Not surprisingly, Good Friday this year is also a Good Phi-day!
Like another recent Phi puzzle, this grid also contains a large number of longer entries, all of which were across clues. As such, there were a lot more down clues than across ones, with the latter taking far less time to blog than the former! Perhaps this is what is special about this puzzle, rather than some kind of ghost theme?
I found this puzzle towards the easy end of the Phi spectrum, in that I solved a good few of the longer entries early on in the solving process, with 1A revealing itself at first perusal. Had I not been able to work out any of the longer entries, however, solving this puzzle would have been a long process.
In the end, Phi had the last laugh – I needed to search Chambers to find the entry at 20. Although it was a fair clue, I don’t think I would have solved it unaided in time to produce the blog today.
My favourite clues from this puzzle were 3, for its original dropping of letters at start and finish; and 25, for smoothness of surface.
Happy Easter to one and all, with plenty of solving this bank holiday weekend!
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | CINEMATOGRAPHER | Prig on the camera possibly making for film technician
*(PRIG ON THE CAMERA); “possibly” is anagram indicator |
| 09 | CONTRAINDICATE | Exciting interaction with cad? Suggest the opposite
*(INTERACTION + CAD); “exciting” is anagram indicator |
| 10 | COUNTERATTACK | Serving area with food receiving a tense reply
[A + T (=tense, in grammar)] in [COUNTER (=serving area) + TACK (=food)] |
| 13 | ULCERATE | Making corrupt alteration to clue with speed
*(CLUE) + RATE (=speed); “alteration to” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | RESETS | Begrudges abandoning new in returns to old position
RESE<n>TS (=begrudges); “abandoning new (=N)” means letter “n” is dropped |
| 16 | TSETSE | Pest contributing to withdrawal pest estimates
Reversed (“withdrawal”) and hidden (“contributing to”) in “pEST ESTimates” |
| 18 | THRIVING | Successful criminal, disposing of drug while getting round rule
R (=rule) in THI<e>VING (=criminal, as adjective; “disposing of drug (=E, for ecstasy)” means letter “e” is dropped |
| 20 | DASTARDLINESS | Deplorable rejecting Ravel’s finale in slow movement – deplorable behaviour
DAS (SAD=deplorable; “rejecting” indicates reversal) + [<rave>L (“finale” means last letter only) in TARDINESS (=movement)] |
| 23 | APPRENTICESHIP | Computer program freezes after opening – cool learning experience
APP (=computer program, i.e. application) + RENT (=opening, tear) + ICES (=freezes) + HIP (=cool, trendy) |
| 25 | CORRESPONDINGLY | Lady disheartened after writing in suitable terms?
CORRESPONDING (=writing (to someone)) + L<ad>Y (“disheartened” means all but first and last letters are dropped) |
| Down | ||
| 02 | ICONOCLAST | Opponent of institution left company after upset, amongst various actions
OCL (L=left + CO=company; “upset” indicates vertical reversal) in *(ACTIONS); “various” is anagram indicator |
| 03 | ENTENTE | Understanding regular payment record’s not right at either end
<r>ENT (=regular payment, for use of property) + ENTE<r> (=record, register); “not right (=R) at either end” means letter “r” is dropped both at beginning and at end |
| 04 | AGAPE | Father turned up in time, with surprised expression
AP (PA=father; “turned up” is anagram indicator) in AGE (=time) |
| 05 | OWN | Confess immediately, though keeping name till later
NOW (=immediately); “keeping name (=N) till later” means letter “n” moves to end of word |
| 06 | ROISTERER | Terrorise drunk? It’s just another drunk, probably
*(TERRORISE); “drunk” is anagram indicator |
| 07 | PRANCES | Girl, quiet rather than loud, dances
<f>RANCES (=girl); “quiet (=P, i.e. piano in music) rather than loud (=F, i.e; forte in music) means that letter “f” is replaced by letter “p” |
| 08 | EPEE | Blade‘s energy leading to slash
E (=energy) + PEE (=to slash, i.e. urinate) |
| 11 | ABETTOR | Chance to run after a fellow-criminal
A + BET (=chance) + TO + R (=run, in cricket) |
| 12 | STANDSTILL | Pays for checkout item – keeping queue at this?
STANDS (=pays for, foots) + TILL (=checkout item) |
| 14 | ADEPTNESS | Send tapes with evidence of editing skill
*(SEND TAPES); “with evidence of editing” is anagram indicator |
| 17 | TRAMPER | Man on foot, tinker, bridging river
R (=river) in TAMPER (=tinker (with), toy) |
| 19 | VENISON | Meat served up in function held in November?
SINE (=function, in trigonometry) in NOV (=November); “served up” indicates (here full) vertical reversal |
| 21 | LUCID | Clear Spanish hero will ditch Spain, adopting Uruguay initially
U<ruguay> (“initially” means first letter only) in <e>L CID (=Spanish hero, from medieval times; “will ditch Spain (=E, i.e. IVR)” means letter “e” is dropped) |
| 22 | SAGO | A success supporting second food crop
S (=second) + A + GO (=success, as in to make a go of) |
| 24 | TWO | Couple that’ll pick up anything when going North
OWT (=anything when going North, i.e. in North English dialect); “that’ll pick up” indicates vertical reversal |
A slow steady solve from, unusually, the bottom up. I too had to resort to a wordfinder for 20ac – a crafty clue, that, with “rejecting Ravel’s finale” suggesting an L had to be removed somewhere. Lots to like, so no special favourite.
Can’t see any nina or theme, although the grid pattern was suggestive of such.
Thanks, Phi and RatkojaRiku.
Bit late to the party (mixture of Easter and Birthday weekend) but liked this. Contrary to Mr C’s findings, I solved top to bottom, though didn’t quite complete the bottom as was beat there by a couple. Nice puzzle as always from Phi so thanks to him and also to RR for the blog.
We’ve been catching up with puzzles this morning and have only just finished the puzzle.
We had all the crossing letters for 20ac and Bert started going through the alphabet checking out words that would fit. The recent Vigo puzzle may have helped too. It was then a question of parsing it!
Thanks Phi and RR – Happy Easter to everyone.