Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 21
Another splendid puzzle from Cincinnus this time. I especially like 16A, 20A and, most of all, 21A.
Across
1, 4. WILLOW GROUSE – WILL (is going to) + anagram of GROW + OUSE (river)
8. VERBOSE – BO[y] (lad not unknown) in VERSE (poetry)
9. ACIDITY – CID (police) in [l]AITY (laymen)
11. STANDING UP – STANDING (seeking election) + U[nionist] P[arty]
12. ROAN – RO[m]AN[y]
13. SENNA – ANNES (Queen’s) reversed
14. MNEMONIC – anagram of MEN + MONIC[a] (girl needing a)
16. SONDHEIM – anagram of HEDONISM
18. HANDS – double definition
20. EMMA – EM (Forster) + MA (mother)
21. BLOOMSBURY – BLOOMS (flora) + BURY (inter)
23. SKIPPER – S (second) + KIPPER (fish for breakfast)
24. BROKERS – BROKE (with no resources) + R[emaining] S[olvent]
25, 26. RINGED PLOVER – anagram of GLIDER PROVEN
Down
1. WHEAT – WH[y] + EAT (consume)
2. LEBANON – BAN (outlaw) in NOEL (Coward) backwards
3. OBSTINATE – OB (old boy) + IN (home) in STATE (say)
5. RECAP – PACES (walker’s) backwards
6. UNDERGO – ERG (measure of work) in UNDO (ruin)
7. ESTUARIES – ES TU (are you abroad) + ARIES (sign)
10. AGAMEMNON – GAME (brave) + [iliu]M in ANON (soon)
13. SHOEMAKER – anagram of RAKES HOME
15. EPHEMERAL – anagram of ME A HELPER
17. DEADPAN – DEAD (late) + PAN (Greek god)
19. NABOKOV – N (name) + A (a) + anagram of BOOK + V[ladimir]
21. BREVE – EVER (always) + B (note) all backwards
22. RARER – hidden word
Thanks for the blog.
I found this rather pleasant to solve, and I learnt a few new things. [The birds].
Thank-you for the cluing explanations. I managed to complete the puzzle but
was still unaware of how a few clues worked.
Ta.
Jake.
I am not sure that I had heard of the Willow Grouse before but I had come across the Ringed Plover.
Before I started blogging I would frequently answer clues without fully digesting and understanding them, especially for example with Cinephile’s long anagrams. Now I occasionally find it a nuisance, not to mention a challenge, that I have to figure them all out!