Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 12
For the first time in a while I am faced with two clues that I cannot fully solve, 12A and 20D. I figure I have guessed the answers correctly but cannot see how the wordplay works.
Across
1. FANLIGHT – AN (article) in FLIGHT (bolting)
5. SPLIFF – SPL[een] + IF (if) + F (strong)
9. DOZINESS – Z (Zulu) + IN (in) + E (English) all in DOSS (spend time idly)
10. BRUTAL – BRUT (unsweetened) + AL[e] (drink unfinished)
12. LEPER – LE[a]PER. I originally had LOPER — see comments below.
13. ON THE NOSE – double definition
14. GRUBBY – G[ardner] + B (black) in RUBY (stone)
16. PLAUDIT – LAUD (sing) in PIT (depression)
19. MAYFAIR – MAY (tree) + FAIR (fine)
21. FINISH – IN (in) in FISH (search)
23. LAUNDRESS – [nai]L + A (a) + UNDRESS (strip)
25. DRAMA – DRAM (short) + A (amateur)
26. IBIDEM – I (I) + BIDE (stay) + M (married)
27. SPRINTER – S (second) + PRINTER (computer accessory)
28. GREASE – cryptic definition
29. STRESSED – DESSERTS (turnover, etc.) reversed
Down
1. FIDDLY – double/cryptic definition
2. NAZI PARTY – A (first) + Z (last) both in NIP (move quickly) + ARTY (creative)
3. INNER – [d]INNER
4. HISTORY – HIS (man’s) + TORY (member, perhaps)
6. PORCELAIN – anagram of NO REPLICA
7. INTRO – [compose]R in INTO (interested in)
8. FALSETTO – FAL[l] (shortfall) + SET TO (fight)
11. STOP – POTS (a lot of money) backwards
15. BEARDLESS – anagram of LED SABRES
17. DESCARTES – SET (group) + S (second) in RACED (ran) all backwards
18. SMELLING – M (motorway) in SELLING (rep’s job)
20. RHEA – ???
21. FUSSPOT – F (fine) + US (American) + SPOT (soil)
22. SACRED – SAC (bag) + RED (bloody)
24. URINE – hidden word
25. DRIVE – DRIVE[l] (endless twaddle)
Hi Pete
You did a lot better than me. I failed to solve eight of the clues. I had been doing well with Mudd’s puzzles for the past few weeks but couldn’t finish this one.
Do you think Mudd consciously made this one harder than his previous puzzles or is it just a coincidence?
Hi Nathan,
I did not find this puzzle to be particularly difficult so my guess is that Mudd was not deliberately making it harder. The only clues that gave me much trouble, apart from the two I mentioned, were 9A, 10A, 2D and 17D.
There have been instances when I was afraid of not finishing a puzzle by blogging time but I have a strong incentive to do so and have, in fact, always managed it in the end.
Hi Pete
I had 12ac as LEPER [reject]: LE[a]PER
20dn: RHEA [supposedly – but this is one of my bugbears!] sounds like ‘rear’ [back]