop core Mozart opera
I’D + OMEN (=sign) + E<n>O (“will drop core” means middle letter is dropped); the reference to the Italian language opera Idomeneo by Mozart, premiered in Munich in 1781 |
| 16 | CAB DRIVER | Scoundrel on Thames, say, seizing prow of boat, one plying for hire
B<oat> (“prow of” means first letter only) in [CAD (=scoundrel) + RIVER (=Thames, say)] |
| 17 | STARSHIP | Lead actor’s ageing trendy making SF feature?
STAR’S (=lead actor’s) + HIP (=trendy; “ageing” suggests the word is dated in its usage) |
| 18 | HONDURAS | Country keeps hosting sporting round
*(ROUND) in HAS (=keeps); “sporting” appears to be the anagram indicator |
| 20 | STORMY | Keep curtailed exclamation of surprise regarding bad weather
STOR<e> (=keep, hold; “curtailed” means last letter is dropped) + MY! (=exclamation of surprise) |
| 21 | SCONCE | Candlestick that is of old
SC. (=that is, namely, from scilicet) + ONCE (=of old) |
| 23 | POSIT | Suggest it will support chambers
POS (=chambers, i.e. chamberpots) + IT |
| 24 | LOTTO | Drunk losing head in gambling game
<b>LOTTO (=drunk); “losing head” means first letter is dropped |
Thanks, Phi and RR. I also got through this one a bit quicker than usual, but it’s quite a friendly grid. Seems like there’s the makings of a theme around HISTORIC, VETERAN, VINTAGE and EDWARDIAN, but if so I’m sure there’s more too it than that.
Thanks, RR.
Late on parade, but been busy today and have only just finished. Apart from the Mozart opera.
Phi regularly produces good Friday puzzles for us, so thanks to him too. Since he is a son of the north, he’ll understand that my preferred synonym for PARALYTIC is STOTTING.
Good weekend to all.
I came across a list of how they classify old cars – if I remember correctly the order is VETERAN, EDWARDIAN, VINTAGE, POST VINTAGE THOROUGHBRED and HISTORIC by which time you’re in the 1950s. May be entirely wrong (not my field at all) but it gave me a list of words to use.
Another unpublished Beelzebub up on the website this weekend by the way.
I’ve long given up trying to spot themes in Phi puzzles.For me this was very difficult-tougher than the other Fri and Sat puzzles.(that includes Tyrus!P
Which is good as I saved it fr Sunday.