Independent 11,360 / Phi

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Phi is occupying his usual Friday slot today.

I found this to be a medium-difficulty puzzle, which I worked my way through at a reasonable pace. I think that I have managed to parse everything to my satisfaction.

My favourite clues today are: 3, 13 and 22, all for smoothness of surface;

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across    
     
01 REGATTA Marine deserter cheers, coming round for one marine event

E.G. (=for one) in [RAT (=marine deserter, i.e. from a sinking ship) + TA (=cheers, thank you)]
     
05 MONSTER Majority accepting name applied to recent monarch of great significance

[N (=name) in MOST (=majority)] + ER (=recent monarch, i.e. Elizabeth Regina); “a monster reform” would be one of great significance
     
09 SATIE French composer with obligation to follow it

SA (=it, i.e. sex appeal) + TIE (=obligation); the reference is to French composer Eric Satie (1866-1925)
     
10 INSIDIOUS I note Star Wars villain appearing deceptive?

I + N (=note, as in N.B.) + SIDIOUS (=Star Wars villain, i.e. Darth Sidious)
     
11 GLISTENING Good stuff on radio, with sparkle

G (=good) + LISTENING (=stuff on radio)
     
12 DHAL Pulse in dicky heart always lagging initially

D<icky> H<eart> A<lways> L<agging>; “initially” means first letters only are used; dhal is the pigeon pea, cultivated in India
     
13 DEACTIVATION Data novice working with it is switching off

*(DATA NOVICE + IT); “working” is anagram indicator
     
18 MOUNTAINSIDE Unionist made out an upward path?

*(UNIONIST MADE); “out” is anagram indicator
     
21 DARK Recalled some lack radiance in this?

Reversed (“recalled”) and hidden (“some”) in “lacK RADiance”; semi- & lit.
     
22 SPIN DOCTOR Media manipulator backing rubbish and fake shots

ROT (=rubbish) + COD (=fake, mock, sham) + NIPS (=shots, of liquor); “backing” indicates reversal
     
25 ELEVATING Boosting consumption blocked by tax cut

LEV<y> (=tax; “cut” means last letter is dropped) in EATING (=consumption)
     
26 EXILE Purpose of Elba island no longer under French control?

EX-ÎLE (=cryptically, island no longer under French control); Elba was the island to which Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled
     
27 NOSEBAG Instinct to secure supplies for a horse

NOSE (=instinct, e.g. for a bargain) + BAG (=to secure, net)
     
28 TRACERY People obstructing attempt to produce delicate work

RACE (=people) in TRY (=attempt)
     
Down    
     
01 RESIGN Give up new plan editor dismissed

R<ed>ESIGN (=new plan); “editor (=ED)” means letters “ed” are dropped
     
02 GOTHIC Game, mostly very friendly, though grotesque

GO (=game, from China) + THIC<k> (=very friendly, as in as thick as thieves; “mostly” means last letter is dropped)
     
03 TREATMENT Matter sorted out by hospital specialism’s medical intervention

ENT (=hospital specialism, as in ear, nose and throat) + *(MATTER); “sorted out” is anagram indicator
     
04 ALIEN Story contributing to an out-of-this-world film

LIE (=story, falsehood) in AN; the reference is to the Alien series of sci-fi films that started in 1979
     
05 MASONRIES Marine SOS at sea – lots of rock formations?

*(MARINE SOS); “at sea” is anagram indicator
     
06 NUDE Prompt to overlook good sculpture?

NUD<g>E (=prompt, reminder); “to overlook good (=G)” means letter “g” is dropped
     
07 TROCHAIC Chariot out of control, source of claim regarding foot

*(CHARIOT) + C<laim> (“source of” means first letter only); “out of control” is anagram indicator; trochaic refers to metric feet in verse
     
08 RUSTLING Sound from the bushes indicating rural crime

Double definition: rustling leaves are a “sound from the bushes” AND cattle rustling are a “rural crime”
     
14 CRIPPLING Cold water movement having a severe impact

C (=cold, on tap) + RIPPLING (=water movement); e.g. crippling inflation has a severe impact
     
15 ANDROMEDA A US lawyer taking care of variety of modern stars

*(MODERN) in [A + DA (=US lawyer, i.e. district attorney)]; Andromeda is a constellation of stars
     
16 SMIDGEON A little thing fades, going belly-up, then sadly gone

SMID (DIMS=fades; “going belly-up” indicates vertical reversal) + *(GONE); “sadly” is anagram indicator
     
17 QUARRELS Ammo for archers // falls out

Double definition: quarrels are square-headed arrows, hence “ammo for archers” AND quarrels is rows, argues, hence “falls out”
     
19 STRIPE Indication of rank bovine material being linked to source of smell

S<mell> (“source of” means first letter only) + TRIPE (=bovine material); in the military, stripes on uniforms are indications of rank
     
20 ORRERY Mistake nearly all picked up over variable in astronomical model

ORRER (ERRO-r=mistake; “nearly all picked up over” means all but last letter are vertically reversed) + Y (=variable, in algebra); an orrery is a clockwork model of the solar system
     
23 NIGHT Hearing of a nobleman giving you time of day?

Homophone (“hearing”) of “knight (=a nobleman)”
     
24 JAMB Prod about masculine post

M (=masculine) in JAB (=prod, poke); a jamb is the side post of a door
     

 

9 comments on “Independent 11,360 / Phi”

  1. Another good Phi for a Friday. ORRERY was dredged up from somewhere. QUARRELS was our last but one in – guessed at the double definition but didn’t check before coming here.

    We’ve looked for a theme but haven’t found one. Not a surprise though!

  2. This was a DNF for me as ORRERY was too far down in the recesses of my mind to be dredged up. I don’t think I’d come across the reversal of just part of a word before so that stopped me getting it from the wordplay. Also failed on QUARRELS despite deducing that the top bit had to be QUAR—-. Bunged in QUARTERS in desperation and then kicked myself afterwards.

    26a made me laugh.

    Tx to Phi and RatkojaRiku

  3. A characteristically gentle end to the week, marred only by a couple of small quibbles: knighthood is not an order of nobility, and is masonry really a countable noun?

    Thanks to Phi and RR

  4. An enjoyable solve, although we needed help for CRIPPLING – but we did know QUARRELS and ORRERY. We wondered if it was going to be a pangram but in the end it was three letters short.
    Thanks, Phi and RR.

  5. Thanks both. Who would have thought Sidious would be a Star Wars character? – certainly not those of us have only watched two of the films and don’t retain detail. Re NIGHT I took the reference to be that traditionally knights were of noble birth, but nowadays ‘commoners’ can be knighted, including the not-so-common fathers of failed Prime Ministers

  6. I found this a steady straightforward solve, digging up QUARRELS as something to do with arrows from somewhere – maybe The Once and Future King or the sequels. ORRERY I know; there’s a pretty cool one in the Observatory in Greenwich°.

    Apparently masonry is both countable and uncountable, I would use it to compare and contrast the different masonries in Paternoster Square between the remnants from Wren’s time and the modern buildings around them.

    Thank you to Phi and for the blog.

  8. I thought this was great.”On the radio,” not being a homophone indicator was clever. SMIDGEON, CRIPPLING among a number of fine clues. Thanks both.

  9. It’s a beautiful thing. A clockwork solar system with all the planets orbiting the central golden sun.
    Tiny moons circling each planet. Even poor old Pluto is there. He looks a bit big for a dwarf.
    “Men Very Easily Make Jugs Serve Useful Needs, Perhaps”
    3rd Rock from the Sun there’s us on the Pale Blue Dot.
    And reflected backwards in the glass case, you can just make out “NG TO MARS”, to prove to myself I can still remember things.
    Zeus knows it took me long enough to find it.
    “Anyone out there? Anytime?” (Bowie)
    Go on. Ctrl-click on the link@7. You know you want to…

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