Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 19
Cincinnus spoils us with two of his typically wondrous anagrams this time, 21A (TURNSTONES) and 3D (SAN MARINO). I also applaud 8A (REMAINS), 11A (STEPFATHER) and 20A (FLEW).
Across
1. ASSESS – ASSES (animals) + S (second)
4. MOSCOW – MO (way of working — i.e. modus operandi) + SCOW (boat). Some might complain that the “a” is intrusive here.
8. REMAINS – R (right) + anagram of SAME IN
9. VIBRATE – BRAT (kid) in VIE (battle for supremacy)
11. STEPFATHER – P[ink] F[loyd] in anagram of THEATRES
12. FLAG – double definition
13. BALTI – BALTI[c] (not cold sea)
14. RABELAIS – ABEL (murder victim) in RAIS[e] (lift with end drawn out)
16. STAND OFF – STAND (bear) + OFF (not at work)
18. AVAIL – A (a) + V (number of Romans) + AIL (have sickness)
20. FLEW – L (left) in FEW (not many)
21. TURNSTONES – anagram of RUN TO NESTS
23. AFFABLE – F (female) in A (a) + FABLE (story)
24. DRESDEN – DR (doctor) + anagram of NEEDS
25. DRESSY – DRESS (groom) + Y[es]
26. REALLY – RE[g]ALLY (in a way befitting a king, but not good)
Down
1. AGENT – A (a) + GENT (male)
2. SCALPEL – SCALP (trophy) + E[ducationa]L. With a nice cryptic definition.
3. SAN MARINO – anagram of ROMANS IN A
5. OSIER – [c]OSIER (more comfortable if not caught)
6. CAREFUL – anagram of FUR and LACE
7. WITH A WILL – double/cryptic definition
10. WHEREFORE – anagram of HERO FEWER
13. BOTTLE-FED – BOTTLE (courage) + FED (lawman). “Fed” is slang for an agent of the FBI.
15. BRASSERIE – ER (queen) in BRASSIE (club). My Chambers tells me that a brassy is a type of old-fashioned club but it does not grant the same meaning to “brassie”.
17. NEWGATE – NEW (modern) + GATE (entrance)
19. AROUSAL – [c]AROUSAL (lively drinking party not beginning)
21. TALES – reverse hidden word
22. ELEGY – EG (say) in ELY (cathedral)
Yes, Pete, there was a lot to spoil in this crossword … 🙂
Wonder how he does it all the time.
My plusses were your plusses, but I want to add DRESDEN (24ac).
And oh, how I would have liked to have written STEPFATHER (11ac), a clue right up my street!
13ac: BALTI = BALTIC (sea) minus C (cold), but probably you meant to say that.
15d: the Oxford Dictionary of English gives ‘brassie’ with ‘ie’, meaning ” a number two wood” (in golf).
Thanks Pete, ánd – as ever – Cincinnus.
D’oh, yes of course, that is what I meant for 13ac and have fixed it.
Thank you, Sil.
I failed to get FLAG, and a number of clues took me a long time. But as ever Cincinnus is amazing. Like you Pete I enjoyed stefather and flew, but also Dresden and bottle-fed. Wherefore wasn’t bad either. Thanks Pete.
Thnaks Pete.
As you say another super puzzle from Cincinnus.I suppose it must be due to the time gap between the publishing of the puzzle and the blog which explains the lack of comments.It would be a shame if people weren’t tackling the Saturday FT puzzle,as it is invariably of a very high quality.
I agree with your selection of best clues with STEPFATHER in particular being outstanding.
Re. BRASSIE – in my Chambers it is given as an alternative,in brackets,to BRASSY.As there is no other punctuation between the two entries I took that to mean that it referred to the preceding entry(golf club).
Thnaks???
That should,of course be thanks.