Monday Prize Crossword/Oct 17
Time for a change: Armonie taking the Monday spot in the FT. On many occasions ‘over there’ (ie the Guardian blog) posters made clear that Chifonie (Armonie’s alter ego) would be a good setter for a Monday crossword. Well, here he is, in his other disguise.
The puzzle was pleasant enough, but Armonie’s style is based on a limited number of devices. In this crossword there were 20 charades and/or envelopes. Quite an overdose. For me personally, it was all a bit predictable, but there were – as ever – nice surfaces. The cluing was sound (a plus!), but unspectacular. Pleasant, but undemanding.
| Across | ||
| 1 | FUTURE | Outlook could be tense |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | ACT OUT | Represent a Tory solicitor |
| A + C (Conservative) + TOUT (solicitor) | ||
| 8 | LUCINDA | Girl is clear about new article |
| LUCID (clear) around N (new) + A (article) | ||
| 9 | ORBITAL | Gyratory piece in exam |
| BIT (piece) inside ORAL (exam) | ||
| 11 | TEA SERVICE | Ridicule rare defect in crockery |
| TEASE (ridicule) + R (rare) + VICE (deficient) | ||
| 12 | ROSE | Plant grew |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | FLYER | Pilot’s father storing caustic solution |
| FR (father) around LYE (caustic solution) | ||
| 14 | ARDENNES | Ensnared Dicky in battleground |
| (ENSNARED)* | ||
| 16 | BAGPIPES | Appropriate churchwardens’ instrument |
| BAG (appropriate) + PIPES (churchwardens) | ||
| 18 | SKINT | Without money family is thrown in street |
| KIN (family) inside ST (street) | ||
| 20 | TRAM | Vehicle in trading centre reversed |
| Reversal of MART (trading centre) | ||
| 21 | IN GOOD NICK | Where one enjoys porridge that’s healthy |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 23 | ANANIAS | An Asian becomes fated liar |
| (AN ASIAN)* | ||
| 24 | DEBRIEF | Get follow-up report from French lawyer |
| DE (from, French) + BRIEF (lawyer) | ||
| 25 | ERODED | Worn down journalist was carried inside |
| RODE (was carried) inside ED (journalist) | ||
| 26 | AT ODDS | Goes on about tax officer arguing |
| ADDS (goes on) around TO (tax officer) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | FLUKE | Lucky break for fellow evangelist |
| F (fellow) + LUKE (evangelist) | ||
| 2 | THIRSTY | A number keeping sons dry |
| THIRTY (a number) around S (sons) | ||
| 3 | RADAR TRAP | Soldiers launch blow for road safety |
| RA (soldiers, Royal Artillery) + DART (launch) + RAP (blow) | ||
| 5 | CIRCE | Siren left out of group |
| CIRCLE (group) less L (left) | ||
| 6 | OMICRON | Greek character very short in the leg |
| MICRO (very short) inside ON ((the) leg) | ||
| 7 | TRANSIENT | Train sent out for a short time only |
| (TRAIN SENT)* | ||
| 10 | MISASSIGN | Wrongly give Military Intelligence crack troops’ warning |
| MI (Military Intelligence) + SAS (crack troops, Special Air Service) + SIGN (alarm) | ||
| 13 | FRAGRANCE | Scent badger in the country |
| RAG (badger, as a verb) inside FRANCE ((the) country) | ||
| 15 | DISHONEST | Destroy a street that’s shady |
| DISH (destroy) + ONE (a) + ST (street) | ||
| 17 | PIMENTO | Vegetable religious people take to |
| PI (religious) + MEN (people) + TO | ||
| 19 | IGNORED | Passed by ruin on ridge |
| (ON RIDGE)* | ||
| 21 | IRATE | Angry taxmen made nervous |
| IR (taxmen, Inland Revenue) + ATE (made nervous) | ||
| 22 | CHEWS | Charlie cuts and bites |
| C (Charlie, phonetic alphabet) + HEWS (cuts) | ||
I usually finish or almost finish the Saturday and Monday FT crosswords with a bit of electronic help but even with aids I got no more than halfway -maybe just unfamiliarity with Armonie.
13a Not familiar with Fr=father instead of pa, pop and never come across lye
21a Thought that porridge might be to do with prison but got fixated on stir.
3d I don’t get dart=launch. I threw a dart is not I threw a launch. I darted out of the pub before the trouble started does not equal I launched out of the pub.
5d Never come across circe
15d Dish =destroy??
22d Chews=bites?? I chewed the tough meat for five minutes before I could swallow it does not , in my book, equal I bit the meat for five minutes.
Prefer Cincinnus and Dante (though can’t be bothered with Cinephile)