Another Phi-day and another Phi, although we have to say that this didn’t feel like a ‘normal’ Phi although we cannot identify quite why.
We were somewhat puzzled by the wordplay in 10ac, and completely foxed by 2d. Any thoughts on these would be greatly appreciated.
We can’t see a theme, but it wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve missed one. All-in-all, a rather trickier-than-average Phi, but a good Friday challenge all the same.
We will be out most of today and will not be able to respond to comments until this evening.
| Across | ||
| 1 | German physicist dismissing source of heat, accepting it as fake (6) | |
| ERSATZ | ||
| 5 | A little fly swallowed by boy (8) | |
| SMIDGEON | MIDGE (fly) in or ‘swallowed by’ SON (boy) | |
| 9 | Write story about missing century in part of Test match (4) | |
| OVER | ||
| 10 | I have to follow guest appearance, perhaps, working in opposition (10) | |
| PREVENTIVE | We’re not sure about this one – we think it might be: I’VE (I have) following PR EVENT (guest appearance perhaps)? Any other thoughts? | |
| 11 | Cultural object in smart cafe tragically knocked over (8) | |
| ARTEFACT | Hidden and reversed (‘knocked over’) in ‘smarT CAFÉ TRAgically’ | |
| 12 | Optimistic about religious texts reflecting traditions (6) | |
| ROOTSY | ROSY (optimistic) about OT (Old Testament – ‘religious texts’) | |
| 13 | State of indecision putting off old member (4) | |
| LIMB | LIMB |
|
| 14 | Recover glens held by college formerly (10) | |
| CONVALESCE | VALES (glens) in or ‘held by’ C (college) ONCE (formerly) | |
| 17 | Business I represent ineptly (10) | |
| ENTERPRISE | An anagram of I REPRESENT – anagrind is ‘ineptly’ | |
| 19 | Hear about a meal suitable for invalid? (4) | |
| TRAY | TRY (hear) about A | |
| 20 | Science acquiring some measure of current marine life (6) | |
| SCAMPI | SCI (science) round or ‘acquiring’ AMP (measure of current) | |
| 23 | Spirit shown by school getting new computer programs (8) | |
| SCHNAPPS | SCH (school) N (new) APPS (computer programs) | |
| 25 | Source of moaning in American clues being rewritten in tiny letters (10) | |
| MINUSCULES | M (first letter or ‘source’ of ‘moaning’) IN US (American) + an anagram of CLUES – anagrind is ‘being rewritten’ | |
| 26 | Keen attitude, say, of French in retreat (4) | |
| EDGE | EG (say) DE (French for ‘of’) reversed or ‘in retreat’ | |
| 27 | Tour America, capturing much of added value, being skilful (8) | |
| DEXTROUS | DO (tour) US (America) round or ‘capturing’ EXTR |
|
| 28 | Articles linked to Mass (item of church music) (6) | |
| ANTHEM | AN and THE (articles) M (mass) | |
| Down | ||
| 2 | “Othello” at the theatre? I’m coming back (9) | |
| REVERSION | We’re completely stumped by this one – as far as we can tell there are no other words that fit the crossing letters and ‘coming back’ is a suitable definition. As to the wordplay……. Thanks Andrew@1 for the enlightenment! | |
| 3 | Bird nesting in a side of a building with a pleasant aspect (9) | |
| AGREEABLE | REE (bird) ‘nesting’ in A GABLE (side of a building) | |
| 4 | American musician importing a couple of pianos into South Africa (5) | |
| ZAPPA | A PP (‘couple of pianos’) ‘imported into’ ZA (South Africa) | |
| 5 | Water in practice area raised temper (7) | |
| SWEETEN | WEE (water) in NETS (practice area) reversed or ‘raised’ | |
| 6 | One anti-beer struggling to become one very pro-beer? (9) | |
| INEBRIATE | I (one) + an anagram of ANTI–BEER – anagrind is ‘struggling’ | |
| 7 | Time to tuck into scrambled egg – and nothing more – first thing (3-2) | |
| GET-GO | T (time) ‘tucked into’ an anagram of EGG (anagrind is ‘scrambled’) + O (nothing) | |
| 8 | Output of bakery ignored by fifty fools (5) | |
| OAVES | ||
| 14 | When one fools contraltos I encountered in company producing Strauss opera (9) | |
| CAPRICCIO | APR 1 (1st April – ‘when one fools’) CC (contraltos) I ‘encountered’ in CO (company) | |
| 15 | Outgoing partygoer taken in by wayward text (9) | |
| EXTRAVERT | RAVER (partygoer) ‘taken in by’ an anagram of TEXT – anagrind is ‘wayward’ | |
| 16 | Winner’s time securing name? Sparkling stuff (9) | |
| CHAMPAGNE | CHAMP (winner) AGE (time) round or ‘securing’ N (name) | |
| 18 | Abuses lags? No terms of abuse here (7) | |
| INSULTS | INSUL |
|
| 21 | Boy leaving very embarrassed, say, over base offending (5) | |
| CRIME | CRIM |
|
| 22 | Second group pursuing fox disposing of first horse (5) | |
| MOUNT | MO (second) |
|
| 24 | Accommodate a flowering plant (5) | |
| HOSTA | HOST (accommodate) A | |
Othello is an alternative name for the game of Reversi, so 2d is REVERSI + ON (at the theatre).
A fairly gentle Phi puzzle, as is his wont from time to time. Is it vanilla-flavoured? Looks like it to me, but in a spot-the-nina competition I’d come in the same place that Sunderland came in in the Prem recently.
REVERSION I would never have parsed – well done, Andrew. No special favourites today – all good.
Thanks all three and good weekend to all.
Completely stumped by the wordplay for 2d (thanks Andrew), and also missed the parsing of INSULTS (‘terms’) and PREVENTIVE. Didn’t know either the spelling of EXTRAVERT with an ‘A’ not an ‘O’, or that OAVES (rather than ‘oafs’) exist; they do according to Chambers.
Missed any theme but didn’t spoil the enjoyment.
Thank you to Phi and B&J.
I found this one a real toughie and was beaten by more clues than my pride allows me to mention. As ever with Phi, lots of nice stuff so many thanks to him for the puzzle that proved too good for me today and to B&J for the enlightenment.
The theme is that all the across answers have an even number of letters and all the downs have an odd number.
All got without help, although GET-GO was a guess from the wordplay as I’d never heard of it. Not encountered ROOTSY before, either, but at least I could confirm it in Chambers. I was able to parse REVERSION, though, and CAPRICCIO was a write-in for me.
Lots to like here, but I think MINUSCULES gets my CoD vote by a short head.
Thanks, Phi and B&J
Well there is a theme, prompted by reading a number of texts (mostly but not entirely American in origin) containing the ‘word’ ARTIFACT, and also repeated encounters with MINISCULE (the etymology of the MINI- prefix is worth a glance, actually – it means ‘red’ in the original context, not ‘small’). These brought up recollections of the last time I used EXTRAVERT in an Independent puzzle: the next day brought a letter to the editor claiming I couldn’t spell, with the day after bringing one from someone like the president of the British Psychological Association pointing out that the A was the correct spelling, actually.
In too went SMIDGEON (I favour having the O) and DEXTEROUS (not sure about the second E either way) while OAVES was a fortuity (does it pluralise according to LOAF noun or verb?). PREVENTIVE was just another bugbear – people seem to be intent on adding TA (or TA, I suppose) to it!
Thanks Phi and B+J
I parsed 20 slightly differently: SC (science, as in BSc) plus AMP 1/I (some measure of current). I think it works equally well.
I agree with Phi on 10: the current usage of PREVENTATIVE implies a noun of PREVENTATATION, which is simply nonsense.
Don’t get me started on the mangled use of HUMANITARIAN, though!