Independent 7,308/Phi

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I found this to be one of the hardest Phi puzzles we’ve had in a while, eventually having to give up with 4 clues unsolved. There are a few obscure words in here which suggested a possible Nina, but I can’t spot anything obvious. Perfectly sound clueing as always, although I must admit I haven’t got a Scooby as to how 7A or 9D work!

Across
7 BATH – So BATH is ‘quantity of water’, but not sure where ‘about to be expressed in respiration’ fits in
8 NAPOLEONIC – N + A POLE + ON IC[-e]
10 WARBLE – WAR BLE[-d]
11 RUGELACH – (CLEAR + HUG[-e])* – One of the ones I couldn’t get. Rugelach are ‘small, crescent-shaped pastries filled with fruit, nuts, cheese, etc.’
12 CAPSICUM – CAP + IC[-e] in SUM
14 TRAUMA – U[-nusual] in A MART rev.
15 ANTI-MODERNIST – (IN NO TRAD TIMES)* – A nice anagram &lit.
18 DOCKET – I think this is DOC + [-POC]KET
20 CLEMATIS – I’m guessing this has something to do with CLIMATES, ‘slightly affected’ indicating the moved letters?
22 LICORICE – 1 COR in LICE
23 AFFECT – FE in (FACT)*
25 MALEFICENT – CEN[-tre] in MALE FIT
26 RIGA – A attached to RIG
Down
1 JAVA – Initial letters of Just Allows Virtual Access
2 THEBES – THE BE[-e]S
3 INTERCOM – I N(ote) + CO in TERM
4 SLIGHT – L(ecturer) in SIGHT
5 KOHLRABI – (Helmut) KOHL + RABI[-d] – Wasn’t familiar with this and incorrectly guessed KOHL MANI[-c]!
6 GIACOMETTI – GI + A COMET + IT rev.
9 PYRAMID SCHEME – Erm…no idea! The clue is ‘Wonder and celebrate endlessly, gathering in money from fraudulent practice’
13 ANATOMICAL – (ANIMAL COAT)*
16 TAKEOVER – TAKE (receipts) + OVER (exhausted)
17 RE-ENACTS – CANE rev. in (REST)*
19 TRIVIA – I V in TRAI[-l]
21 AFFIRM – F (loud) in A FIRM
24 CAGE – C[-oncert’s] on AGE

11 comments on “Independent 7,308/Phi”

  3. Thank you, Ali. I too found this hard and failed to finish it; my excuse is that we didn’t have Dac on Wednesday this week and that has thrown my diurnal rhythm completely. I couldn’t manage more or less the same few clues as you. Some of them seemed to me a bit clunky by Phi’s standard, but that’s probably more me than him. Interested to hear what others made of it.

  5. I too found this extremely difficult, possibly because quite a few words were new to me. You’re right about CLEMATIS, I think, but it is quite unusual as it is really an indirect anagram, weather conditions = climates, justified, I think, because, as you say, you actually have to switch just two letters to get to the flower.

  6. Just about got this right – RUGELACH a guess from the checked letters and anagram fodder, and BATH the most likely answer, preferred over (The) WASH. I was a little thrown by KOHLRABI, as I’ve only known it as a root vegetable, but it’s a member of the cabbage family so fair enough.

  8. Having finished the Guardian’s Rover on the way in, I tried this on the bus journey home, but didn’t get too far with it.

    Comments about Rover were that it was without humour, but it was a laugh compared to this; I don’t know Phi, the first time out for me – does he have another persona?

    I had truncated the clue for 13d in my botched print out so I thought I would try to complete it on-line, which I did with the exception of 11a, 22a and 13d.

    The few times I have tried the Indi, I have not been impressed – back to the Grauniad for me.

  9. I couldn’t understand why Phi included ‘say’ in 16dn (Receipts exhausted, say, leading to transfer of business). Receipts = take, and exhausted = over, quite simply. I must be missing something.

  10. Hi Ali,

    I didn’t get licorice or malficent but I think I can help with 7a and 9d…..BATH is q of water – insert RE (about) and you get BREATH – respiration……….PYRAMIDS – wonder + CHEER endlessly with M (money) inserted is CHEME.

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