i Cryptic Crossword 1152 by Phi

Saturday 18^th October 2014

Half of Phi’s clues last weekend were of the ‘envelope’ style – one word split around another word, like bookends, so to speak. And there at 1 across was ‘BOOKENDS’ – O.OK inside BENDS.

Now if that had been Virgilius, he would have likely made every clue like that;  you may recall how he recently had all clues being of the ‘remove the first letter’ style, e.g. [-f]UTILITY.

But Phi, it seems to me, uses an idea like this, or a Nina, or a theme perhaps, to overcome what he has called (tongue in cheek, no doubt) “the ever-recurring dread of having to fill in a new grid”. Once the puzzle’s under way, such devices are no longer needed.

And why not, indeed!

COD?  12ac Father seen around cooking area, I fear (6)

2009 blog here: http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/12/04/independent-7219-by-phi/