It’s the end of the week and once again it is Phi Day.
We started looking for a hidden theme before we noticed the repetition of VI in the grid. We are unsure whether there is any significance to this or just one of the challenges that Phi uses to fill the grid. Please see Hounddog’s comment which makes much better sense.
There were a number of new words or phrases here. LOS ALAMOS (25ac) is one of the places where the atomic bomb was developed during Word War II. Scholar’s Mate is apparently a well known checkmating pattern – ending the game after just 4 moves.
Thanks Phi – nothing too taxing to end a busy week. It was also good to be reminded of MASH – one of our favourite old TV series
An anagram (‘entwined’) of SOME LATCH
DIVERs (several) missing last letter or ‘overlooked at the end’
SURVeyING (observing) with ‘e’ and ‘y’ (last letters in the colony) ‘escaping’ around or ‘securing’ IV (four)
PA (father) ViED (struggled) missing or ‘ignoring’ I (one)
An anagram (‘playing’) of CHESS TO ALARM – a new phrase for us
EXIT (way out) around S (the last letter or ‘far side’ of forests)
bOLDER (more daring) missing first letter or ‘not initially’ around or ‘trapping’ STAG (deer)
LEG (support) ‘installed in’ PRIVIEs (toilets) missing last letter or ‘a lot of’
IE (that is) reversed or ‘rolling’ in TIN (money)
CHAMBERS (dictionary) I C (caught) around or ‘including’ MU (Greek latter) – Chamber music is composed for a small group of instruments
BIT (little) A (area) around or ‘containing’ O (zero)
CON (to study) VIAL (bottle) around or ‘containing’ IV (intravenous drip)
AS (when) inside or ‘held by’ hEED (attention) – dropping the ‘h’ as some Londoners do
ALAMO (American mission) inside or ‘blocking’ LOSS (defeat) – we needed to check this one
Double definition
A reversal (‘kept up’) of FUSs (commotion) missing last letter or ‘a lot of’ around ‘R (river)
I R (first letter or ‘start’ of ridicule) CU (copper) in HAT (‘helmet, say’)
GO (leave) NO METRIC (standard of measurement) in TRIAL (test)
An anagram (‘after a disaster’) of MALE RUES ENGLAND – we had to guess this when we had the crossing letters – apparently a novel written by Alain-Fournier which was published in 1913
O (nothing) and a reversal (‘upset’) of IS in DEPT (department)
V (against) I (one) repeated + ANGRY (cross) ‘about’ E (English)
A reversal (‘upset’) of HER (woman’s) about D (first or ‘initial’ letter of detective) + ERRING (making a mistake)
DES (‘of the’ in French) PI (sanctimonious) on CABLE (old message)
V (very) VIP (big name) around or ‘adopting’ I (one) + AROUSe (cause) missing last letter or ‘mostly’
IN (popular) BOARD (directors)
TR (transactions) I (Italy) VItAL (needed) missing or ‘running out of ‘t’ (time)
Hidden (‘part of’) and reversed or ‘reflected’ in dreaM LIFe
PLUSh (luxurious) with ‘h’ (husband) missing (‘absent’)
I think the significant repetition is IV rather than VI, and if I’ve counted correctly there are seven of them, today being the fourth of July.
Helped me no end with several answers.
That sounds a much better idea Hounddog. We hadn’t appreciated today’s date. Our son would say that it was because we lose track of days now that we are retired!
Nice puzzle except the two unfortunate anagrams at 1a and 5d. Neither is exactly common, and if you don’t already have the knowledge there is no way whatsoever to be confident in the placement of the vowels. Rather a blot on an otherwise smart crossword. I did like scholar’s mate, as that can be deduced from crossers even if you don’t know the term.
Beaten by the nho French novel – as MacGuffin says, an anagram is a very tough way of cluing an unusual – French – word. And by VIVIPAROUS which is also nho and, even with the crossers, I did not spot the shortened AROUS(e). So that’s a victory for the setter this morning. I did spot the various VIVI repetitions which helped me to get the I that I needed for PRIVILEGE but had not twigged their meaning. Unfortunately I am associating 4th July more with the passing of the US’s Big Beautiful Bill than anything else andjust trying to put it out of my mind!
Thanks Phi and B&J
I see this puzzle , as “a proper” challenge: diversity in the clues, devices, and solutions.
I spotted the [ IVI / VIVI/ etc] repetition, but I still don’t get it. Yep, it’s the 4th of July. Independence Day. 1776.
May be the [I VII VII VI ] is in there, but it’s too clever for me.
Whatever, pretty much an object lesson in crafty setting, a really splendid grid of solution words, good surfaces, a variety of devices.
Anyone think that, 5(d), was nicked by ” The Great Gatsby”? So many authors do this kind of thing.
Setters do it too, but not Phi. Original stuff, hat’s in the air.
Hurrah, Phi + B + J
American history records that John Adams wrote to his wife saying that the date the declaration was signed would go down in history. And that date was 2 July 1776. (But there were a couple of late signatures…)
2 July this week was my 66th birthday.🎂
I was going to mention Phi’s 66th but he beat me to it.
Was I the only one to have BORE at 2d? It sort of mostly parsed, ‘kept up’ and ‘river’s tidal feature’ both fit perfectly. I admit I couldn’t fathom the commotion part of the wordplay! Left me no chance with the nho flower…
Otherwise an interesting one today, a little grittier than some Phis.
Thanks to Phi and B&J
Happy birthday Phi. We have 5 varied family birthdays in the first week of July, so nice to know we’re in esteemed company 🙂
Enjoyed the challenge today, albeit well beaten
Thanks P, B & J
…for anyone else interested in E.N.Boll&’s question as to whether The Great Gatsby borrowed from Le Grand Meaulnes there are a number of interesting articles that support that and add Chiswick into the mix!
Thanks for the fun & a belated happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Phi.
So, maybe the significance is VI VI for 66 and not July 4th!
Le Grand Meaulnes (The Lost Domain in English translation) is well worth reading. Probably best when a teenager when it is truly magical, but I still have my copy at my now advanced age and reread it from time to time. Got through this fairly quickly, helped by getting the two long anagrams fairly early on. Le Grand Meaulnes was almost my first one in. Fascinating how general knowledge varies – I know nothing about cricket or bridge so usually get stumped (no pun intended) by those. Happy Birthday Phi and thanks to B&J
[Phi @ 6: Congratulations, Paul. Many happy returns.
Marina has her wedding celebrations tomorrow – bit changed from the infant you may remember!)
Meic]
Thanks both. Personally, I did find this fairly taxing, most notably the already referenced MOSCHATEL and LE GRAND GOBBLEDYGOOK- I occasionally plead that we stick to the English language. I guess the clue for MASH is name-checking the talking bear from Rainbow, but I don’t readily recognise bungle as a synonym.
Congratulations to Phi for the birthday and the puzzle. I am tempted to re-read Le Grand Meaulnes. Thanks for the Great Gatsby article.
I immediately thought of Rainbow at 1dn, and checking, found Bungle was a BEAR. Never recovered from that bungle.
But I had heard of LE GRAND MEAULNES.