Phi-day again and, despite some unusual words, we found this an enjoyable and fairly straightforward challenge.
There is a Shakespearean Nina round three sides of the perimeter, and one or two theatrical references in the clues and solutions, but we can’t see a specific theme, which seems unusual for Phi. Maybe we’re missing something more? Or perhaps the Nina’s enough?
| Across | ||
| 7 | Each label’s attached to last of usable fodder | |
| EATAGE | EA (each) + TAG (label) + E (last letter of ‘usablE’). Not a word we’d come across before! | |
| 8 | Is male in vintage car displaying personality? | |
| CHARISMA | IS M (male) in CHARA (short form of ‘charabanc’ – ‘vintage car’) To us, a charabanc is a forerunner of the bus rather than a car, but Chambers defines ‘car’ as a vehicle designed to carry passengers, such as a tramcar, so that’s okay! | |
| 9 | Military camp bad for positioning in height? | |
| HILL-FORT | ILL (bad) FOR in HT (height) | |
| 10 | Inclines to adopt right fashions | |
| TRENDS | TENDS (inclines) round or ‘adopting’ R (right) | |
| 11 | Some annoyance recalled about a copper drinking-vessel | |
| TEACUP | PET (some annoyance) reversed or ‘recalled’ around A CU (copper) | |
| 13 | Flit west, flying bird | |
| SWIFTLET | An anagram of FLIT WEST – anagrind is ‘flying’ | |
| 14 | US actor, male, not quite Rock | |
| HESTON | HE (male) + STON |
|
| 15 | Acting coach, by inference? | |
| BUSKIN | This one puzzled us – we hadn’t come across ‘buskin’ before – Chambers defines it as ‘tragedy as a dramatic genre, so ‘acting’ is a bit loose as a definition – but is the only logical solution. Then the parsing: we think it must be that a BUS could be considered as KIN to a coach? | |
| 18 | Channel showing most of Quixote’s locale (Spain) | |
| LA MANCHE | LA MANCH |
|
| 20 | Puzzle, one of Phi’s recalled, with good content | |
| ENIGMA | A (one) + MINE (Phi’s, as ‘the setter’s’) reversed or ‘recalled’ round or ‘containing’ G (good) | |
| 22 | Runs from way of manacling soldiers | |
| LEGION | LEG-I |
|
| 23 | Very difficult, no longer foremost in 15? | |
| EXACTING | EX (no longer) + ACTING (first or ‘foremost’ word in the clue for 15A) | |
| 25 | A nasty character snatches what in pub? | |
| ALEHOUSE | A LOUSE (nasty character) round or ‘snatching’ EH (‘what’) | |
| 26 | Prison Director guided to reduce light | |
| CANDLE | CAN (prison) + D (director) + LE |
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | Maori woman, with a head for hock, tucking into something like hock | |
| WAHINE | A H (first letter or ‘head’ of Hock) in WINE (something like hock). Another word we’d not come across before, but no doubt very familiar to Phi down there in NZ! | |
| 2 | Features of boat or features of canal engrossing one | |
| OARLOCKS | OR LOCKS (features of canals) round or ‘engrossing’ A (one) | |
| 3 | Produce new design for border of speed-limit sign? | |
| REDO | The border of a speed limit sign could be described as a RED “O” | |
| 4 | Continue silent, holding in to the absolute deadline | |
| LAST-MINUTE | LAST (continue) MUTE (silent) round or ‘holding’ IN | |
| 5 | Understand French is represented in collated material | |
| DIGEST | DIG (understand) EST (French for ‘is’) | |
| 6 | A little boy seizing an insect | |
| SMIDGEON | SON (boy) round or ‘seizing’ MIDGE (insect) | |
| 8 | Most attractive trial doing for scoundrel finally | |
| CUTEST | TEST (trial) replacing or ‘doing for’ the last or ‘final’ letter of CU |
|
| 12/24 | Run with comic phrase when performing in part of theatre | |
| PROSCENIUM ARCH | An anagram of RUN with COMIC PHRASE – anagrind is ‘when performing’ | |
| 14 | Hot at the same level around area – blissful | |
| HEAVENLY | H (hot) EVENLY (at the same level) round A (area) | |
| 16 | Significant piece blocked by Knight – it’s time for some craft | |
| KNITTING | KING (significant piece, as in chess) round or ‘blocked by’ N (knight, also as in chess) IT T (time) | |
| 17 | Untroubled visit taking in soldiers and navy | |
| SERENE | SEE (visit) round or ‘taking in’ RE (soldiers) and N (navy) | |
| 19 | On, though acting without much impact | |
| ALIGHT | A (acting) + LIGHT (without much impact) | |
| 21 | Post sent round North America capital | |
| MANILA | MAIL (post) round N (North) + A (America) | |
| 24 | See 12D | |
| See 12D | ||
Most of this was straightforward, and then I stuck immovably. I was unable to solve the crossing pair legion/alight. I considered “cutest” as a possible answer at 8D for some time but could not see why. I didn’t consider “chara” as having any relation to a vintage car. I have no idea what “buskin” is about, which meant it provided no aid when I failed to think of “smidgeon”, which is otehrwise a very pleasant clue. So I wasn’t in best mood when I came here!
And why doesn’t my Greek letter phi appear in the blog? How anglocentric!
Better mood next week 🙂
I was and remain stumped by BUSKIN, which I knew only as a boot, and even with its dramatic associations I did not know it as a metaphor for acting. This delayed KNITTING, but all the rest fell into place nicely. Thanks, Phi, Bert and Joyce.
Thanks to Phi and B&J. A quick solve despite the oddities already pointed out. Seeing the nina early on was a great help.
I was held up for ages at the end by BUSKIN but got it from the wordplay eventually, and I also had trouble with the LEGION/ALIGHT crossers. I’ve probably come across WAHINE in a Phi puzzle before but I’d forgotten it so I needed the wordplay and the help of the nina.
It is a rare day when I notice a Nina so I am pleased to report that I did see this one and find it helpful. Thanks to Phi and B&J.
Thanks Phi and B&J, a most enjoyable puzzle and very helpful blog.
‘car’ was no problem since in France it is the word most commonly use for a bus.
I know the word ‘busker’, a person who performs in the street for voluntary donations, but strangely it has nothing to do with BUSKIN in the sense of 15a (I only know the boot meaning, but I don’t come from the Middle Ages even though I am a ruahine).
Footnote to Cookie and ‘car’. My brother-in-law, who speaks no French, was once arrested and fined for parking his car in a place than clearly said ‘cars’.
Today (I discovered) is World Theatre Day and, while I hadn’t intended BUSKIN, it is an obvious thematic entry given the crossing letters.In fact, apart from the quote and PROSCENIUM ARCH (its shape), the other theatrical references are accidental.
What a lovely coincidence, thanks again Phi.
Went along OK and then became totally stuck on the BUSKIN/KNITTING pair. Almost gave up but got there in the end with every aid possible.
‘despite some unusual words’, say B&J in their pleasant blog. So far as I was concerned, several rather than just some (WAHINE, OARLOCKS, HILL-FORT, SWIFTLET, BUSKIN).