Independent 10,624 by Phi

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Another week goes by and another Phi to solve. As we are now in a Tier 3 area, solving the latest crossword becomes even more of an event.

Thanks Phi for the puzzle. Joyce solved 3d really easily as it reminded her of A Level Biology. We were studying genetics using fruitflies. We had to calm the flies down to observe them under the 3D microscopes one afternoon but we were using chloroform on balls of cotton wool. By the end of the session, we were not sure who was more knocked out by the volatile liquid – us or the flies. By the end of the afternoon, most of the flies were loose in the lab while the class tried to keep their eyes open. Whether we were supposed to be carrying out a long term study I don’t know – we certainly didn’t have any more sessions with the chloroform.

Anyway, back to the puzzle. No real problems. We half expected a NINA given the grid but nothing stands out. We also wondered whether the inclusion of ‘Calais’ in four clues might be relevant to a theme, but again, we can’t find anything.

As always with Phi, some good surfaces and a great way to end the week.

image of grid

ACROSS
9. Less welcoming here in Calais leading to hesitation (5)
ICIER

ICI (‘here’ in French) ER (hesitation)

10. Driver getting mostly hot in Calais following twisting street there (9)
CHAUFFEUR

CHAUd (‘hot’ in French) missing last letter or ‘mostly’ + FF (following) + RUE (street in French) reversed or ‘twisting’  Thanks to NNI and Johnnybgoode for pointing out the missing F. 

11. Sales opportunity to the French heading for Calais – I will interrupt a great many (7)
AUCTION

AU (‘to the’ in French) C (first letter or ‘heading’ for Calais) + I inside or ‘interrupting’ TON (a great many)

12. Attempt to host elderly drama (7)
TRAGEDY

TRY (attempt) around or ‘hosting’ AGED (elderly)

13. Refurbishing topic to involve furniture item as a direct consequence (4,5)
IPSO FACTO

An anagram of TOPIC (anagrind is ‘refurbishing’) around or ‘involving’ SOFA (furniture item)

14. Legislation limiting Belgium’s currency (5)
RUBLE

RULE (legislation) around or ‘limiting’ B (Belgium)

16. Tense searches producing unimportant stuff (7)
TRIFLES

T (tense) RIFLES (searches)

18. Has previously to accept one lead washer? (3,4)
HIP BATH

HATH (old or ‘previous’ version of ‘has’) around or ‘accepting’ I (one) PB (lead)

21. Even bits of this would do for workers (5)
HANDS

Even letters or ‘bits’ of tHiS are H AND S

23. Possibly calumnious, nothing less, to describe a composer thus? (9)
UNMUSICAL

A clue as defintion – an anagram of CALUMNIoUS without the ‘o’ (nothing) – anagrind is ‘possibly’

25. Queen entering my hovel expressing puzzlement (7)
MYSTERY

ER (Queen) inside or ‘entering’ MY STY (hovel)

27. Senior board member in firm about to get shock? (2-5)
CO-CHAIR

CO (firm) C (about) HAIR (shock)

28. Even cigar going out may be source of complaint (9)
GRIEVANCE

An anagram of EVEN CIGAR – anagrind is ‘going out’

29. Ridiculous figure not initially correct (5)
RIGHT

fRIGHT (ridiculous figure) missing first letter or ‘not initially’

DOWN
1. Extensive lack of clarity about a union fraudster (8)
BIGAMIST

BIG (extensive) MIST (lack of clarity) round A

2. Setter ready to store ear-bone in haberdashery item (10)
PINCUSHION

PHI (setter of the puzzle) ON (ready) around or ‘storing’ INCUS (ear bone)

3. University probing Drosophila, mostly with success (8)
FRUITFUL

U (university) inside or ‘probing’ FRUITFLy (Drosophila) missing last letter or ‘mostly’

4. Very significant couple caught hosting scam (6)
ICONIC

I I (couple) C (caught) around or ‘hosting’ CON (scam)

5. Observed as well most of the cutting edge (8)
SAWTOOTH

SAW (observed) TOO (as well) THe missing last letter or ‘most of’

6. Fling nothing skywards – OK? (6)
AFFAIR

FA (nothing) reversed or ‘skywards’ as it is in a down clue + FAIR (OK)

7. Distance, not time – simple (4)
MERE

MEtRE (distance) without T (time)

8. No grey rocks in beach structure (6)
GROYNE

An anagram of NO GREY – anagrind is ‘rocks’

15. Later course supporter of African party, say, picked up after British left (10)
BLANCMANGE

ANC MAN (supporter of African party) + EG (say) reversed or ‘picked up’ after B (British) L (left)

17. Boss providing funds, letting secretary off for educational activity (8)
STUDYING

STUD (boss) paYING (providing funds) without PA (secretary)

19. Brief note following list of runners (8)
POSTCARD

POST (following) CARD (list of runners as on the programme of races at a race-meeting)

20. Thing not specified in legal term offering great amusement (8)
HILARITY

IT (thing not specified) in HILARY (legal term)

21. Tribute in accepting silver (6)
HOMAGE

HOME (in) around or ‘accepting’ AG (silver)

22. Change of direction in Society – we have to adopt rule (6)
SWERVE

S (Society) WE’VE (we have) around or ‘adopting’ R (rule)

24. Made fun of Australian boor, with cut, needing care of doctor (6)
MOCKED

OCKEr (Australian boor) missing last letter or ‘with cut’ inside or ‘needing care of’ MD (doctor)

26. Not promising money after they turned up (from Calais, that is) (4)
SLIM

M (money) after ILS (‘they’ in French) reversed or ‘turned up’

11 comments on “Independent 10,624 by Phi”

  1. Another great Independent crossword. A few unknowns but clued so they were easy to get, at least for HIP BATH, PINCUSHION (where INCUS was unknown to me) and HILARITY (where I only knew HILARY as a University term). Had to do a word find on OCKE? to get OCKER though. Thanks to Phi and Bertandjoyce.

  2. The usual very good Phi puzzle, with UNMUSICAL being my favourite today. I didn’t know the ‘legal (or university) term’ which will be worth filing away as I’m sure it’ll come up again some time.

    I remember learning about ‘Drosophila’ in Biology as well, though I can’t remember what they’re “famous” for. Is it because they have huge chromosomes (no kidding) or something? I’m sure B&J, those eminent Drosophilologists, will be able to enlighten us.

    Thanks to them and to Phi

  3. Quite easy for Phi, I thought, but no less enjoyable for that. No doubt Phi will drop in later to inform us what the esoteric theme is, presumably something to do with Calais.  Calais used to be in Flanders, and was then known as Kales in Flemish.  Thanks Phi and B&J.

  4. enjoyable start to the weekend! straightforward enough – particularly after the clear blog – but i somehow managed to overcomplicate 26d by wildly translating at least half the clue words into French! continuing the Calais theme – interesting to think that English border control was based in Calais for a long time  prior to the current arrangements…

  5. Thanks to Phi and also to B&J for the very entertaining blog. What fun I missed, going to a school that did little science and no biology. No fruit flies for me – so had to look it up.

  6. In 10a, following would have to be FF for the word play to work.
    I guessed MOCKED for 24d but couldn’t parse it.
    Finally, I guessed HILARY was a term but I didn’t know it.
    My favourite was PINCUSHION, where I looked up a list of ear bones before picking out the likeliest one.

    I don’t often do a 2nd crossword on a Friday (I did SHED this morning) because it’s our weekly shopping day, but I’m now becoming a fan of Phi.

  9. As I’ve said before, I am always on the lookout for lists of words to help me seed the initial blank grid. This is from a somewhat esoteric but very entertaining corner of my library, the American illustrator Edward Gorey, who nearly made it in at GROYNE. He regularly anagrammed his name to provide pseudonyms. One of his books is about Ms D Awdrey-Gore, a writer of fiendishly cunning detective stories, among them The POSTCARD MYSTERY, The PINCUSHION AFFAIR, and the one I really want to read, The BLANCMANGE TRAGEDY.

  11. way too late obviously but 10ac could be pp of chauffer (to heat) chauff(é)=heated=hot… to give FF…? just a thought but its been nagging

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