Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 30
Here we have a typical, charming puzzle from Cincinnus. I especially like 25A and 1D.
Across
1. DAMSONS – MAD (nuts) backwards + SONS (children)
5. ALCOTT – hidden word
8. CAUTIONED – anagram of EDUCATION
9. ATLAS – A (a) + SALT (sailor) backwards
11. MIDGE – MID (middle) + GE (Earth, as in GEography)
12. SEALPOINT – SEAL (swimmer) + POINT (headland)
13. NORTH SEA – anagram of THE SONAR
15. MOWGLI – MOW (cut) + L[ance] in GI (soldier)
17. AXIOMS – O[fficialdo]M in AXIS (alliance)
19. SWANSONG – SWANSON (Gloria the actress) + G[loria]
22. INTEGRATE – N (northern) + TEG (sheep) in IRATE (furious). A teg is a sheep in its second year or before its first shearing.
23. CARGO – CAR (passenger vehicle) + GO (green light)
24. STOMA – hidden word
25. LEICESTER – anagram of CRETE LIES
26. AT ODDS – A (a) + [Sweeney] TODD (demon barber) + S[kinhead]
27. SPONDEE – anagram of SPEED ON
Down
1. DOCUMENTARIES – DOCUMENT (paper) + ARIES (sign)
2. MOULDER – double definition
3. ON ICE – O (nothing) + NICE (pleasant)
4. SINISTER – IN (at home) in SISTER (one of the family)
5. ANDEAN – AN (an) + DEAN (important person in a cathedral)
6. CLAMPDOWN – C[ambridge] + LAMP (light) + DOWN (blue)
7. TELLING – double definition
10. SITTINGBOURNE – anagram of BENIGN TOURIST
14. HOME GUARD – MEG (Margaret) + [co]U[rt] in HOARD (store)
16. SWEETIES – double definition
18. INTROIT – IN (in) + TRO[y] (city of Paris) + IT (it). I did not manage to figure out this wordplay; see comments below.
20. OERSTED – ERST (formerly) in OED (dictionary). CGS refers to the centimeter-gram-second system of measurement. An oersted is a unit of magnetism.
21. CALLAS – double definition
23. CREDO – C (about) + ODER (river) backwards
Re 18d
In – IN
three-quarters of the city of Paris – TROy
it – IT
Ah, TROY was the part I did not get! Actually I managed to think of Troy but could not wrench my mind around to the appropriate Paris and see that this was right! Thank you, Rishi.
I like Cincinnus because I always find them hard but I get there after much perseverence. This one was byond me however. Can you please explain a couple I still don’t get?
2D Moulder It is close to a homonym but what dictionary says that it means former?
23D Answer seems incorrect. Creed is a set of beliefs, not credo. And C = about, r = river and DEE is a river. Hence I couldn’t get 27A.
13A. I can’t buy GE for earth
>> 2D Moulder It is close to a homonym but what dictionary says that it means former?
Chambers, 10th Edition.
>> 23D Answer seems incorrect. Creed is a set of beliefs, not credo.
>> And C = about, r = river and DEE is a river. Hence I couldn’t get 27A.
This is an interesting interpretation but my sense is that credo is a slightly better term for a set of beliefs than creed and Chambers agrees with me. Also your version of the wordplay does not quite work because there is only one river and you have two.
>> 13A. I can’t buy GE for earth
I wondered about this too because the English GE seems to me more a prefix than a word. However consulting Chambers once again, I find that it quotes “Ge” as a word in its own right.
Thank’s Pete. Seems I had better commit the OED to the scrapheap
I have an OED and treasure it. But for British puzzles, Chambers is the usual reference of choice. And I like it too!