Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 23
The top-left quadrant of this puzzle stumped me for a while. I got 15A promptly but the rest was tough, especially as I was unfamiliar with Dickens’ Weller. There are some clues here that I like a lot: 20A (ANAGRAM), 21A (KNOTTY) and 9D (SMEAR).
Across
1. JUSTLY – ST (street) in JULY (month)
4. PHOTOFIT – HOT (stolen) + OF (from) both in PIT (hole)
10. WOLFRAM – WOLF (one beast) + RAM (second beast)
11. TUMBLER – double definition
12. LEAD – double definition
13. BATTLEDORE – anagram of BET LEOTARD. I cannot think of how I knew “battledore” but somehow I did.
15. EDISON – NO (evidently having lost) + SIDE (face) all backwards
16. OFF LINE – anagram of IF FELON
20. ANAGRAM – cryptic definition
21. KNOTTY – hidden word
24. FATS WALLER – ALL (everything) in anagram of ARTS FEW
26. WELL – double definition
28. ESTONIA – anagram of ONE ITS A
29. RHUBARB – R (right) + HUB (centre) + BRA (supporter) backwards
30. DAMNABLE – anagram of MEAN BALD
31. STRESS – double definition. Although if I remember my physics, stress is the polar opposite of tension.
Down
1. JEWELLER – JE (I translated) + WELLER (Dickensian character)
2. SALVATION – SAL[i]VATION (dribbling, wiping one)
3. LARK – L (left) + ARK (that which dove left)
5. HOT STUFF – double definition
6. TIMBER LINE – BERLIN (capital) in TIME (period)
7. FOLIO – reverse hidden word
8. TURKEY – RUT (routine) backwards + KEY (important)
9. SMEAR – ME (me) in SAR[dine] (fish, dine elsewhere)
14. WONGA WONGA – WONGA (money) WONGA (money). This is one I had to look up. A Wonga Wonga is an Australian white-faced pigeon and wonga is slang for money.
17. NOTRE DAME – NO (no) + RED (revolutionary) in TAME (unresisting)
18. PALL MALL – PALL (become tedious) + MALL (shopping centre). Does anyone share my dismay at mall’s having come to mean shopping centre?
19. SYLLABUS – ALLY (friend) in SUBS (payments) all reversed
22. OFFEND – “off end” (far from on the front). Then should it not be OFFTHEEND?
23. WEARY – E (English) in WARY (suspicious)
25. TOTEM – TO (to) + MET (police) backwards
27. SUIT – double definition
Many thanks Pete. Very enjoyable!
WONGA WONGA and BATTLEDORE were new to me but I guessed them correctly.
However, the prizes were most uninspiring – not worth risking a stamp.
Uninspiring prizes? I pay little attention to the prizes these days since I think it is inappropriate for me as a blogger to enter. But I cannot disagree. I have a beautiful Pelikan pen to show for my one win, around 20 years ago.