Financial Times 13,944 – Dante

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Monday Prize Crossword/Mar 5

A Dante crossword drenched in double definitions, anagrams, etc etc.  All very familiar, but then there was 12ac. I have an idea how it might work, but I do not like my explanation. As a kind of mini contest I hereby challenge All Ye Out There to provide me with the right parsing of this clue. Unfortunately, there are no prizes to be won other than, er, Eternal Fame ! 🙂  [and btw, dear Dante, yours is already Eternal Fame, so please Only Connect in case nobody comes up with a satisfactory comment]. 

 

Across
1 BOULDERS Rocks King in mixed doubles
    R (King, short for ‘Rex’) inside (DOUBLES)*
     
5 MUFFLE Keep warm and quiet
    Double definition
     
9 RESPONSE Improperly press one for an answer
    (PRESS ONE)*
     
10     PSYCHO Shy cop to pull out of Hitchcock thriller
    (SHY COP)*
     
12 TOTAL Not qualified to sum up
    Who will be the first to fully explain this clue?  Many thanks to the Threesome @1,2,3 for their revealing posts. In fact, when taken together they make it perfectly clear (including any doubts). Double definition, as simple as that, indeed.
     
13 AUTHENTIC     Teach unit members to become reliable
    (TEACH UNIT)*
     
14 PLIANT In factory one is easily modified
    I (one) inside PLANT (factory)
     
16 DITCHES Abandons lands in the sea
    Double definition
     
19 ENDORSE Complete treatment of sore back
    END + (SORE)* – nice clue
     
21 OCEANS Seas, as once roamed
    (AS ONCE)*
     
23 APPREHEND     Detain suspect
    Double definition
     
25 BASIC Degree thus regarded as essential
    BA (degree) + SIC (thus)
     
26 LAUREL Shrub generally known not to be hardy
    Double definition – hardy: this is what we call ‘false decapitalisation’ (some, including me, might say: this is against the rules)
     
27 BACK DOOR     Not usually the best of the entries
    Cryptic definition
     
28 ERSATZ Tears out the last letter, it’s fake
    (TEARS)* + Z (the last letter)
     
29 FLORENCE Nightingale in Tuscany
    Double definition – “in Tuscany” is a bit meagre for a definition, but it is, of course, all clear in the end
     
     
Down    
1 BERETS Gambles without hesitation in capital investments
    BETS (gambles) around ER (hesitation)
     
2 UNSETTLED     Not fine, but outstanding
    Double definition – the word ‘but’ is all right within the surface, but as a connector between both definitions, it doesn’t work for me
     
3 DROLL Nobleman rising fifty-odd
    DROL (reversal of  LORD) + L (fifty)
     
4 RESTART Jumping the gun will mean starter will be upset
    (STARTER)* – bit of a cheap anagram, isn’t it?
     
6 UNSHEATHE     Withdraw from the case
    Cryptic definition
     
7 FACET In truth, a point of view
    E (a point) inside FACT (truth)
     
8 EXORCIST His is a dispiriting occupation
    Cryptic definition
     
11 STUD Macho boss
    Double definition
     
15 AGREEMENT Enter game play, make contract
    (ENTER GAME)*
     
17 HANDS DOWN     Easily passes on
    Double definition
     
18 DE GAULLE Due legal process in making a French leader
    (DUE LEGAL)*
     
20 EVER First mate right as always
    EVE (first mate) + R (right)
     
21     ODDBALL Old and bald eccentric? Could be
    (OLD + BALD)* – I wondered whether ‘Could be’ is necessary here or not (my PinC thinks it is)
     
22 SCARCE In panic, a hundred became hard to find
    C (a hundred) inside SCARE (panic)
     
24 PLUGS Softly pulls the stoppers
    P (softly) + LUGS (pulls)
     
25     BAKER     Break arranged for one who works in a hot place
    (BREAK)*
     

 

 

4 comments on “Financial Times 13,944 – Dante”

  2. I think I understand Sil’s reservation on 12ac. but I am not sure if I can articulate properly my own opinion.

    We may speak of a Government having unqualified success in bringing in an administrative measure; we may say that the Minister has not qualified his statement by adding any rider.

    In the second example of mine above, we cannot use ‘total’ instead of ‘not qualified’.

    Yes, we can say “The Minister’s statement is not qualified”; but can we say “The Minister’s statement is total” and mean the same thing?

    However, instead of “unqualified success”, we can indeed say “total success”.

    What I am trying to point out is that we need to derive “unqualified” from “not qualified” before we get ‘total’.

    Does anyone else agree with me?

  3. Qualified can mean ‘limited or restricted, not absolute’, therefore not qualified is absolute or total.

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