It’s Phi-day again – in these strange times, it’s good to have a marker to remind us what day it is.
As we have come to expect, this was an enjoyable solve – not too taxing, but not a write-in either – just right to end the week.
As usual, we looked for a theme or nina, but can’t find anything – but as we know, that doesn’t meant there isn’t one. We hadn’t come across the phrase at 25ac before, and wondered whether it might be thematic. An electronic search revealed that there are at least three novels and one song with this title, but we couldn’t find a connection with any other grid entries. We did know that the author (Umberto Eco) in the clue for 19d wrote a book called ‘The Name of the Rose’, but again we couldn’t find any connections.
Perhaps someone out there has noticed something, or maybe Phi will drop in later to elucidate?
An anagram (‘after storm’) of HARDEST AREAS
HANd OVER (exchange) without or ‘disregarding’ D (Germany)
OPT In (agree to take part) MUM (mother) without or ‘withholding’ ‘n’ (name)
URALS (mountain range) round or ‘containing’ IN (popular)
LACK (something missing) in PET (favourite)
AGO (in the past) round or ‘involving’ GR (King George – ‘historic monarch’)
I’M (the writer is) LANCE (weapon) round or ‘constraining’ BA (junior academic)
CITE (name) LAID (put down) reversed or ‘reflected’ round or ‘receiving’ C (college)
RAT in E O (middle letters of ‘pigeonry’)
A with an anagram (‘form’) of TACK in or ‘consumed by’ O (old) E (English)
If you ‘sign on’ (to the dole) when you finish work, you might fancifully SIGN OFF when you start work
DEGREe (qualification) without the last letter or ‘somewhat diminished’ round or ‘receiving’ AD (commercial endorsement)
AC (account) round SEPT I (start of month)
Gardeners traditionally put horse manure UNER THE ROSE bushes. We’d never come across this phrase before
A ‘porn supremo’ might be described as a SIN KING
An anagram (‘out’) of GAVE in A O (ring) after H (first letter or ‘entrance’ of heavyweight)
RA RA (artists) + an anagram (‘altering’) of RISK + T (first letter or ‘top’ of traditional)
D (day) + POOR (not so good) reversed or ‘turning’
An anagram (‘stormy’) of SEA STILl without the last letter or ‘not quite’
R (recipe) + an anagram (‘various ingredients’) of MAKE IN
THOU (you) AND FOLD (the congregation) round or ‘receiving’ S (first letter or ‘start’ of sermon)
MATER (mother) OFF (not fancying) ACT (performance) round or ‘containing’ T (first letter or ‘minimum’ of theatricality)
BACKEr (sponsor) without ‘r’ (run) round or ‘cornering’ STAG (male)
ANTI (opposed to) GEN (information)
EDAM (cheese) gAME (meat) without ‘g’ (good)
ELGaR (composer) without or ‘dismissing’ ‘a’ + ECO (writer – Umberto Eco)
ST (stone) ’embedded’ in A POLE (staff)
ERE (before) CT (court)
A nice solve for a Friday morning together. A few new words (under the rose, erato) and a few dug out of the deeper brain cells (placket). We’re lucky that Hannah watched Dr Zhivago last night; she remembered the Russian mountain range.
Can’t see a theme or nina, we seldom can. At least we remembered to look!
Thanks to Phi and Bertandjoyce! Happy Phiday!
I feel a sort of stability and serenity seeing Phi on a Friday
As always a fine start to the day(with a cup of tea-or two)
Thanks all.
Beautiful clueing today from Phi. I’ve just re-read every clue and there is barely a superfluous word. One or two just to round out the surfaces. Some lovely definitions and completely fair devices throughout imho.
SAHARA DESERT is a lovely anagram, URINALS is witty and OATCAKE has a smooth and relevant surface. DROOP is succinct, THOUSANDFOLD just a joy to assemble, BACKSTAGE made me smile and EL GRECO is probably COTD for its elegance.
I am perfectly prepared to be astounded if and when a theme is identified by another poster or if Phi drops in later. At the moment it’s looking as if virtually every solution exists in a universe of its own. Total randomness. Which, with Phi, makes me suspicious!
Thanks Phi & B&j
A DNF for me as I put ‘under the yoke’ at 25A, which sort of works, partially, if you think about it! I’d never heard ‘under the rose’. Otherwise quite straightforward and enjoyable, so thanks Phi and B&J.
Thanks Phi and BnJ
I saw 23 as an &lit: if, as a supervisor, you agree that a project/piece of work can go ahead you sign it off.
UNDER THE ROSE was new to me too; at least I didn’t miss something obvious. I had no hope of parsing EL GRECO, who went in as the only ‘painter’ who seemed to fit. PLACKET was new to me, though not to my dressmaking mother.
ANTIGEN was my COD for the topicality of the surface. About to start here next week.
Thanks to Phi and B&J
What gardeners do with horse manure is done privately / sub rosa.
UNDER THE ROSE is better known as sub rosa and seemed early on to be the only fit, but I could not connect it to manure or horses. The fact that the last five letters were an anagram of horse proved an additional red herring. Otherwise, typical gentle Phi to end the week.
Thanks, Phi, Bert and Joyce.
Really good, as ever with Phi. Good range of clues and the general knowledge requirement not too obscure. I’m copying this one for my mother, who’s decided to learn to do cryptics, at the age of 91. Go, girl! Thanks to Phi and Bertandjoyce
Enjoyed this , finished most of it without help, assumed UNDER-THE-HOOF was a phrase meaning secret which put me off
SINKING and URINAL my favourites, not sure what that says
Thanks to Phi and B&J
This was one of my best ever performances with the Indy cryptic – I had to check a few spellings and several clues needed took a while to click but I finished in just over half an hour – very unusual for me! Placket was new to me, and my vague memory of there being an endame bean wasn’t quite right, but once I’d got a few crossers “under the rose” came from somewhere in the depths of my memory. That and 7D were my favourite clues.
We too enjoyed this. Our only problem was 26ac where we had under the _o_e and it took us ages following several false leads on Google before sub rosa came up as a synonym for ‘secret’ and we said ‘of course!’ Favourite, though was ANTIGEN simply because of its topicality.
Thanks, Phi and B&J.
Is there a sort of Rose theme? Rose of the Desert. Umberto Eco. Hanover Rose and I think there is an urinal rose. My roses all too often droop. Maybe not. Good fun anyway.
I thought this was interesting about sub rosa
Very quick solve for me tonight, my only problems being unaware of PLACKET and UNDER THE ROSE.
There’s a very good series of detective novels by Steven Saylor called “Roma sub rosa”. I’d never heard of the horse manure angle though!