Monday Prize Crossword from May 23
My last blog! I am pleased that it is Armonie, who has always been one of my favourites. I have always liked his blend of economy and naturalism, so the clues of the day for me are probably 25 across (“Land on fire”) and 3 down (“Some beaver away for years”).
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | GOOFED GOO (gunge) FED (ate) |
| 5 | COMEDIAN *(A DEMONIC) |
| 9 | WISEACRE SEA (marine) C (initially “confounded”) in WIRE (telegram) |
| 10 | PANTRY ANT (worker) in PRY (nose) |
| 11 | LINTEL L[eft] INTEL (technology company) |
| 12 | ORDERING BORDERING (close to) minus its initial letter B (“losing head”) |
| 14 | OPERA GLASSES OPERA (works) G (“guerilla” leader) LASSES (misses) |
| 18 | HARD FEELINGS E[nglish] E[arl] during HARD (tiring) FLINGS (binges) |
| 22 | SKEAN-DHU *(HANK USED) I certainly needed a dictionary here! |
| 25 | ALIGHT dd |
| 26 | GIBBET BIG (large) reversed + BET (wager) |
| 27 | DETAILED TAIL (dog) in DEED (action) |
| 28 | SEARCHER *(CARS HERE) |
| 29 | RENNET TENNER (banknote) reversed |
| Down | |
| 2 | ORIGIN O (duck) RIG (doctor) IN |
| 3 | FLEETWOOD |
| 4 | DECOLLETE COL[onel] (officer) in DELETE (remove) |
| 5 | CREMONA *(ROMANCE) |
| 6 | MOPED MOP (shock [of hair]) ED[itor] (journalist) |
| 7 | DONOR N[ame] in DOOR (entrance) |
| 8 | ARRANGER A R.R. (bishop) ANGER (rage) |
| 13 | ERA hidden in beavER Away. This has to be one of the best hidden clues I have seen.Such a smooth and natural surface! |
| 15 | LANCASTER *(CLEAR ANTS) |
| 16 | SUSPICION US (American) PIC (photo) in SION (Israel) |
| 17 | BACKBITE BACK (defender) BITE (incisiveness) |
| 19 | FEN first letters of Fancy Every Night |
| 20 | LAUNDER LA, UN (French articles) DER (German article) |
| 21 | WHEEZE dd |
| 23 | AMBER A M.B. (doctor) ER (hesitation). Reference is to an amber traffic light (a “yellow light” in America). |
| 24 | DITCH D[aughter] ITCH (passion) |
Many thanks Agentzero and Armonie.
This was very enjoyable but I’d never heard of SKEAN-DHU.
I’m sorry that this was your last blog and your successes at keeping us informed have been much appreciated.
My problem with the FT Prize Puzzles is the long gap between their appearance and the the solutions.
Thanks for the blog (and for all the past ones, they have taught me a lot). Re 2 down,I think the Group is Fleetwood Mac and the raincoat (mac) is removed to give the port.
Alan, you are surely right! I will correct the blog.
Failed on 2d -is it that spring =origin of a river? & 17d -got the back bit.
Skean Dhu was an early entry as I’d seen it in another crossword.
Thanks for all the blogs
For once I didn’t do the Monday Prize.
So, no cryptic comments from me here.
But many thanks for all your valuable contributions to 15^2, Agentzero!