Phi has brought this latest suite of mid-week puzzles to an end.
I found this to be towards the easier end of the Phi spectrum, not least on account of a grid that supplied lots of first letters. I have not spotted any (ghost) theme, but I am sure that fellow solvers will enlighten me if I have overlooked anything.
My favourite clues today were 13 and 24, both for surface, as well as 9 and 25, for overall construction. I needed Chambers to find the word for “horses” at 8, which was then easy to parse once the answer had been found.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | PLAY-OFF | Prince to stop decider
P (=prince) + LAY OFF (=to stop (doing)) |
| 05 | BOROUGH | Old book recalled disorderly town
BO (O=old + B=book; “recalled” indicates reversal) + ROUGH (=disorderly, rowdy) |
| 09 | ACCRA | Councillor taken in by accountant in African city
CR (=councillor) in ACA (=accountant, i.e. Associate Chartered Accountant) |
| 10 | ADORATION | Business share generating praise
ADO (=business, fuss) + RATION (=share) |
| 11 | TEDIUM | Corporation suppressing most of plan in recession – it’s of no interest
EDI (IDE<a>=plan; “most of” means last letter is dropped; “in recession” indicates reversal) in TUM (=corporation, belly) |
| 12 | IMMATURE | Behaving like a child, shut up when holding a toy, at first
[A + T<oy> (“at first” means first letter only)] in IMMURE (=shut up, i.e. wall in) |
| 15 | ROOK | Man offering no initial support for worker in the field
<c>ROOK (=support for worker in the field, i.e. shepherd); “offering no initial support” means first letter is dropped |
| 16 | PLATITUDES | Extra words about freedom? They’re not seriously meant
LATITUDE (=freedom) in P.S. (=extra words, i.e. postscript) |
| 18 | PRESCIENCE | It foresees company taking control of Channel Islands
CI (=Channel Islands) in PRESENCE (=company, attendance) |
| 19 | USED | University post not new? Not new
U (=University) + SE<n>D (=post, mail; “not new (=N)” means letter “n” is dropped) |
| 22 | CLEAR-CUT | Definite transformation in article, copper replacing iodine
*(ART<i>CLE + CU (=copper)); “copper (=CU) replacing iodine (=I)” means letter “i” is dropped and letters “cu” added to the anagram, indicated by “transformation” |
| 22 | POORLY | Work to secure old gold, without much skill
[O (=old) + OR (=gold)] in PLY (=work (steadily)) |
| 25 | LIP-READER | Peseta in former currency unexpectedly dear? I see what you’re saying
[P (=peseta) in LIRE (=former currency, in Italy)] + *(DEAR); “unexpectedly” is anagram indicator; a lip-reader literally “sees” (=views) on people’s lips what they are saying! |
| 27 | FABLE | Fellow with clever story
F (=fellow) + ABLE (=clever) |
| 28 | DELAYER | Game incorporating situation that’s a hindrance
LAY (=situation, a place for lying) in DEER (=game, wildlife) |
| 29 | SINNERS | Bowlers lacking power? They don’t do the right things
S<p>INNERS (=bowlers, i.e. in cricket); “lacking power (=P)” means the letter “p” is dropped |
| Down | ||
| 01 | PLASTER | Continue to be wrapped in a dressing
LAST (=continue, go on) in PER (=a, each); a plaster is a dressing for a wound |
| 02 | ARCHDIOCESE | Choir ceased touring area with large church
*(CHOIR CEASED); “touring” is anagram indicator |
| 03 | OPAQUE | Unfathomable over old man rather dismissing sexual attraction
O (=over, on cricket scoreboard) + PA (=old man) + QU<it>E (=rather; “dismissing sexual attraction (=it)” means letters “it” are dropped) |
| 04 | FLAX | Fine loose fibres
F (=fine) + LAX (=loose, of morals or rules) |
| 05 | BROOMSTICK | Support for Harry Potter book getting criticism after a space
B (=book) + ROOM (=a space) + STICK (=criticism, flack); the reference is to J K Rowling’s fictional wizard |
| 06 | READAPTS | Studies accommodating suitable changes again
APT (=suitable) in READS (=studies) |
| 07 | UNI | Early closure of one study centre
UNI<t> (=one); “early closure of” means last letter is dropped |
| 08 | HUNTERS | Hard gamblers neglecting lead horses
H (=hard, as in HB) + <p>UNTERS (=gamblers; “neglecting lead” means first letter is dropped) |
| 13 | UNDESIRABLE | Distasteful burial needs to be arranged
*(BURIAL NEEDS); “to be arranged” is anagram indicator |
| 14 | BLUE MURDER | Pornographic crime the subject of uproar?
BLUE (=pornographic, as in blue movie) + MURDER (=crime); cf. to scream blue murder |
| 17 | SCARCELY | Surreptitious about taking Catholic into protection? Hardly at all
[C (=Catholic, as in RC) in CARE (=protection)] in SLY (=surreptitious) |
| 18 | PICKLED | Chosen player was foremost in Brahms and Liszt
PICK (=chosen player) + LED (=was foremost); Brahms and Liszt is Cockney rhyming slang for “pissed” |
| 20 | DRYNESS | Doctor’s agreement about new source of scurf – xerosis?
DR (=doctor) + [N (=new) in YES (=agreement, as in Is that a yes?)] + S<curf> (“source of” means first letter only) |
| 21 | COFFIN | Cold water not connected in the last place you stay?
C (=cold water, i.e. on tap) + OFF (=not connected) + IN |
| 24 | IRIS | I almost stand for the flag
I + RIS<e> (=stand, get up; “almost” means last letter is dropped) |
| 26 | PAL | Attempt abandoned by miserable friend
<pal>TRY (=miserable); “attempt (=try) abandoned” means letters “try” are dropped |
What an absolutely brilliant puzzle for a wet Friday morning in London. Choosing a favourite from such a splendid selection is quite tough but my short list is 19a, 14d & 18d.
Many thanks to Phi and to RatkojaRiku.
I seek guidance please on two matters. The online version will only accept ‘uri’ as the answer to 7dn – am I going insane (or is this a glitch)? Also, I regularly highlight to my daughter clues she would like; as she is a big Harry Potter fan, 5dn is a brilliant example, but I am struggling to offer an explanation for why book abbreviates to ‘b’ other than it always has done in crosswords. Thanks is advance
What an excellent puzzle – I had a tick beside almost every clue and wrote ‘NICE ONE’ at the top of my sheet.
So hard to choose a favourite but 18d probably gave rise to the widest smile.
Many thanks to Phi for such a pleasurable solve and thanks to RR for the blog.
TFO @2
You are not going insane, there is an error in the file that the online solving software uses to display the grid entries.
As for the abbreviation, I can only hazard a guess so it would be better to wait until someone who knows comes along.
Possibly not a very satisfying answer to TFO’s daughter but b = book because Chambers says so 😉
I believe that “B for book” has its roots in Bible References, which are given as Book (B) Chapter (C) and Verse (V). I stand to be corrected, though!
I too had problems with the online version only accepting “URI” for 7D. Clearly just a glitch.
No problem here as I didnt check the answers.Once I have a printout from the Indy I’m outahere,
Thanks RR and Phi.
An enjoyable puzzle which I also noticed wouldn’t accept the correct answer in the online edition for UNI. Thanks Phi and RR.
I was greatly pleased earlier this year to see that Colin Watson’s excellent comic crime novels set in the fictitious Lincolnshire town of Flaxborough had finally appeared for Kindle. I am working my way through them and while I haven’t reached BLUE MURDER or PLASTER SINNERS or BROOMSTICKs over FLAXBOROUGH, I have enjoyed rediscovering COFFIN, SCARCELY USED. They’re good examples of small town comedy as well as detective novels.