It’s back to normal this Phiday, and another excellent puzzle with a good mix of fairly straightforward clues and some which caused a bit of head-scratching.
Knowing Phi’s propensity for themes or ninas, and given the somewhat unusual words in the SE corner (19d and 24ac), we can’t help but think we’ve missed something. We have tried googling combinations of various solutions and have drawn a blank – has anyone found anything?
| Across | ||
| 1 | Fellow is leading worker (carpenter) to dance in food outlet | |
| FISH AND CHIP SHOP | F (fellow) IS in front of or ‘leading’ HAND (worker) + CHIPS (carpenter) + HOP (dance) | |
| 9 | Distance into which vehicle reverses – that’s a wonder | |
| MIRACLE | MILE (distance) around CAR (vehicle) reversed | |
| 10 | Soldiers backing target, bringing in one that’s fired | |
| MILITIA | AIM (target) reversed or ‘backing’ around or ‘bringing in’ I (one) LIT (fired) | |
| 11 | Employ one computer peripheral, though not second | |
| USE | ||
| 12 | Man with hard riposte when jollied? | |
| MISANTHROPE | Cryptic definition – an anagram of MAN and H |
|
| 13 | Source of eggs around? Finally cook pie and pastry | |
| LAYER CAKE | LAYER (source of eggs) + CA (around) + K E (final letters of cooK and piE) | |
| 15 | Starter? Very keen on eating recipe | |
| INTRO | INTO (very keen on) around or ‘eating’ R (recipe) | |
| 16 | Hard work’s required to get back slim figure | |
| SYLPH | H (hard) PLY’S (work’s) reversed or ‘to get back’ | |
| 18 | English name omitted from memorial – Latin included instead as recompense | |
| EMOLUMENT | E (English) MO |
|
| 20 | Novel representation of wino? | |
| WOMEN IN LOVE | Cryptically, ‘wino’ could be interpreted as WOMEN (w) IN LOVE (o) | |
| 22 | Energy, say, recalled in exclamation | |
| GEE | E (energy) EG (say) reversed or ‘recalled’ | |
| 23 | It’s true island will occupy domain | |
| REALISM | IS (island) inside or ‘occupying’ REALM (domain) | |
| 24 | Historic polymath: ‘To me, Phi is cryptic’ | |
| IMHOTEP | An anagram of TO ME PHI (anagrind is ‘cryptic’) | |
| 26 | Actor gets inside – possibly following these? | |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | Cryptic definition – an anagram of ACTOR GETS INSIDE (anagrind is ‘possibly’) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Passing comment, soon to be contradicted? | |
| FAMOUS LAST WORDS | Cryptic definition – The expression ‘FAMOUS LAST WORDS‘ is used when referring to something that is unlikely to happen, or ‘be contradicted’ – it could also refer to the dying words or ‘passing comments’ of famous people. | |
| 2 | Lines supporting sudden rush showing drastic intervention | |
| SURGERY | RY (lines) underneath or ‘supporting’ SURGE (sudden rush) | |
| 3 | Curved shape seen in odd parts of Africa | |
| ARC | Odd letters in AfRiCa | |
| 4 | Different velocities in two directions in astronomical region | |
| DEEP SPACE | SPEED and PACE (different velocities) – one written backwards and one forwards, or ‘in two directions’ | |
| 5 | A name covered by the sound of activity associated with people | |
| HUMAN | A N (name) under or ‘covered by’ HUM (sound of activity) | |
| 6 | Phi, cultured, disseminated literary word for ‘beauty’ | |
| PULCHRITUDE | An anagram of PHI CULTURED – anagrind is ‘disseminated’ | |
| 7 | Rapidly and frequently sitting up, gripped by shriek | |
| HOTFOOT | OFT (frequently) reversed or ‘sitting up’ inside or ‘gripped by’ HOOT (shriek) | |
| 8 | Film theft? One appeals for restoration | |
| PLANET OF THE APES | An anagram of THEFT ONE APPEALS (anagrind is ‘for restoration’) | |
| 12 | Stock’s demise ranch ruined | |
| MERCHANDISE | An anagram of DEMISE RANCH (anagrind is ‘ruined’) | |
| 14 | Save some European coin for redistribution | |
| ECONOMISE | An anagram of SOME E (European) COIN (anagrind is ‘for distribution’) | |
| 17 | Greek character bagging a dance | |
| LAMBADA | LAMBDA (Greek character) around or ‘bagging’ A | |
| 19 | Quantity of paper to give out around end of research | |
| EIGHTVO | An anagram of TO GIVE (anagrind is ‘out’) around H (end of researcH) | |
| 21 | Keep them away from me? Not entirely – I would see clouds | |
| NIMBI | NIMB |
|
| 25 | 50 taken from lame bowler? | |
| HAT | HA |
|
Thank you B&J (and Phi) – 12ac is not an anagram of MAN and HARD RIPOSTE but of MAN and H RIPOSTE. It’s early…
Thanks, both.
Vanilla puzzle, as far as I can see, but none the worse for that. Some good anagrams this morning, and I particularly liked the D H Lawrence reference with WOMEN IN LOVE.
Thanks to Phi; good weekend to all.
An excellent puzzle.
In 16 a I’m not sure what ply’s would mean – – , though I suspect the blog is correct. I was also really glad to know that Phi is cultured and that that leads to pulchritude. Nice one!
Heather@4
Think in terms of ‘ply a trade’.
It’s Saturday morning; I’ve a large, sweet, strong mug of milky coffee to hand and a Phuzzle on my lap. What could be better?
Very pure, clean crossword – rather Thunderesque, I thought (borne out by our prickly friend’s rare approbation…?!) with some creative clueing (Famous Last Words, Nimbi for two)
As for IMHOTEP – “in my honest opinion, try everything possible first!”
My thanks to Phi and my best to B and J (I wouldn’t dare mention the deliberate misspelling of HAIT/HALT at 25; I know you only do it to ensure we’re paying attention!)
😉
William F P @6 Many thanks for your comment. We always look forward to them! (with a special ! from Joyce)
The L in HALT is actually a lowercase L in black as it does not appear in the answer. It also has a line through it but is a little difficult to see. However, thanks for paying attention!!
You’re quite right of course – I should have known better! HAND!! (The final ! not to be shared with Bert – it’s especially for Joyce)
(tried to post this last night but the Captcha wasn’t working)
Clutching at straws in search of a nina, but there are at least four film titles in the grid …