Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 17, 2012
Here we have another splendid, and fairly easy, Cincinnus. I applaud especially 9A (REVEL), 17A (NOSEBAG), 8A (ABSTAINER) and 18D (GAUCHOS).
Across
1. CELEBRANT – anagram of TABERN[a]CLE
6. HOSEA – HOSE (water carrier) + A[quarius]. Hosea is a book of the bible.
9. REVEL – R[oedean] + EVE (girl) + L (left). Roedean is an eminent British girls’ school.
10. SEDITIOUS – anagram of OUTSIDE IS
11. BUDDY HOLLY – BUDDY (pal) + [w]HOLLY (one hundred percent rejecting lead)
12. ETNA – reverse hidden word
14. RANKLED – RANK (flagrant) + LED (glower)
15. REFRAIN – double definition
17. NOSEBAG – anagram of NAG OBES[e]
19. BLOATER – [oi]L in BOATER (hat)
20. TAKE – double definition
22. SUPER-DUPER – SUPER (police officer) + DUPER (con artist)
25. NEOLITHIC – anagram of COIL IN THE
26. BROOD – B (bishop) + ROOD (cross)
27. SATIN – AT (at) in SIN (fault)
28. SPARE TYRE – anagram of PEARS + TYRE (old port)
Down
1. CAROB – [h]AR[d] in COB (nut)
2. LOVED ONES – anagram of DOES NOVEL
3. BILLY CLUBS – BILLY (can) + CLUBS (suit)
4. ABSCOND – AB (sailor) + S[e]COND (back lacking energy)
5. TIDDLER – E[at] R[aw] in TIDDLY (drunk). Mmm, sashimi!
6. HUTU – HUT (shelter) + U (posh)
7. SCOOT – S (small) + COOT (bird)
8. ABSTAINER – anagram of SEAT IN BAR
13. AFFORDABLE – A (first class) + FORD (shallow water) in FABLE (story)
14. RINGTONES – anagram of RESTING ON. Note the clever re-use of ‘mobile’.
16. ANTIPHONY – ANTI (not in favour of) + PHONY (false)
18. GAUCHOS – GAUCH[e] (mostly maladroit) + SO (therefore) backwards. I like that Cincinnus uses one French-derived word to clue another and also the so pertinent use of ‘mounted’ as a reversal indicator.
19. BRESCIA – SERB (European) backwards + CIA (security organisation)
21. KNOUT – K[ee]N + OUT (blooming). This was the one word in the puzzle that I did not know.
23. RIDGE – [comin]G in RIDE (journey)
24. MIEN – homophone (“mean”)
I couldn’t get 7d because I had 1a very confidently as as soma -it just had to use tam and o and shanter and mr google later confirmed it http://www.exploroz.com/Places/17970/NSW/Soma_Mountain.aspx.
I also couldn’t get 20a even with t?k?. I would have thought money received was takings not take.
24d also eluded me even with ?i?n.
I guessed 8d but can’t see how it works. Surely an abstainer is a fence sitter not someone who abandons a mattress at the side of the road?
Arrg 12a not 1a
Hi Bamberger, That is most interesting about 12a. In the sense that it means there would be no wasted words in the clue, SOMA works better than ETNA. On the other hand, Mt. Etna is way better known. I have never heard of Mt. Soma — and I have been in NSW.
‘Takings’ is, I fancy, a more common term than ‘take’ for money received but both are frequently heard.
Bamberger @ 1: One type of abstainer is a non-drinker, who is likely to abandon (rather than occupy) a seat in a bar. I don’t understand your comment about a “mattress at the side of the road”.
Pete: Thanks for the blog. I didn’t realize bunk was a synonym for abscond. I’m not sure “takings” is more common than “take” (at least in the US, where we can describe a corrupt official as “on the take”.)
Keeper, thanks for commenting.
I did not understand that “mattress at the side of the road” bit either.
‘Bunk’ by itself can work as a synonym for abscond but ‘do a bunk’ is more common, and actually very common usage, I believe, at least in the UK. I could well be wrong about “takings”.