Many thanks to Gaufrid for standing in for us while we were out of internet range the last couple of weeks. Also thanks to Gaufrid and Pierre for sorting out a blog at very short notice when we hadn’t posted one that we should have!
We’re back to a trickier than average Phi today, with a few unusual words that make us wonder (as usual) whether there is a theme. There is a Nina (at 5d!) but we can’t find anything else – perhaps someone out there might spot something?
| Across | ||
| 1 | 20% relief, if that (just a fraction) (5) | |
| FIFTH | Hidden in ‘relieF IF THat’ – ‘just a fraction’ serving as both an indicator that the answer is hidden in the clue, and as a second definition | |
| 4 | Fellow with obligation to capture orc (horrible imaginary monster) (9) | |
| MANTICORE | MAN (fellow) TIE (obligation) round or ‘capturing’ an anagram of ORC – anagrind is ‘horrible’. We had to look this one up – the first of the unusual words in the puzzle. | |
| 9 | Jumbled memories in heart – a source of warmth (9,6) | |
| IMMERSION HEATER | An anagram of MEMORIES IN HEART – anagrind is ‘jumbled’ | |
| 10 | Fashionable to invest in transport system – special commercial activity (8) | |
| BUSINESS | IN (fashionable) ‘invested’ in BUSES (transport system) S (special) | |
| 11 | Plan start of drama in middle of sitcom (6) | |
| TACTIC | ACT 1 (start of drama) in middle letters of ‘siTCom’ | |
| 13 | Economic division heading off to block airline regarding vote (9) | |
| ELECTORAL | ||
| 16 | Pushed stock (5) | |
| DROVE | Double definition – we had to check the ‘stock’ definition though | |
| 17 | Global argument backed by peer, in brief (5) | |
| WORLD | ROW (argument) reversed or ‘backed’ + LD (abbreviation of lord – ‘peer’) | |
| 18 | A father stifling exclamation (one of surprise): “Extra books” (9) | |
| APOCRYPHA | A POP (father) round or ‘stifling’ CRY (exclamation) + HA (exclamation of surprise) | |
| 20 | Plant, mostly familiar, with cat, say, tucking in (6) | |
| NEPETA | NEA |
|
| 21 | Part of Government, in short, supporting start of development in London area (8) | |
| DEPTFORD | DEPT (abbreviation – in short – of department – part of Government) + FOR (supporting) + D (first letter or ‘start’ of ‘development’) | |
| 25 | Not Macbeth’s location – the Bard’s clueing is incorrect (9,6) | |
| EDINBURGH CASTLE | An anagram of THE BARDS CLUEING – anagrind is ‘incorrect’ | |
| 26 | Cultural maven sadly resents taking in church (9) | |
| SCENESTER | An anagram of RESENTS (anagrind is ‘sadly’) round or ‘taking in’ CE (church) – another new word for us (along with ‘maven’!) | |
| 27 | Visitors taking time out, one’s surmised (5) | |
| GUESS | GUES |
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | Story about most of equipment crumbling away? (7) | |
| FRIABLE | FABLE (story) around RI |
|
| 2 | A lot of commotion about the writer is showing impatience (5) | |
| FUMES | FUS |
|
| 3 | Ambassador on horse taking out a bird (5) | |
| HERON | HE (His Excellency – ambassador) + RO |
|
| 4 | Usual water supply: river secured by crew (10) | |
| MAINSTREAM | MAINS (water supply) + R (river) in or ‘secured by’ TEAM (crew) | |
| 5 | Girl’s name hidden in answers to some extent (4) | |
| NINA | Hidden in (‘to some extent’) ‘hiddeN IN Answers’ – could also be read as a cryptic definition of a Nina – but we can’t find one on this puzzle, apart from this answer! | |
| 6 | One European in family’s the German: here’s another (9) | |
| ICELANDER | I (one) + E (European) in CLAN (family) + DER (‘the’ in German) | |
| 7 | Lead officer dished up port with hot hash (9) | |
| OCTOTHORP | OC (Officer Commanding, or ‘lead officer’) + an anagram of PORT and HOT – anagrind is ‘dished up’. This had us completely fooled as the word does not appear in Chambers – it is apparently the formal word for the ‘hash’ symbol | |
| 8 | Revolutionary treatment restricting a male’s head pain (7) | |
| EARACHE | CARE (treatment) reversed or ‘revolutionary’ round or ‘restricting’ A + HE (male) | |
| 12 | Singer with good number? Absolutely (10) | |
| ALTOGETHER | ALTO (singer) + G (good) + ETHER (number, as in something that numbs) | |
| 14 | Backer of multiple countries and mixed rule, I hope (9) | |
| EUROPHILE | An anagram of RULE I HOPE – anagrind is ‘mixed’ | |
| 15 | It identifies the main restrictions on strand size (4,5) | |
| TIDE TABLE | A cryptic definition – ‘main’ being the sea, and ‘strand’ a beach, which will vary in size as the tide ebbs and flows | |
| 17 | Surprising things displaying heat in wintry weather turned up (7) | |
| WONDERS | RED (displaying heat) in SNOW (wintry weather) all reversed or ‘turned up’ | |
| 19 | URL giving promotional material on fashion item (7) | |
| ADDRESS | AD (promotional material) + DRESS (fashion item) | |
| 22 | Sound of accent, Welsh in flavour (5) | |
| TWANG | W (Welsh) in TANG (flavour) | |
| 23 | Unusual path taken, encountering Queen later (5) | |
| OUTRE | ROUTE (path taken) with the ‘R’ (queen) occurring later | |
| 24 | Worry about to appear in financial publication (4) | |
| FRET | RE (about) ‘appearing’ in FT (Financial Times – financial publication) | |
Robertson Davies’ Deptford Trilogy is your nina. FIFTH BUSINESS, THE MANTICORE and WORLD OF WONDERS. There’ll be some other stuff in there, no doubt.
I won’t say that I didn’t enjoy it, because I always look forward to Phi’s Friday puzzle. But the theme meant some unusual words, which I struggled to find, so I got a bit frustrated when I was running out of time.
Thanks (and welcome back) to B&J, and to Phi, of course.
Thanks Kathryn’s Dad – definitely not one we were familiar with.
NEPETA is catmint so the clue is close to an &lit.
Steady on, sidey, or you’ll have the &lit rottweilers outside your front door. They’ll growl at you and tell you that in the same way that you can’t be a little bit pregnant, you can’t be a little bit &lit. I know what you meant, though.
And B&J, you’ll notice that I didn’t claim to be familiar with it either …
Where is everyone today?
>>Where is everyone today?
Probably absent, K’s D, because we are all reeling in shock at our resident grump (sorry I mean ‘did I spot the nina, no chance’ merchant) spotting a nina.
Not that I did, or have ever read any of R D’s work. Phi did warn us recently, so it is our own fault.
Many thanks to out NZ exile, and great to have B&J back in Blighty, though not, I expect, for long. 🙂
Loved this one, partly because 30 years ago Phi was (and still is) is the only person I’d ever met who responded to R D’s novels as I did. Everyone I’ve lent my copies to has become almost addicted. The most underrated of all great novellists, I reckon.
If you’re there Paul, keep cracking on!
Enjoyable, but I didn’t finish due to not knowing NEPETA and having forgotten OCTOTHORP. No problems with MANTICORE, but am somewhat ashamed that I knew that due to Emerson, Lake and Palmer (who I also have to thank for knowing the names of the Three Fates).
Thanks to Phi, B&J
Hi Meic…I always feel faintly uneasy when people write ’30 years ago…’ RD remains a touchstone writer for me – alas, Penguin brought out a new edition in p/b in 2011, I think, just before the mad rush to e-editions, and seem to be in no hurry to issue them for Kindle or similar (though they are all available in e-Spanish). I was first in the autograph queue at the ICA many years ago, so I have a signed copy of one that has yet to appear. (Not merely Ninas, but Ninas with sequels, a point you may want to bear in mind for next week, though it’s not RD.)
Isn’t OCTOTHORP a wonderful word? I wonder how far I’ll get saying “octothorptag” on my non-existent Twitter account…
“Where is everyone today?”
Been grandparenting and then watching the cycling on TV. Great, no divas – or should that be divers? – they just get on with it. Sorry, Gaufrid, I won’t go off topic again – well, not for a while anyway.
But thanks to Phi and B&J.