As usual, the Friday Independent puzzle is set by Phi
There is an arts theme today, illustrated by the names of various writers, poets, painters sculptors. However, the scientists haven’t been forgotten about as we also have WOLFRAM and OSMOSIS.
On the arts side we have (in alphabetical order) AKHMATOVA, BECKETT, DUCHAMP, HODGKINS. MANSFIELD and ORWELL. You could probably toss in TROMBONE on the arts side as well.
I have looked to see if the arts names have anything in common, bu I can’t find anything obvious. I turned up slightly obscure links for some of them to a Mexican author and poet, OCTAVIO PAZ, but the links were fairly tenuous.
Today is the 55th anniversary of Anna AKHMATOVA‘s death but that might well be coincidence.
DARWIN is clued as a State capital, rather than the naturalist, but the scientists will probably claim that entry as well.
There were more clues than normal with intricate wordplay. I noticed that from the number of times I needed a third colour [or more] when explaining the wordplay. It is that kind of wordplay that I like most, so this was a very enjoyable puzzle.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Playwright in gamble, out of pocket, losing 33% (7) BECKETT (reference Samuel BECKETT [1906 – 1989], Irish novelist and playwright) BET (gamble) containing (out of) POCKET excluding (losing) the first two letters PO (two of six; 33%) BE (CKET) T |
| 5 |
He created unusual sculptures of the French prize winner (7) DUCHAMP (reference Marcel DUCHAMP [1887 – 1968], French American painter and sculptor) DU (French for ‘of’) + CHAMP (CHAMPion [prize winner]) DU CHAMP |
| 9 |
Source regarding series to see in Paris (9) RESERVOIR (storage for water; source of water supply) RE (with reference to; regarding) + SER (series) + VOIR (French for ‘to see or view’) RE SER VOIR |
| 10 |
Article not entirely nasty? It gets a hammering (5) ANVIL (iron block on which metal can be hammered into shape) AN (indefinite article) + VILE (entirely nasty) excluding the final letter (not entirely) E AN VIL |
| 11 |
Bathroom accessory excessively and thoroughly trimmed (5) TOWEL (absorbent cloth for drying the body; bathroom accessory) TOO (excessively) excluding the final letter (trimmed) + WELL (thoroughly) excluding the final letter (trimmed) TO WEL |
| 13 |
Limited connection, with hesitation, in sexual activity (9) BLINKERED (limited [in vision or thought]) (LINK [connection] + ER [expression of hesitation]) contained in (in) BED ([as a verb] engage in sexual activiity) B (LINK ER) ED |
| 14 |
Central Americans,ignoring expense, welcoming fine folk from another continent (8) AFRICANS (folk from the continent of AFRICA) COSTA RICANS (Central Americans) excluding (ignoring) COST and containing (including) F (fine) A (F) RICANS |
| 16 |
Refuse to accept broadcast restricted by noise (6) DISOWN (refuse to acknowledge or accept) SOW (broadcast) contained in (restricted by) DIN (noise) DI (SOW) N |
| 18 |
Mid-20th century writer or early 20th century writer, mostly (6) ORWELL (reference George ORWELL [born Eric Blair {1903 – 1950}], English novelist) OR + WELLS (reference H G WELLS [1866 – 1946], English novelist) excluding the final letter (mostly) S OR WELL |
| 19 |
New Zealand painter from good family, dosh liberally spread around (8) HODGKINS (reference Frances HODGKINS [1869 – 1947], New Zealand artist, mainly of landscapes and still life) Anagram of (liberally spread) DOSH containing (around) (G [good] + KIN [family]) HOD (G KIN |
| 22 |
New Zealand writer offering sexist view of discipline? (9) MANSFIELD (reference Katherine MANSFIELD Murry [1888 – 1923], New Zealand modernist writer) MAN’S (describing [the view of] just one of the sexes, therefore not inclusive of all views) + FIELD (area of expertise; discipline) MANS FIELD |
| 23 |
Description of power reflected in natural oscillations (5) SOLAR (descriptive of the power of the sun) SOLAR (reversed [reflected] hidden word in [in] NATURAL OSCILLATIONS) SOLAR< |
| 24 |
Part of opera to cut from Tosca, retaining tenor’s second note (5) SCENA (an operatic scene) TOSCA excluding (cut from) TO containing (retaining) (E [second letter of {second} TENOR + N [note]) SC (E N) A |
| 25 |
Russian poet writing articles about Knight and Queen, tovarish? Not half (9) AKHMATOVA (reference Anna AKHMATOVA [1889 – 1966], Russian poet shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature) ([A {indefinite article} + A {definite article}] containing [about] [K {knight} + HM {Her Majesty; Queen}]) + TOVARISH excluding (not) RISH (four of the eight [half] letters) A (K HM) A TOVA |
| 27 |
Temporarily stop America blocking outlay (7) SUSPEND (stop for a time; temporarily stop) US ([United State of] America) contained in (blocking) SPEND (an outlay) S (US) PEND |
| 28 |
Ebbing current with return of damage – metal? (7) WOLFRAM (tungsten [a rare metallic element]) FLOW (current) reversed (ebbing) + MAR (damage) reversed (return of) WOLF< RAM< |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Religious attire – black attire, restyled (7) BIRETTA (square cap with three or four projections on the crown worn by Roman Catholic clergy, black for priests, purple for bishops, and red for cardinals) B (black) + an anagram of (restyled) ATTIRE B IRETTA* |
| 2 |
Lettuce crops regularly denuded (3) COS (crisp, long-leaved lettuce) CROPS excluding (denuded) letters 2 and 4 [regularly) R and P COS |
| 3 |
Register ultimate in danger is involved in solo climbing (5) ENROL (to register) R (last letter of [ultimate in] DANGER) contained in (is involved in) LONE (solo) reversed (climbing; down entry) EN (R) OL< |
| 4 |
Run into the last place to be seen with a musician (8) TROMBONE (musician, as in the phrase ‘he / she is first TROMBONE in the orchestra’) (R [run] contained in [into] TOMB (any place serving as a grave, which will be the final [last] place where a person [one] is seen) + ONE (a) T (R) OMB ONE |
| 5 |
Expression of annoyance about Wisconsin regional capital (6) DARWIN (regional capital of the State of Northern Territory in Australia) DARN (expression of annoyance) containing (about) WI (abbreviation for the American State of Wisconsin) DAR (WI) N |
| 6 |
Line in excellent meat product (9) CRACKLING (rind of roast pork; meat product) L (line) contained in (in) CRACKING (excellent) CRACK (L) ING |
| 7 |
Radio travel broadcast is a promotional feature (11) ADVERTORIAL (advertisement presented in the guise of editorial material; promotional feature) Anagram of (broadcast) RADIO TRAVEL ADVERTORIAL* |
| 8 |
Guy in distress is a knight(7) PALADIN (knight errant) LAD (guy) contained in (in) PAIN (distress) PA (LAD) IN |
| 12 |
Radical currently turning up in factory is to do marvellous stuff (4,7) WORK WONDERS (achieve marvellous results) (RED [communist; radical] + NOW [currently]) all reversed (turning up; down entry) contained in (in) WORKS (factory) WORK (WON DER)< S |
| 15 |
Historic Arctic vessel trapped in ice – not one spot to grow plants (4,5) COLD FRAME (structure, usually of wood and glass and without artificial heat, for protecting young plants) (OLD [historic] + FRAM [name of ship used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912]) contained in (trapped in) ICE excluding (not) I (Roman numeral for one) C (OLD FRAM) E |
| 17 |
Staff’s methodology when hosting a travelling exhibition (8) ROADSHOW (promotional tour undertaken by any body or organization seeking publicity for its policies or products; travelling exhibition) (ROD‘S [staff’s] + HOW [methodology]) containing (when hosting) A RO (A) DS HOW |
| 18 |
Absorption? Unusually large bog will absorb one (7) OSMOSIS (gradual absorption or assimilation) OS (outsize; unusually large) + (MOSS [bog or boggy ground] containing [will absorb] I [Roman numeral for one]) OS MOS (I) S |
| 20 |
Sharp humour a Roman Catholic displayed during disrupted Mass (7) SARCASM (language expressing scorn or contempt, often but not necessarily ironical; sharp humour) (A + RC [Roman Catholic]) contained in (displayed during) an anagram of (disrupted) MASS S (A RC) ASM* |
| 21 |
Chap apparently owing money gets court decision (6) REMAND (to send back [especially a prisoner into custody or on bail to await further evidence, therefore a decision of the Court]) REMAND can be viewed as MAN in (contained in) the RED (in debt; owing money) RE (MAN) D |
| 23 |
One slow-moving bridge team to fare badly (5) SNAIL (a specific slow-moving gastropod mollusc, but also a word descriptive of any sluggish person or animal; one slow moving) SN (South [S] and North [N] form a team in the card game bridge) + AIL (fare badly) SN AIL |
| 26 |
Awkward person puts it in propeller (3) OAR (light pole with a blade at one end for propelling a boat) OAR (a person who gives an opinion ar sticks his or her OAR in when not invited is often considered to be awkward) OAR |
Couldn’t parse TROMBONE for the life of me. Seeing the explanation, I am now kicking myself. Thanks for that.
Small error in 5a. DU is French for “of the”.
Clearly I’m more “Carry On Movies” than “Arts” when it comes to themes, so when I read through the clues and it was clear that writers and sculptors loomed ahead I was nervous (especially after yesterday’s which I hardly started let alone DNF) , however due to the excellent construction of the clues I found I could get all or most of the way there from the clue/crossers with only a bit of targeted googling to confirm/fill in the blanks. Still needed a bit of help towards the end as usual!
Favourite probably WOLFRAM
Really enjoyed today so thanks to Phi
Excellent blog Duncanshiell (thanks especially for explaining why TROMBONE=Musician! and the Arctic Ship which I didn’t know at all )
For once – for once – I think I have spotted an obscure Phi theme! The Tournament is a novel written by a New Zealander about a fictional tennis tournament featuring a host of cultural figures of the 20th Century. The link lists all those featured and I’ve found BECKETT, DUCHAMP, ORWELL, HODGKINS, AKHMATOVA, MANSFIELD. Charles DARWIN is the referee.
I pressed Post before getting to my thanks! Thanks, of course, to both Phi for the usual excellent Friday fare and Duncan for the detailed blog.
I did find another intriguing link when I happened to look for both DUCHAMP and BECKETT. There is a disputed suggestion they played chess together and that Beckett’s Endgame incorporates a position described in Duchamp’s Opposition and Sister Squares are Reconciled. That’s pretty obscure – but, with Phi, we never know!
There were some lovely clever clues in here: amongst the themed, BECKETT, ORWELL and DARWIN. Amongst the non-themed, RESERVOIR, AFRICANS, WOLFRAM, TROMBONE, SARCASM and the delightful COLD FRAME. I didn’t recall the name of Nansen’s ship but vaguely remembered something classically Nordic like Frey or Fenris. Very satisfying to Google and get it right.
Good start to Friday n the weekend… no clue quibbles but had to walk away a couple of times to see wood from trees… certainly had to Google HODGKINS even with all the fodder laid out… didn’t know Mansfield (great clue btw) was NZ… but have long marvelled at the toughness of Polar exploration..
Thanks Phi n duncansheill
Well done PostMark for spotting that link. I’m ashamed to say that, though solving them all eventually, I didn’t really clock the theme as I took too long to complete and had to turn my attention to other matters. Thanks Phi and Duncan.
Phiday again, and a treat to complete. The sheer quality is awe inspiring. So many good clues but, as a thoroughly artsy type, I was of course most pleased to get Wolfram and osmosis. Loved the notion of discipline as a man’s field. Ha ha to that. Thanks to Phi and to Duncanshiell for the excellent blog, and respect to PostMark for spotting that obscure theme – especially as the author’s name didn’t appear!
Bravo, Postmark!
The Tournament has been a favourite since I first heard it read in Radio 3 concert intervals during Wimbledon. A curious structure – not really a novel, more an extended parody of sports reporting with some very nice jokes if you know your cultural references (Jorge Luis Borges not seeing how he could lose comes to mind). Even the comprehensive results section includes a plea for the whereabouts of Agatha Christie, who disappeared before completing her match…
NB Darwin would have been a state capital till I remembered that Aussies get rather particular about the distinction between a state and a territory. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems to matter.
Had to continually google for names of people (and a ship ) I’d never heard of. Not much fun.
Love your work Phi but having musician=TROMBONE didnt convince me.
Otherwise great.
Then there is the story about Joyce’s mad daughter having a crush on SB
Thanks all
Using an instrument as a metonym for its player is very common indeed, so the clue didn’t bother me one bit. I only agonised over the unknown AKHMATOVA, which I got by experimenting with the wordplay but was held back by an unnoticed mistyped letter elsewhere in the grid that prevented the “completed” message from popping up.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan
Thanks for another detailed blog Duncan.
Well done Postmark for finding the link. We thought there had to be a connection to all the names but rather than search for it ourselves, we came here to find out.
Thanks Phi – always an enjoyable solve.
Postmark@3 -Amazing work!
Great Stuff, although we had to google NZ artists and Russian poets (but we did have a vague idea about the writer from NZ). We missed the theme, of course.
Favourite was COLD FRAME for the surface because the Fram, besides being historic, was designed to be deliberately allowed to become frozen into the polar ice.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan
Just wanted to say thanks to Phi, Duncan and PostMark. I want to listen to The Tournament now. I think that’s the first time I have got a name (HODGKINS) (whom the scientists could perhaps also lay claim to) from wordplay alone.
Petert @ 15
I think the scientist is singular.
Dorothy HODGKIN OM FRS HonFRSC was a Nobel Prize-winning British chemist who advanced the technique of X-ray crystallography
The last few weeks, I’ve been having problems finishing crosswords, but this one went in easily enough. It helped that I knew all the names except 19ac, which was easy to get from the wordplay.
Didn’t know it was the anniversary of Akhmatova’s death today. Must listen to Tavener’s Akhmatova’s Requiem.
Is the novel worth reading? We had to cheat on Akhmatova, having tried every combination of n or k and q or r without thinking of hm. Scena was hard work for us too.
I loved this puzzle, partly because I had never heard of Hodgkins, Mansfield, or the Fram, but each was solvable from the accurate cluing. Then one gets to learn something new, one of the great collateral benefits of this pastime.
Duncanshiell@16 Of course. As is the doctor who identified the lymphoma.
Great fun today. Wonder if the Frame in 15d is a further literary reference to Janet Frame, NZ writer? Thanks to Phi and Duncan.