Independent 6345 / Phi – Enjoyable fun

Solving time: 22 minutes

After a short stay as a guest of the NHS, I came out with the prospect of a long rest and recuperation period with the anticipation of being able to solve lots of puzzles, do a bit of compiling and maybe start the great novel that I had within me. Not a bit of it! It’s been all daytime telly including seeing the remnants of the gene pool selling their secrets and souls on the Jeremy Kyle Show. It’s a show with a host so mug and condescending that you loathe him as much as the cast-offs that appear on it.

Anyway, thank goodness for today and having to concentrate my mind on Phi. A nice straightforward puzzle with few traps but plenty of smiles. Nice enough to set me up for some more solving. Must now go back and revisit last week’s Listener which sits on the clipboard untouched and who knows, I might crack this week’s too. Perhapos I am being a bit optimistic. I’ll settle for completing the Saturday Indy I think……

ACROSS (*= anagram ® = Reversal)

1 GAGA – A GAG ®

8 ENIGMATIST – TEASINGTIM(E)* I know a man who’ll like this clue! Mind you, I once clued him in a list of Guardian compilers as “recycling Gemini’s tat”.

10 ANALYSIS – AN + LAYS* + IS

11 AMORAL –  A.M. ORAL

12 SCIPIO I – PICS ® + O

15 READY STEADY GO – Three definitions joined. Interesting to see Chambers defines “Steady” as a boy or girlfriend, I’d only ever seen it as referring to girls

18 CASTRATO – CAST + RAT + O Nice witty definition!.

22 CITRUS – C + I TRUS(T)

24 FAST LANE – Nice cryptic def!

25 REPETITEUR – R + E + PIR(o)UETTE*

26 VIEW – VIE + W

DOWN

1 MAGNA CARTA  – ANAGRAM CAT*

2 WALLOP – POL(L) LAW ®

3 HERSTORY – THE SORRY* Not sure Phi should bandy this clue round the offices of Spare Rib!

4 IMPAIR – I + M + PAIR Pairing is a parliamentary voting method to let our representatives enjoy their freebies without being summoned back to vote.

5 ATROCITY – ACTOR* + (P)ITY

9 INSTANT COFFEE – IT’S NOT CAFFEINE I* – Nice apposite anagram

14 HOODWINKED – HOOD (Gangster) + WINKED (showed complicity).

16 ATTORNEY – TORN in A YET ®

17 ARTISTRY – (P)ART + IS + TRY

19 ABSEIL – AB + SEIL ®

21 RELIVE – VILER ® + E