Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 26, 2012
I found this a slightly more difficult puzzle than usual for Cincinnus. It has considerably more letter-removal clues than is typical and a great anagram in 29A (HENLEY-ON-THAMES). I also like 1A (AUTOBIOGRAPHER), 16A (CYPRESSES), 22A (SATCHEL) and 18D (STIMULATE).
Across
1. AUTOBIOGRAPHER – anagram of AUTHOR OR BIG APE with a nice cryptic definition
10. AWFUL – [l]AWFUL (allowed to scratch head)
11. ENCHANTER – [m]EN (men not married) + CHANTER (singer)
12. FREIGHT – FR (French) + EIGHT (boat)
13. INSIPID – IN (popular) + SIP (drink) + ID (I had)
14. RUING – [b]RUIN (bear heading off) + G[rowl]
16. CYPRESSES – C[owbo]Y + PRESSES (hugs)
19. BAGATELLE – A (a) + GAT[eau] (cake that’s been cut in half) both in BELLE (dish)
20. KRILL – R (right) in KILL (ice)
22. SATCHEL – hidden word
25. CONQUER – CON (trick) + QUER[y] (question, not entirely)
27. ENTOURAGE – ENCOURAGE (cheer) with C (clubs) replaced by T (time)
28. ROAMS – homophone (“Rome’s”)
29. HENLEY-ON-THAMES – anagram of THE HOLY MAN SEEN
Down
2. UNFEELING – UNDERLING (subordinate) with DER (German article) replaced by FEE (payment)
3. OFLAG – O (old) + FLAG (standard)
4. IDENTICAL – anagram of IN CITADEL
5. GUCCI – initial letters G[ear] U[p] C[reating] C[ottage] I[ndustry]
6. ADAMS PEAK – A (a) + DAM (barrier) + SPEAK (say). Adam’s Peak is a mountain in Sri Lanka.
7. HET UP – EH (what) backwards + TUP (sheep)
8. REREDOS – [mo]RE + RED (colour) + OS (very big)
9. GAFFER – GAFFE (mistake) + R[ing]
15. GATEHOUSE – GA (Georgia) + anagram of THE + OUSE (river)
17. PRESCIENT – C (about) + I (one) together in PRESENT (current)
18. STIMULATE – anagram of TALE I MUST
19. BESEECH – S[pac]E in BEECH (wood)
21. LYRIST – YR (year) in LIST (register)
23. TITAN – homophone (“tighten”)
24. LLANO – L (large) + N[arrow] in LAO (Asian). Llano is the Spanish word for plain — I had to look this up. And I corrected the explanation thanks to comment #1.
26. NORMA – hidden word
Thanks Pete, and Cincinnus.
Agree it was slightly more tricky than usual. Liked the 2 long Acrosses, and BAGATELLE, amongst others.
I think 24D LLANO is N(opening letter of narrow) contained in L(large) LAO(an Asian, from Laos). Took me some time to figure it out.
And thank you, scchua. Your explanation makes much more sense. I had thought it strange that that clue apparently involved two obscure things. I have corrected the explanation.
Failed on
6d -even with a?a?s ?e?k I had no idea and simply had never heard of the place.
24d With l?a?o, I needed a solver and several didn’t come up with it.
Thanks Pete
I had all the answers penciled in but couldn’t see the cryptic reasoning for 2D, 7D, 8D, 20A and 28A.
I assumed ICE must = Kill but have’nt been able to see it in any of the on-line dictionaries.
I see now that I got 28A wrong. I had written in RIADS. Still not happy with the meaning of the word “ranges”.
John
I originally got 28A wrong! I had ROADS as a homophone for Rhodes, the city that was the historical capital of the island of the same name. Then I realized it did not exactly fit the clue.