Phi-day again and another enjoyable puzzle to end the week.
We found one or two clues slightly more ‘clunky’ than we have come to expect from Phi, but that didn’t unduly spoil the solve.
We can’t help thinking that there must be a theme hidden here somewhere, but we haven’t been able to find one so far.
We were stumped for a while with the parsing of 5 down (one of the rather ‘clunky’ clues) – and we’re not really sure whether our parsing below is correct – any thoughts?
| Across | ||
| 1 | Nasty attitude shown by vermin chasing old woman (6) | |
| MALICE | LICE (vermin) after or ‘chasing’ MA (old woman) | |
| 4 | Was made Duke, keeping leader of Lords fixed to the spot? (8) | |
| BECALMED | BECAME (was made) D (duke) round or ‘keeping’ L (first letter or ‘leader’ of ‘Lords’) | |
| 10 | Atmospheric phenomenon damaging as to USA rural air (6,9) | |
| AURORA AUSTRALIS | An anagram of AS TO USA RURAL AIR – anagrind is ‘damaging’ | |
| 11 | Some military men evidently will force us back? (5) | |
| ENEMY | Cryptic definition – Hidden in (‘some’) ‘militarY MEN Evidently’ reversed (‘back’) | |
| 12 | Songs from ‘The King and I’ having crazy women about (9) | |
| MADRIGALS | R (king) & I in MAD (crazy) GALS (women) | |
| 13 | What’s dished up in basket? Note, not chicken! (1-4,5) | |
| T-BONE STEAK | An anagram of BASKET NOTE – anagrind is ‘dished up’ | |
| 15 | Mostly exclude turning out? (4) | |
| ABED | DEBA |
|
| 17 | Band to go without opening in London (4) | |
| SASH | S |
|
| 18 | Ravers dancing in sporty gear (10) | |
| PARTYGOERS | An anagram of SPORTY GEAR – anagrind is ‘dancing’ | |
| 22 | One assesses amount of interest about a positive review (9) | |
| APPRAISER | APR (annual percentage rate – amount of interest) about PRAISE (positive review) | |
| 25 | Theatrical company engaged in a ‘Ring’ recalled – as experts in this? (5) | |
| OPERA | REP (theatrical company) ‘engaged’ in A O (ring) all reversed or ‘recalled’ | |
| 26 | Medical expert in lesion doctoring, possibly (15) | |
| ENDOCRINOLOGIST | An anagram of LESION DOCTORING – anagrind is ‘possibly’ | |
| 27 | Name of artist very into greens and gold (8) | |
| SALVADOR | V (very) in SALAD (greens) OR (gold) | |
| 28 | Person going to medico for cat? (6) | |
| MOUSER | A person going to a medico could be described as a MO (medical officer) USER | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | The writer is supported by a home of the least ostentation (7) | |
| MEANEST | ME (the writer) ‘supported by’ (in a down clue) A NEST (home) | |
| 2 | Clear criminal will have understanding of theft (9) | |
| LARCENOUS | An anagram of CLEAR (anagrind is ‘criminal’) + NOUS (understanding) | |
| 3 | Scottish writer, source of comment that’s really outrageous (7) | |
| CARLYLE | C (first letter or ‘source’ of ‘comment’) + an anagram of REALLY – anagrind is ‘outrageous’. We had to guess this one but a search found Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher. | |
| 5 | Gently shifted how many verbs take the past tense? (5) | |
| EASED | This had us really puzzled, but we finally concluded that Phi is suggesting that many verbs (ending in ‘E’ in the infinitive) take the past tense by changing the last letter E to ED, or E AS ED – does anyone have a better parsing? | |
| 6 | Masterful opening of mine will bring in a couple of Royalty (6) | |
| ADROIT | ADIT (‘opening of mine’) round or ‘bringing in’ the first two letters or ‘couple’ of ROyalty | |
| 7 | Covering area around tip of Long Island (5) | |
| MALTA | MAT (covering) A (area) round L (the first letter or ‘tip’ of Long) | |
| 8 | Was rude about accepting uniform no longer current (7) | |
| DISUSED | DISSED (was rude about) round or ‘accepting’ U (uniform) | |
| 9 | Part of Europe raised assistance to contain upheaval in 7 (8) | |
| DALMATIA | AID (assistance) reversed or ‘raised’ around or ‘containing’ an anagram of MALTA (7 down) – anagrind is ‘upheaval’ | |
| 14 | Upland volcano rising in adjacent space (8) | |
| ANTEROOM | MOOR (upland) ETNA (volcano) reversed or ‘rising’ | |
| 16 | Drink suppliers were realigned, investing in cheese products (9) | |
| BREWERIES | An anagram of WERE (anagrind is ‘realigned’) ‘investing’ in BRIES (cheese products) | |
| 17 | They pass round writing accessories after writer’s departed (7) | |
| SHARERS | SHAR |
|
| 19 | Game company bringing in one very much in cheerful style (7) | |
| GIOCOSO | GO (game) CO (company) round I (one) + SO (very much) – a new word to us! | |
| 20 | Shiver? That’s trembling, with little hesitation (7) | |
| SHATTER | An anagram of THAT’S (anagrind is ‘trembling’) +ER (little hesitation). A rather unusual synonym for ‘shiver’, but it is in Chambers! | |
| 21 | Dash quickly, losing time, with spies in pursuit (6) | |
| FASCIA | FAS |
|
| 23 | Feature of organ putting depth amongst sound of bells (5) | |
| PEDAL | D (depth) in PEAL (sound of bells) | |
| 24 | Irish county making most of remote opportunity (5) | |
| SLIGO | SLI |
|
I was scratching my head over 5d but I reckon you’ve nailed it-a bit like Puck’s recent Genius.
Thanks B&J-quite a chewy puzzle!
Thanks B&J and Phi.
Anything going on here? There usually is with Phi. I can’t see it (obviously) but my personal consultant can’t either. Perhaps we have to perceive its absence.
Good puzzle. SASH & SHARERS were my last in: I was playing around with (punk) band The Clash before the lightbulb went on and I’m still a bit dubious about ‘slash’ as a verb, We gentlemen (apologies for Joyce’s blushes) do not slash. We ‘have a slash’. Harrumph.
But thanks to all for for the fun.
Yes, there is something going on – literary and really very well-known, in fact.
So there is! And I got while my consultant didn’t. Life can be full of surprise.(Oh my ears and whiskers).
Ah, I see it now. Thanks for the hint, Conrad. Further hint: Off with his/her head!
A little trickier than sometimes with Phi, but thanks, Phi and B&J
Thank you Phi and Bertandjoyce.
I am rather late with posting, it will soon be tea time here. This was a most enjoyable puzzle even though I was held up by not knowing the slang meaning of “slash”, or that SHATTER was a synonym for “shiver”. I liked the clue for CARLYLE!
I wonder if Phi has seen the AURORA AUSTRALIS from Wellington? I remember my father getting me out of bed one night to see the Southern Lights, marvellous.
Thanks to Phi for the hint and Conrad for spotting the theme.
We’ve spotted the ‘partygoers’ at the tea party – Alice, Dormouse, Mad Hatter and Hare. Have we missed any other links?
I think it’s TEA PARTYGOERS” taking “tea” from the line above.
You beat me to it Geebs. I think that is the total – unless Phi has a trick up his sleeve.
I think it is “A MAD TEA-PARTY” down the centre, chapter 7 of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”; apparently Lewis Carrroll never used the term “MAD HATTER”, just HATTER.
I mean down the centre of the puzzle, of course, the PARTYGOERS being around the edges.
Thanks, all three.
Enjoyed this one; completely missed the theme (but then what’s new, and do I care?)
HATTERS are allegedly mad because of Hg, of course. Allegedly …
Good weekend to all.
I saw the Northern Lights quite frequently in St. Andrews, but that was at higher latitudes than Wellington (which is actually Antipodean to Madrid). There have been a few photos this year of a faint green line near a remote horizon, but with the sun heading to its cyclic minimum from an undistinguished maximum things haven’t been too good.
If I intervene next week it will be from the other side of the Pacific (Phoenix, Arizona, where it is to be close on 50C when we arrive on Monday) and I haven’t worked out the time zones satisfactorily yet!