Many thanks to Sil for standing in for us while were off on our travels. We’ve missed several Indy puzzles while we were away and are gradually catching up – fortunately we’ve had a full week to get back into the routine, and lo and behold it’s a Phiday!
Once again, if Phi has included a theme, we can’t see it at present.
We noticed that there are several place names names in the grid – is there is a coneection between 12ac, 7d, 14ac and 19ac and possibly the middle part of 5d?
Perhaps someone out there will have a better knowledge of the area concerned.
We really liked the clue for 19ac, but were a bit doubtful about 5d – although it is certainly original!
Across
1 Face involving awkward bloke about numbers (7)
DIGITAL
DIAL (face) round or ‘involving’ GIT (awkward bloke)
5 European country backed hanging on to dismiss no-good Middle Easterner (7)
KUWAITI
UK (European country) reversed or ‘backed’ WAITIng (hanging on) without or ‘dismissing’ the ‘ng’ (no good)
9 Engaging in various ways at one line in poetry (9)
VERSATILE
AT I (one) L (line) in VERSE (poetry)
10 Describing main variations, I’d article in The Listener at first (5)
TIDAL
I’D A (article) in T L (first letters of ‘The Listener’)
11 Occupant of farmyard is craving release (4)
DISC
Hidden in or ‘occupying’ farmyarD IS Craving
12 Asian highway of fundamental relevance to some Londoners? (6,4)
KHYBER PASS
KHYBER PASS is Cockney rhyming slang for ‘arse’ or ‘fundament to some Londoners’
14 Some local minion wantonly wasting one million in aggressive foreign policy (14)
NEOCOLONIALISM
An anagram of SOmE LOCAL MINION without or ‘wasting’ one ‘m’ (million) – anagrind is ‘wantonly’
17 Derby cameramen ruined commemorative event (11,3)
REMEMBRANCE DAY
An anagram of DERBY CAMERAMEN – anagrind is ‘ruined’
19 Neutral area in the image of an old gentleman’s club? (6,4)
BUFFER ZONE
An old gentleman can be referred to (although not to his face!) as a BUFFER, so his club might be a BUFFER ZONE
21 One employs a cat, say, but not second (4)
USER
moUSER (a cat, say) without ‘mo’ (second)
23 Scottish family finally enjoying the clash of claymores? (5)
CLANG
CLAN (Scottish family) G (the last or ‘final’ letter of ‘enjoying’)
24 An Independent magazine bringing in money – exciting (9)
ANIMATING
AN I (independent) MAG (magazine) round or ‘bringing in’ TIN (money)
25 One-third of scouts under canvas, not initially giving off a smell (7)
SCENTED
SC (one-third of ‘scouts’) tENTED (under canvas) without the intial letter
26 Our energy should be put into that? Agreed! (5,2)
YOURE ON
OUR E (energy) ‘put’ in YON (that)
Down
1 Satisfied to receive six – final bonus (8)
DIVIDEND
DID (satisfied) round or ‘receiving’ VI (six) + END (final)
2 Guy heartlessly got up, about to get spinning toy (9)
GYROSCOPE
GuY (without the middle letter or ‘heartless’) ROSE (got up) round COP (get)
3 Catch lines being raised (4)
TRAP
PART (‘lines’ as in a play) reversed or ‘raised’ (in a down clue)
4 Sporty head girl absorbing fashion and excitement in Bedfordshire town (8,7)
LEIGHTON BUZZARD
An anagram of HEAD GIRL (anagrind is ‘sporty’) round or ‘absorbing’ TON (fashion) BUZZ (excitement)
5 Campaign no longer motivating refuseniks? (4,7,4)
KEEP BRITAIN TIDY
We have to read ‘refuse’ in ‘refusenik’ as referring to rubbish (to be tidied), not political dissidence
6 Leak here may take a moment or two (5,5)
WATER CLOCK
If a WATER CLOCK were to spring a leak, it would presumably not keep time accurately
7 I’d turned up in middle of nominated country (5)
INDIA
ID reversed or ‘turned up’ in nomINAted (middle three letters)
8 Demonstrate airbrushing Italian restaurant – that’s poor treatment (3-3)
ILL-USE
ILLUStratE (demonstrate) without or ‘airbrushing’ ‘trat’ (Italian restaurant)
13 Small number keeping mostly fixed diet (4,6)
LOSE WEIGHT
LOW (small) EIGHT (number) round SEt (fixed) without the last letter or ‘mostly’
15 Glancing attack? The team’s clear (9)
SIDESWIPE
SIDES (team’s) WIPE (clear)
16 Gone dry, wrinkled, under hot gas (8)
HYDROGEN
An anagram of GONE DRY (anagrind is ‘wrinkled’) after or ‘under’ H (hot)
18 Counter attack’s beginning – support us after King decamps (6)
ABACUS
A (first letter or ‘beginning’ of ‘attack’) BACk (support) US without the ‘k’ (king)
20 Signal line in foodstuffs (5)
FLARE
L (line) in FARE (foodstuffs)
22 I’m surprised to enter university in part of Hawaii (4)
OAHU
AH (‘I’m surprised’) in or ‘entering’ OU (Open University)
*anagram
Thanks Phi and BnJ
In 6, I saw it as the flow, or leakage, of the water being used to measure time, hence taking up a moment or two. Seems to me to sit better with how a water clock works.
Although I haven’t spotted a theme as such, I did notice DIGITAL VERSATILE DISC (DVD).
Got stuck in the SW today. Thanks to Phi and Bertandjoyce.
Well spotted Hovis! Could there be a theme of films on DVD; Khyber Pass, Remembrance Day, Buffer Zone … any more?
Forgot to thank Phi and B&J – and to say BUFFER ZONE was our CoD.
Enjoyable puzzle. I failed to pick up the litter in KEEP BRITAIN TIDY.
My thinking on WATER CLOCK was as B&J’s, but I like Simon’s interpretation @1 too.
Thanks Phi and Bertandjoyce.
Well late as usual but not come across TON=fashion and nor have my (limited) dictionaries.
Is it as in the verb or the noun?
Hi reddevil – Chambers lists it under the second definition as a noun.