Independent 11,516 by Phi

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Phiday is here again.

An enjoyable challenge this week; as usual Phi gives us one or two unfamiliar words, but the wordplay is clear. I liked the anagram in 11d and the two extended definitions in 10a and 7d.

Because it’s Phi, we’re invited to look for a hidden theme (though it’s not required for solving the puzzle). Today we’re reviewing the delightfully quirky songs of the late Jake Thackray, which (among many others) include SISTER JOSEPHINE, PERSONAL COLUMN, LAH-DI-DAH, The SHEPHERDESS, and The Castleford Ladies’ MAGIC CIRCLE. Thanks Phi (and Jake) for the fun.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1 COMMENTATOR
One describes how French backed schedule (11)
COMMENT (French for “how”), then ROTA (schedule) reversed (backed).
7/28 ALL-OUT
Completely dismissed description of intensive activity (3-3)
Double definition. In cricket, when a side’s innings ends after 10 batters have been dismissed (strictly one player is still not out, but two would be needed to continue); or as in “an all-out attack on goal”.
9 RIGHT
Just clever, without using book (5)
[b]RIGHT (clever) without the B (abbreviation for book).

Just = right = fair and morally correct.
10 JOSEPHINE
Emperor’s consort: “In France I may accept his open fooling around” (9)
JE (“I” in French), containing (. . . may accept) an anagram (fooling around) of HIS OPEN.

Wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, perhaps with an extended definition: Josephine’s first husband cheated on her, and both she and Napoleon had affairs while they were married.
11 ENCOMIA
English officer has overthrown target, getting commendations (7)
E (abbreviation for English) + NCO (abbreviation for non-commissioned officer in the military), then AIM (target) reversed (overthrown).

Plural of encomium = a eulogy or formal expression of praise.
12 EARSHOT
Others upset about a measure of audibility (7)
Anagram (upset) of OTHERS around A.

As in “within earshot” = near enough to be heard.
13/15 PERSONAL COLUMN
Location of one elevated hermit’s collected announcements? (8,6)
A stylite is a hermit who lives alone at the top of a tall pillar (his or her own “personal column”) as a religious observance.

The section of a newspaper containing personal announcements such as “births, marriages and deaths”.
18 SISTER
Nurse is turning back, dropping note (6)
IS reversed (turning), then STER[n] (the back of a boat) without the N (abbreviation for note).

A senior nurse supervising others; now known by the alternative title of “charge nurse” because they aren’t always women.
19 PANTHEON
Beginning to produce articles about the gods? (8)
Beginning letter of P[roduce], then AN + THE (grammatical articles), then ON (about = on the subject of).

Term for “the gods” collectively in a polytheistic religion, from the Greek for “all the gods”.
21 FELLINI
Director collapsed going to India (7)
FELL IN (collapsed, as in “the roof fell in” – unfortunately topical in the UK, with the recent concerns about concrete buildings) + I (abbreviation for India).

Federico Fellini, 20th-century Italian film director.
23 DRIZZLY
Dead bear beginning to go off in the rain? (7)
D (abbreviation for dead or died, in genealogical records) + [g]RIZZLY (a type of bear) without its first letter.
25 COALESCED
Merged fuel and key sources of electricity delivery (9)
COAL (fuel) + ESC (the Escape key on a keyboard) + first letters (sources) of E[lectricity] D[elivery].
26 THING
Insubstantial Government entity (5)
THIN (insubstantial) + G (abbreviation for government).
28
See 7
29 SHEPHERDESS
Female and male adopting positive form of dress for worker in the field (11)
SHE + HE (female and male), containing (adopting) P (abbreviation for positive), then an anagram (form) of DRESS.
DOWN
1 CAR
Vehicle: incentive to lose rust? (3)
CAR[rot] (an incentive, as in “carrot and stick” = originally encouragement and discipline for an animal carrying a load) without ROT (rust = decay).
2/20 MAGIC CIRCLE
Privileged group exciting radical cleric (5,6)
MAGIC (slang for exciting) + anagram (radical?) of CLERIC.

The British association of stage magicians, or (more loosely) a group of influential people working together.
3 EXTEMPORE
Former partner the reverse of satisfied and opening without preparation (9)
EX (short for “ex-husband” etc = former partner), then MET (satisfied, as in “met the requirements”) reversed, then PORE (an opening in the skin or in a similar membrane).
4 TAJ MAHAL
Trademark covering a joint area, almost 50% mausoleum (3,5)
TM (abbreviation for trademark) containing (covering) A + J (abbreviation for joint, in the sense of two or more people or entities working together), then A (area) + HAL[f] (50%) without the last letter (almost).

Mausoleum in India, built by the emperor Shah Jahan to contain the tomb of his wife.
5 TASSEL
Decorative item in case mounted upside-down when being put inside (6)
LEST (in case = to deal with the possibility that . . .) reversed (mounted upside-down, in a down clue) with AS (when) put inside it.
6 RIPER
Opening about to come up after further development (5)
RIP (a torn hole = opening), then RE (about = on the subject of) reversed (to come up = upwards in a down clue).
7 ACID HOUSE
Music perverted to have a disco hue? (4,5)
Anagram (perverted) of A DISCO HUE.

Extended definition: a type of dance music consisting largely of bass beats and synthesiser sounds, often featuring samples from other music (which could be described as “perverting” the original songs).
8 LIEUTENANCY
Junior officer’s role to provide story linked to university occupation (11)
LIE (story = a false statement) + U (abbreviation for university) + TENANCY (occupation of a rented property).
11 EX POST FACTO
Devious aspect to fox, in retrospect (2,4,5)
Anagram (devious) of ASPECT TO FOX.

Phrase for something that operates in retrospect to affect actions already taken; especially as in an “ex post facto law” which changes the legality of acts done in the past or the penalty for them. (From the Latin for “from what is done afterwards”.)
14 RESULTANT
Outcome sees despot beheaded, amongst other things (9)
[s]ULTAN (term used in Islamic countries for a sovereign ruler, or more loosely for a despot or tyrant) without the first letter (beheaded), inserted into (amongst) REST (the rest = the other things).

Resultant as a noun (especially in mathematics) = the effect of two or more separate forces acting together = outcome.
16 OUTFITTER
Not acceptable to have healthier tailor (9)
OUT (not acceptable, as in “ruled out” = declared to be unsuitable) + FITTER (healthier).

Usually “gentlemen’s outfitter” = a supplier or maker of clothing.
17 LAH-DI-DAH
High-class line performed, amidst rising laughter (3-2-3)
L (abbreviation for line), then HA-HA (laughter) reversed (rising = upwards in a down clue) with DID (performed) inserted (amidst).

Also spelled la-di-da: speaking or acting in an exaggeratedly upper-class way.
20
See 2
22 ITEMS
Some lovers met, immediately turning up as couples (5)
Hidden answer (some . . .), reversed (turning up = upwards in a down clue), in [lover]S MET I[mmediately].

Item = slang for a romantically-involved couple, as in “I didn’t know those two were an item”.
24 ZAIRE
South Africa’s anger generated by this country no longer (5)
ZA (abbreviation for South Africa, from the Afrikaans Zuid-Afrika) + IRE (anger).

Former name (1965 – 1997, hence “no longer”) for the country now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
27 GAS
Intervals with power failing? Alternative fuel, perhaps (3)
GA[p]S (intervals) without the P (power).

I’m not sure why we need three words for the definition – “fuel” would be enough. Perhaps it’s intended as an alternative to the fuel already mentioned in 25a.

12 comments on “Independent 11,516 by Phi”

  1. Thanks, Phi and Quirister!

    GAS
    The phrase ‘alternative fuel’ applies to fuels, that are not petroleum products, as I understand.
    The ‘perhaps’ is there because all gases are not fuels.

  3. FELLINI, ACID HOUSE, and TASSEL were my favourites in a very enjoyable an slightly easier? Phi today. Thanks, both

  4. When I got JOSEPHINE, I wondered if SISTER might appear and it did. It was the only Jake Thackray song I remembered so I needed the blog (or some googling) to see the others. Didn’t know ‘sultan’ could mean ‘despot’ but, as usual, Chambers confirmed it. Not to keen on the superfluous ‘to have’ in 7d.

  5. Quite a mental jumpabout today with a bit more offbeat cluing it felt. Which is not a criticism. All eventually fell into place – though, unlike Sofamore, I didn’t know the Latin – though I do know I have seen it before. PERSONAL COLUMN, DRIZZLY, THING, RESULTANT, OUTFITTER and ITEMS were my favourites today. I’ve heard of (and almost certainly heard) Jake Thackray but wouldn’t recognise a thing he had done, I’m afraid. So theme was lost on me.

    I’m surprised to discover that Chambers uses ‘privileged’ to qualify ‘group’ wrt MAGIC CIRCLE. I don’t see the Magic Circle itself as particularly privileged and would have seen ‘inner circle’ as the privileged ones. Magic Circle law firms are just those who are very good with tip-top reputations. It threw me initially – but I cannot blame the setter!

    Thanks Phi and Quirister

  6. Had the earworm of SISTER JOSEPHINE while solving – ‘A bloody funny nun you are!’ – surprised it was never a single.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Thackray
    ‘…he claimed Georges Brassens as his greatest inspiration … Other songs included …”Brother Gorilla”, an English adaptation of Georges Brassens’ “Le Gorille”.
    In 1973 he opened for Brassens when he performed at the inauguration of the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, which he would describe as the high spot of his career.’

  7. Thanks both. I am the opposite of Sofamore@2 when it comes to Latin, but I knew de facto, so EX POST FACTO seemed logical despite the number of letters (pun intended). I only briefly looked for a theme, and it would have defeated me as I don’t know the songs, but this represents an improvement for me as I have heard of the artist, if only via Jon Richardson from his and his partner’s spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary Meet the Richardsons – worth a watch if you don’t already know it

  9. Missed the theme, but that’s not unusual (wrong singer, sorry!) for us. A pleasant solve over morning coffee, with a few write-ins, such as TAJ MAHAL having got 1ac and 10ac.
    We think the name MAGIC CIRCLE is sometimes used ironically or derogatively to refer to any elite group or clique composed of those who have the right ‘magic’ about them – nothing to do with the Magic Circle.
    Thanks, Phi and Quirister.

  10. Thanks, Phi and Quirister. Super fun puzzle – and for once I spotted the theme. It was LAH-DI-DAH that made me suspect, but then I got JOSEPHINE and SISTER and that confirmed it. Excellent!

  11. Thanks Phi, Quirister.
    No idea about theme.
    Lots to like _

    JOSEPHINE
    ENCOMIA
    EX POST FACTO
    MAGIC CIRCLE
    RIPER
    LIEUTENANCY
    COALESCED make my list.

  12. Many thanks Phi for bringing JT back to mind barely remembered from his TV slots in the 70s. Hadn’t heard SISTER JOSEPHINE before. An underrated talent.
    Also enjoyed the crossword btw.
    Thanks both

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