Independent 9283 / Phi

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Another Phi-day challenge today.

 

As usual, all good fun, not too tricky, but definitely not a write-in either. We’re sure there is a theme in there somewhere, but we haven’t been able to identify it – any thoughts out there?

Across
1/29   Snatch some sleep with coming back inside (6)
KIDNAP KIP (some sleep) around AND (with) reversed or ‘coming back’
3   Drink put down after solemn manoeuvres (5,6)
LEMON SQUASH QUASH (put down) after an anagram of SOLEMN – anagrind is ‘manoeuvres’
9   State poll: Republican victory, ultimately (7)
COUNTRY COUNT (poll) R (Republican) Y (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of ‘victory’)
10   Symbol of rank – encourage version to replace latest in use (7)
CHEVRON V (version) replacing ‘e’ (last or ‘latest’ letter of ‘use’) in CHEeR ON (encourage)
11   Officer posted to secure gear at sea (8)
SERGEANT SENT (posted) round or ‘securing’ an anagram of GEAR – anagrind is ‘at sea’
12   Top performer absorbs the old example of stamina (6)
STAYER STAR (top performer) round or ‘absorbing’ YE (‘the old’)
14   Vital knowledge extends beyond this presentation (4)
TALK Hidden in ‘viTAL Knowledge’
15   Old man again not to be shifted from part of South America (10)
PATAGONIAN PA (old man) + anagram of AGAIN NOT – anagrind is ‘to be shifted’
18   Star’s bust given odd treatment around end of movie? Most mysterious (10)
ABSTRUSEST An anagram of STARS BUST (anagrind is ‘given odd treatment’) round E (last letter or ‘end’ of ‘movie’)
19   Threat to forest study abstracted from arboreal item (4)
FIRE FIR conE (arboreal item) with ‘con’ (study) omitted or ‘abstracted’
21   Right year to include volume in review (6)
SURVEY SURE (right) Y (year) round or ‘including’ V (volume)
23   Mad scientists in book placed article inside computer networks (8)
LAPUTANS PUT (placed) A (article) in LANS (computer networks). We had vague memories of the Laputans, but weren’t sure where they came from – for anyone else with a similar uncertain recollection – they live on a flying island in Gulliver’s Travels.
26   Study cut that’s kept back supply of coal? (7)
EXAMINE AXE (cut) reversed or ‘kept back’ + MINE (supply of coal?)
27   Subgroup of the French not participating in erotic activity (7)
SECTION SEduCTION (erotic activity) with ‘du’ (French for ‘of’) omitted or ‘not participating’
28   Revamped stage degree put together again (11)
DESEGREGATE An anagram of STAGE DEGREE – anagrind is ‘revamped’
29   See 1
Down
1   Abandons stimulant? (5)
KICKS Double definition
2   Tattoos – odd source of rumpus in children’s toys (4,5)
DRUM ROLLS RUM (odd) R (first letter or ‘source’ of ‘rumpus’) in DOLLS (children’s toys)
3   Young animals, comparatively small, left to escape (6)
LITTER LITTlER (comparatively small) with ‘l’ (left) omitted or ‘escaped’
4   Dressing – that may be involved in amnesia, unfortunately (10)
MAYONNAISE YON (that) ‘involved’ in an anagram of AMNESIA – anagrind is ‘unfortunately’
5   Act in ways that could land you here? (4)
NICK If you were to NICK (steal) something you could end up in the NICK (jail)
6   Quite wrong about singular working dispute (8)
QUESTION An anagram of QUITE (anagrind is ‘wrong’) round S (singular) + ON (working)
7   Gunners replacing third of military force in display (5)
ARRAY RA (Royal Artillery – gunners) replacing the third letter of ARmY (military force)
8   Man finally entering competition after back problem (9)
HINDRANCE N (last or ‘final’ letter of ‘man’) in RACE (competition) after HIND (back)
13   Organise main prison in nineteenth century London (10)
MARSHALSEA MARSHAL (organise) SEA (main)
14   Go beyond answer about to be encountered in course (9)
TRANSCEND ANS (answer) C (circa – about) ‘encountered’ in TREND (course)
16   Copying cartoon, omitting article, then including it (9)
IMITATION anIMATION (cartoon) omitting ‘an’ (article) round or ‘including’ IT
17   Producing book and associated activity, we hear (8)
BREEDING B (book) + a homonym (‘we hear’) of READING (associated activity)
20   Thrust of half of my cryptic clues (6)
MUSCLE M (half of ‘my’) + an anagram of CLUES – anagrind is ‘cryptic’
22   One occupying bars – shouldn’t then drive here? (5)
ROADS A (one) occupying RODS (bars)
24   Dawn, revealing some characters in Greece? (5)
SUNUP NUS (characters from Greece) reversed or UP
25   Mega-lake, not one pool (4)
MERE M (mega) ERiE (lake) without ‘I’ (one)

 

6 comments on “Independent 9283 / Phi”

  1. Always miss themes, so no help there. Good fun, with LAPUTANS last in.

    27A Minor point: “du” is specifically of the (not just of) in French, so it is “of the” (in) French that is not participating.

    Thanks to Phi and Bertandjoyce.

  3. Mostly straightforward, but didn’t finish: LAPUATANS and MARSHALSEA had me beaten, with the fact that they crossed not helping matters.

    Thanks all three.

  4. A little bit trickier than some offerings from Phi, but all eminently solvable apart from 19ac where all I could think of was ‘Lite’ – hidden in ‘arboreal item’ – and naturally couldn’t make sense of the rest of the clue.

    As for a theme, all I can suggest is the unches in the 7th and 9th columns where various two-letter combinations might have some meaning: AI (a species of sloth), OK, NM (N and M are often used to stand for names in forms and ceremonies), IR (infrared), EH, ML (could be millilitres?) and RE (about). But perhaps I’m looking too hard.

    Thanks, Phi and B&J.

  6. Thanks for the hint Phi –

    we have quickly found crossfire, cross-section, cross-examine, cross country, cross-talk, crossroad, cross-kicks, cross-question and cross breeding.

    Have me missed any?

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