Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 1, 2013
This was not my favourite Mudd. I found the puzzle both difficult and relatively unrewarding. I do applaud three fine clues, 22A (NORWAY), 7D (KOHLRABI) and 16D (ABERDEEN). Those I found most challenging, although entirely fair, were 15D (WRANGLER) and 17D (OKLAHOMA). And one clue I consider poor is 13D (BARBERSHOP) since there is not enough material in the clue to leave one confident that BARBERSHOP is in fact the right answer.
ACROSS
1 Spanish city, for example, lacking a language (8)
MALAGASY – MALAGA (Spanish city) + S[a]Y (for example, lacking a). I did not know but easily guessed that Malagasy is a language as well as a country.
5 One gets agitated seeing fish during supper, gutted (6)
SHAKER – HAKE (fish) in S[uppe]R
9 Replacing thespian in factory, a lilac sort of make-up so applied? (8)
FACIALLY – anagram of LILAC in F[actor]Y (replacing thespian)
10 Plant border in chaos (6)
MAY (plant) + HEM (border)
11 Folding screen, it is behind closed doors (2,6)
IN SECRET – anagram of SCREEN IT
12 Bottom, not middle, in old money (6)
FLORIN – FL[o]OR (bottom, not middle) + IN (in). A florin was the name for a two-shilling piece in British currency prior to decimalisation.
14 With noble bait, a fishy within one’s grasp (10)
OBTAINABLE – anagram of NOBLE BAIT A
18 Twisted puzzle horribly sick, anyone can see – solver’s assistant almost grasping it? (6,4)
RUBIKS CUBE – anagram of SICK + U (anyone can see) in RUBBE[r] (solver’s assistant almost). The ‘U’ here refers to ‘universal’ in film ratings.
22 Absolutely not describing central Mediterranean country (6)
NORWAY – [medite]R[ranean] in NO WAY (absolutely not)
23 Catalogue ignores a fake (8)
ORGANISE – anagram of IGNORES A
24 Hide last of treasure in mattress close to pillow (3,3)
LIE LOW – [treasur]E in LILO (mattress) + [pillo]W
25 Boy Scouts, say, imbibing hot drink (8)
CHAMPERS – H (hot) in CAMPERS (Boy Scouts, say). ‘Champers’ is a common nickname for champagne in the U.K.
26 Payment afterwards retrieved, including unspecified amount (6)
RENTAL – N (unspecified amount) in LATER (afterwards) backwards
27 Single woman turns thirty, early retirement starts (8)
SPINSTER – SPINS (turns) + T[hirty] E[arly] R[etirement]
DOWN
1 Cake failin’ (6)
MUFFIN – MUFFIN[g] (failin’)
2 Stripper failed to entertain scum after peeling off (6)
LOCUST – [s]CU[m] in LOST (failed). Cute definition!
3 Overcoming weapon, good deflection (6)
GLANCE – G (good) + LANCE (weapon)
4 “gA” for gorilla? (10)
SILVERBACK – reverse cryptic
6 Stripe beneath top star (8)
HEADLINE – HEAD (top) + LINE (stripe)
7 I abhor kale, oddly revolting vegetable (8)
KOHLRABI – anagram of I ABHOR K[a]L[e]
8 Balance short of a note (8)
REMINDER – REM{a]INDER (balance short of a)
13 Music from the Cutting Crew? (10)
BARBERSHOP – cryptic definition. Cutting Crew are an English rock group. Would the clue not be better without the ‘the’?
15 Manipulator putting oar in finally – as rower? (8)
WRANGLER – [oa]R in WANGLER (manipulator)
16 A river passing through capital city in Europe (8)
ABERDEEN – A (a) + DEE (river) in BERN (capital)
17 Fine priest’s carried home half cut, in a state (8)
OKLAHOMA – OK (fine) + HO[me] in LAMA (priest)
19 Entering 13, male high-jumper (6)
SALMON – M (male) in SALON (13). I had this wrong in my original posting as BARMAN – BAR (entering 13) + MAN (male).
20 Dry in taste, getting cross (6)
BISECT – SEC (dry) in BIT (taste)
21 Flirt’s problem? (6)
TEASER – double definition
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