Phi has provided the last in this week’s string of mid-week puzzles.
I found this to be towards the harder end of the Indy spectrum, and although I think that I have successfully completed the grid, I am not sure of the parsing of some of the clues, e.g. at 17 (“spread”), 23 (“not at present” and 18 (“gifts of the Church”). I look forward to hearing what other solvers made of these clues.
I have spotted no particular theme today, other than a couple of ballet references.
My favourite clues today are 1, 9 and 24, all for smoothness of surface.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | ICECAP | Expert in copper and iodine backing polar region
[ACE (=expert) in PC (=copper, i.e. Police Constable)] + I (=iodine); “backing” indicates reversal |
| 05 | QUASARS | Astronomical phenomena: question, when repeated, is about radius
R (=radius, in geometry) in [QU (=question) + AS (=when) + AS (=when)]; quasars are star-like point sources of radiation outside of our galaxy |
| 09 | VIOLENCE | Crime involving random lone assault, say
*(LONE) in VICE (=crime, i.e. prostitution); “random” is anagram indicator |
| 10 | DOODLE | Simple example of art degree a great many left incomplete
D (=degree) + OODLE<s> (=a great many; “left incomplete” means last letter is dropped) |
| 11 | LIBERATION | Freedom in African country I discounted? Not I, after revolution
LIBER<i>A (=African country; “I discounted” means letter “i” is dropped) + *(NOT I); “after revolution” is anagram indicator |
| 12 | NOON | Twelve notes about rings
O O (=rings, i.e. pictorially) in N N (=notes, i.e. 2 x N = note) |
| 13 | UNDERSTANDING | Seeing lower reputation
UNDER (=lower) + STANDING (=reputation) |
| 17 | SCRAMBLED EGGS | Something for breakfast? Clear off spread, say – good stuff initially following
SCRAM (=clear off, shoo) + BLED (=spread, ran, of liquid) + E.G. (=say, for example) + G<ood> S<tuff> (“initially” means first letters only) |
| 19 | ONUS | British shirking extra responsibility
<b>ONUS (=extra); “British (=B) shirking” means letter “b” is dropped |
| 21 | REVELATION | Stripping, perhaps, is outrageous in elevator
*(IN ELEVATOR); “is outrageous” is anagram indicator; “stripping” is the process of baring, revealing |
| 23 | AGE-OLD | Are Spain occupying first place? Not at present
A (=are, i.e. 100 sq m) + [E (=Spain, in IVR) in GOLD (=first place, in competition)] |
| 24 | NIT-PICKS | Is very critical of return of metal tools?
NIT (TIN=metal; “return of” indicates reversal) + PICKS (=tools) |
| 25 | VISIONS | Food etc not supporting plans
<pro>VISIONS (=food etc; “not supporting (=pro)” means letters “pro” are dropped) |
| 26 | DOTARD | Foolish lover to finish little inspired by Romeo? On the contrary
DO (=to finish, complete) + [R (=Romeo, in radio telecommunications) in TAD (=little, small amount)] |
| Down | ||
| 02 | CRITIQUES | Result of appraisals quite out of place in serious situation – is not to be repeated
*(QUIET) in CRIS<is> (=serious situation; “is not to be repeated” means second “is” is dropped); “out of place” is anagram indicator |
| 03 | CHLOÉ | Ballet heroine children adore? Not very
CH (=children) + LO<v>E (=adore; “not very (=V)” means letter “v” is dropped); Daphis et Chloé is a 1912 ballet by Maurice Ravel |
| 04 | PENTAGRAM | Marker to put symbol on sheep – part of occult ritual?
PEN (=marker, for writing with) + TAG (=to put symbol on) + RAM (=sheep) |
| 05 | QUERIST | “Search interrupted by odd bits of rain?” one asks
R<a>I<n> (“odd bits of” means odd letters only) in QUEST (=search) |
| 06 | AIDAN | Irish saint’s name attached to opera
AïDA (=opera, by Verdi) + N (=name); Aidan of Lindisfarne was an Irish monk and missionary credited with converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in Northumberland |
| 07 | ABOUNDING | A limitation in Government? Commonplace
A + BOUND (=limitation, border) + IN + G (=government) |
| 08 | SALVO | Round of applause’s volume in social gathering reduced
V (=volume, in physics) in SALO<n> (=social gathering, of distinguished people; “reduced” means last letter is dropped) |
| 14 | DERISIONS | Insiders upset about ordinary comments from mockers
O (=ordinary) in *(INSIDERS); “upset” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | NODULATED | With swellings, no failure in accommodating most recent
NO + [LATE (=most recent) in DUD (=failure)] |
| 16 | GAS COOKER | Kitchen appliance right to be included among diverse cargoes
OK (=right, alright) in *(CARGOES); “diverse” is anagram indicator |
| 18 | LIVINGS | Mostly angry over Poles securing good gifts of the Church?
LIVI<d> (=angry; “mostly” means last letter is dropped) + {G (=good) in [N (=North) + S (=South) (=Poles)]}; the Church can offer a living or benefice to one providing spiritual care to the inhabitants of an area |
| 20 | NEGEV | Area of Israel Genesis upheld (English version)
NEG (GEN.=Genesis, in the Bible; “upheld” means vertical reversal) + EV (=English Version); the Negev is a desert region in southern Israel |
| 21 | RODEO | Travelled by horse to old American ballet
RODE (=travelled by horse) + O (=old, as in OT); Rodeo is a 1942 ballet, composed by Aaron Copland |
| 22 | TWIST | Tense humour surrounding special plot point
T (=tense, in grammar) + [S (=special) in WIT (=humour)]; a twist is an unexpected development in e.g. the plot of a book |
Thanks, Phi & RR. Interesting that you found it towards the harder end of the spectrum, RR – I often struggle to get on Phi’s wavelength but found this one more accessible than usual. Your parsings all look fine to me, though I also wasn’t initially sure about spread=BLED, until I thought of it in the sense of colours bleeding/spreading in the washing machine.
DOODLE was the one that held me up longest, but one of my favourites once the penny eventually dropped.
Phi did hint at the existence of a theme in this one in last Friday’s blog, but whatever it is, it eludes me.
Phi’s comment from last week was: “…the ones assigned to Feb 3 and Feb 10 have been swapped. The Feb 3 theme is not affected by appearing just one week later.”
I wasn’t sure of AGE-OLD either; probably my misUNDERSTANDING but I thought it meant very old without implying something only existing in the past, eg an age-old custom which may continue until the present day. I agree with your parsing of SCRAMBLED EGGS and LIVINGS.
The rest went in OK, even if there were a few odd words such as QUERIST and DERISIONS (in the plural). Favourite was the surface for REVELATION.
No idea about the theme I’m afraid.
Thanks to Phi and RR
SCRAMBLED EGGS and LIVINGS:
I don’t see any issues.
AGE-OLD:
Not clear. Not at present!!! 🙂
Thanks both. I had the same uncertainties as mentioned here, and the same habitual ignorance of any theme. I would add NIT-PICKS to the list, which I view as being mildly and perhaps inconsequentially rather than very critical, but I am probably just nit-picking
My only query was for late=most recent.
Surely latest=most recent whilst late is just recent/recently?
No idea on theme but that’s par for the course with Phi.
Thanks to Phi and RR
rd @ 6 I think a phrase like “The late queen” refers to the most recent one.
Simon S @7 well it would have to refer to the most recent one in that case as there aren’t that many Queens to choose from.
I’d have thought late in that sense just meant recently deceased..
I thought this not quite as challenging as this setter can be but as enjoyable as ever.
I parsed AGE-OLD slightly differently in that I missed the Are=A abbreviation and just took it as a cryptic question of Spain (E) occupying A Gold (first place).
My favourite today was DOODLE.
Many thanks to Phi and RR
On the “late/most recent debate” it can probably be justified in the sense of “late or breaking news”.
Enjoyable, with enough of a challenge to keep us on our toes. QUASARS, CRITIQUES and QUERIST were our favourites, with an honourable mention for SCRAMBLED EGGS. We couldn’t fully parse DOTARD, though. No idea as to the theme.
Thanks, Phi and RR.
Stephen L @9 …though the phrase “some late news just in” still only suggests a meaning of recent rather than most recent…
That said on checking Chambers it does list “most recent” albeit at meaning 11 but I’m still to hear a phrase where they FEEL interchangeable.
TYAG
Nit-Picking took me the longest, as I agree with the comment that it doesn’t immediately suggest to me ‘very critical’, rather something less severe. The two slightly unusual plurals needed double checking before entering too. Surprised that some found it hard as it felt like the easiest of the week to me, but hey-ho.
Don’t want you losing your Hair over this one. I’ve been putting zodiac-related puzzles up as first of the month for ten months now, and this is the first (but not the last…) switch to week two. The theme words are probably the longest set I’ve ever included, and AQUARIUS itself got rather jumbled up near the top. Sorry for taking an age to get round to it, but note the last words of these lines:
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revalation
And the mind’s true liberation
I wanted to clue SCRAMBLED EGGS with a reference to ‘Yesterday’ as it was McCartney’s working title until he came up with a lyric. But I thought it not well enough known.
Nice puzzle, the theme only Googlable by entering the two least common words from your list: ABOUNDING and DERISIONS.
Most were words I’d discounted, sure it had to be about Chloe or Aidan Livings, or Trump the dotard, or the Mock Turtle’s Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.
Thanks Phi & RatkojaRiku
Thanks for the explanation Phi. As soon as Bert saw the lyrics, he realised the significance. We were only talking about Hair recently and what a stir it caused when it was first staged. The conversation started when Aquarius came on the radio.
Thanks RR for the blog.
Terrific, Phi, your post: As much fun reading it as solving the puzzle itself. Thanks