FT Monday Prize Crossword from 2 May 2011
A fairly typical Dante, althoughto me the cd’s were not as clever and surprising as they often are.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | TORE DOWN *(DON WROTE) |
| 5 | CLERIC *(CIRCLE) |
| 9 | HACIENDA *(HAD A NICE) |
| 10 | BRAZIL d&cd |
| 12 | RULER cd |
| 13 | BARTENDER ART[hur] in BENDER (drinking bout) |
| 14 | SEAWAY cd |
| 16 | BRIEFED cd |
| 19 | LITOTES *(T S ELIOT) |
| 21 | ARTERY cd |
| 23 | DRUMSTICK *(TRIMS DUCK) |
| 25 | PLONK dd |
| 26 | ENTRAP EN (in, French) TRAP (bunker) |
| 27 | BASINFUL B.A. (graduate) SINFUL (dissolute) |
| 28 | STRIDE S (leader of the “squad”) + *(TRIED) |
| 29 | ADAM’S RIB cd, probably the best one today |
| Down | |
| 1 | T-SHIRT *(THIRST) |
| 2 | RECOLLECT R.E. (soldiers) COLLECT (get together) |
| 3 | DREAR D (depression’s beginning) REAR (lift) |
| 4 | WIDE BOY WIDE (broad) BOT (issue). A spiv, for those not familiar with the term. |
| 6 | LARCENIST *(CLARINETS) |
| 7 | RAZED homophone of RAISED (built) |
| 8 | COLORADO COLOR (colour . . . in America) ADO (trouble) |
| 11 | GRUB dd |
| 15 | WITHSTAND WITH STAND (having provision for spectators) |
| 17 | FIRM OFFER d&cd |
| 18 | GLADNESS END (finich) reversed in GLASS (a drink) |
| 20 | SKID S (small) KID (child) |
| 21 | AWKWARD W[ee]K in A WARD (a hospital department) |
| 22 | SKYLAB hidden in friSKY LABradors |
| 24 | UTTER [c]UTTER (boat without bow) |
| 25 | PRIAM PRedIcAMent with the letters in DECENT removed. Since the letters in PRIAM appear in order in PREDICAMENT, it is DECENT, rather than PREDICAMENT, that is “improper” |
In my notes I put plus(s)es to 5ac (CLERIC), LARCENIST (6d), AWKWARD (21d) and My CD of the Week: 14ac (SEAWAY).
Thank you AgentO for a good blog in, unfortunately, No Man’s Land.
I have no problems with 25ac.
It is (PREDICAMENT – DECENT)*.
You are right that the solution can also be described by PREDICAMENT – (DECENT)*, but that’s nót what the clue tells us.
Many thanks Agentzero
This was very straightforward.
Well done Dante!