Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 9
I was down on Cinephile’s last puzzle in this slot but he makes up for it with this one. I have a beef about 11A (BELARUS) but find several other clues to be rather good: 17A (DESIGNER), 28A (GROWTH), 5D (HOME SECRETARY) and 18D (SPINOZA).
Across
1. RATTLE – double definition
4. CHEMICAL – C (caught) + HEM (border) + I (one) + CAL (state)
9. PRESS – double definition
10, 1. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – DO (note) + MINI (small) + CAN (container) + PUB (inn) in RELIC (survival)
11. BELARUS – L (left) in BEAR (Russia so called) and US (America). Am I justified in thinking this clue is both rather clever, having a good surface at least, and seriously broken? The wordplay clues BEARLUS, not BELARUS!
14. DISCIPLE – DISC (record) + anagram of LP (long-playing) and IE (that is)
17. DESIGNER – SIGN (symbol) in DEER (animals)
19, 13. SEA LIONS – SEAL (authenticate) + IONS (charged items)
22. ROSSINI – anagram of SON and IRIS
24. AIR SHOT – AI (top class) + SH (don’t talk) in ROT (nonsense). This was the most difficult clue for me as I am not much of a golfer and don’t remember hearing of an air shot before. I understand now it is a shot where the club misses the ball.
25. PITLOCHRY – LOCH (lake) + R (river) in PITY (shame)
27. NORMANDY – NORM (one little boy) + ANDY (another little boy)
28. GROWTH – hidden word
Down
2. TREE-LINED – LI (one pound) in anagram of ENTERED
3. LUSTRE – double definition. “Lustre” can mean a period of 5 years.
5. HOME SECRETARY – ME (me) + SECRET (confidence) in HOARY (the ancient)
6. MANTRAP – MANTRA (holy word repeated) + P (quietly). Have you ever seen a mantrap? I saw some in a museum once. They are among the most frightening things I have ever laid eyes on.
7. CACTI – ACT (function) in CI (Channel Islands)
8. LINGER – LINGER[ie]
10, 12, 26. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER – DISTINGUISHED (made out) + SERVICE ORDER (instructions for liturgy)
15. EYE SHADOW – YES (consent) with HAD (had) in WOE (trouble) backwards
16. PLUTARCH – anagram of HARP CULT
18. SPINOZA – IN (in) with OZ (Australia) in SPA (watering place)
20. DROP IN – DR (physician) + OPIN[ion] (most of what he says)
21. ARDOUR – homophone (“‘arder”)
23. SATYR – double definition. Satyrs are a sub-family of the family of butterflies called nymphalids.
Thanks, I wasn’t sure about AIR SHOT! I’m happy with BELARUS though – I think “left between Russia (so called)” is fine to give BELAR, in the sense that L comes between the letters of Russia. I like the way it sounds as though he means between Russia and America, when he doesn’t.
Many thanks Pete, this was very enjoyable.
Who could ask for anything more?
Sooz, Thanks for your input. I hope to get some more opinions about BELARUS.
Bryan, Indeed.
Pete @ 3
It’s ages since I did this puzzle but I cannot now recall having had any misgivings about BELARUS.
Indeed, I did rate this somewhat easier than some of the Prize Puzzles set by Araucaria.
Having HORNY (h.w.) at 23d held me up for quite a while!
Pete, I quite agree with you on BELARUS. It could have been “… left in Russia …”, but that could have made it too easy.
AIR SHOT could also be a shot in basketball that completely misses the hoop, but that would not be quite as costly as in golf. When I played golf in Ireland and the UK forty years ago, a clear miss was called a “fresh air shot”; I assume the vernacular has changed. In the US we call it a “whiff”.
Declanor, Thanks for the support on BELARUS!