Financial Times 13,175 – Crux

Monday Prize Crossword on 7 September 2009
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram

Another easy start to the week with some tichy clues to raise a smile or two. These Monday puzzles are extremely suitable material for people starting out into cryptic crosswords … highly recommended for beginners.

ACROSS
1 TEASER ha
4 CHARCOAL Half the letters form char (short for charlady, cleaner)
10 SAUCINESS *(causes sin)
11 BEING BEIJING (capital of China where the last Summer Olympic Games were held) minus J & I (Jack and I)
12 CYAN Ins of Y in CAN (tin)
13 INTERNMENT Ins of N (last letter of chaplain) in interment (burial)
15 SNOWMAN *(woman’s n)
16 NORWAY Ins of R (right) in No Way (impossible)
19 HECKLE *(leech + K, potassium)
21 EGOTIST cd
23 INCUNABULA *(cannibal u u) n pl (sing inc*nab*lum or inc*nable) early printed books, esp those printed before the year 1501
25 PROP cd for something more commonly called pitprop (usually timber support in the workings of a coalmine)
27 LYING dd Ananias – a habitual liar (after a New Testament character who was struck dead for lying) (Acts 4:32-37; 5:1-10)
28 RISING SUN Cha of RISING (rebellion) + SUN (British tabloid famous for its Page 3 girls with big boobs)
29 BRAINBOX A tichy way to say bra (underwear) in box
30 BORSCH Rev of ROB (mug) + SCH (school)

DOWN
1 TEST CASE Simple cha
2 A CUT ABOVE Another tichy clue which produced a smile
3 EVIL The clue is Keel over at 7 below zero – very bad (4) The answer to 7Down is OLIVE; thus reverse the letters below O i.e. reverse LIVE to give EVIL
5 HAS BEEN cd
6 ROBING ROOM cd
7 OLIVE Cha of O (duck) LIVE (not recorded)
8 LIGHTS dd I was surprised that there is a word in Chambers spelled “lights” n pl the lungs of an animal (as lighter than the adjoining parts).
9 LEAN ON LE (French definite article) ANON (soon)
14 SMOKING GUN Cha of SMOKING (bad habit) GUN (killer)
17 APIARISTS cd alluding to the busy hard-working bees
18 AT A PINCH Ins of TAP (strike) in A INCH (a measure)
20 EMBARGO Ins of MBA (Master of Business Administration, a degree) in ERGO (therefore)
21 ENLIST Cha of E (Espana or Spain in International Vehicle Registration) NL (Netherlands or Holland in IVR) IST (first)
22 LIB-LAB LI (Roman numeral for 51, just over 50) BLAB (reveal)
24 CHINA Allusion to china or porcelian being prescribed as present for 20th anniversary
26 UNDO Simple cha