Financial Times 14,490 by Mudd

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Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 7, 2013

I found this puzzle a bit difficult, especially the centre section. This particular grid, with each corner intersecting with only one letter each of the centre, makes it a little tougher than most before one even starts on the clues. I believe that one clue, 15A (NAIL) must be faulty. My favourites are 12 (SLATTERN), 7D (UNCOOL) and 14D (CHEETAH).

And I am a couple of hours late in getting this blog posted. Sorry.

ACROSS
1 Challenge story about crook, Australian native having escaped (6)
TACKLE – C[roo]K (crook, Australian native having escaped) in TALE (story)
4 Curry that’s sensational! (3,5)
HOT STUFF – double definition
9. Nervous individual, loveless old magistrate (2,4)
ON EDGE – ONE (individual) + D[o]GE (loveless old magistrate)
10 Imbecile bagging double century, a north African (8)
MOROCCAN – A (a) + CC (double century) in MORON (imbecile)
12 Harlot taking one pole after – another? (8)
SLATTERN – S (one pole) + LATTER (after) + N (another [pole])
13 Pet rower (6)
STROKE – double definition
15 Arrest nefarious arsonist and larcenist initially (4)
NAIL – N[efarious] A[rsonist] and L[arcenist]. This clue is apparently broken in that there is nothing to indicate the ‘I’ in NAIL.
16 Habit observed in close game (7)
NIGHTIE – NIGH (close) + TIE (game)
20 Barge carrying less cargo? (7)
LIGHTER – double/cryptic definition
21 Phoney bar overhauled (4)
LIAR – RAIL (bar) reversed
25 In herb, dill essentially is animal feed (6)
SILAGE – [d]IL[l] in SAGE (herb)
26 Old mammal mashing toads during the day (8)
MASTODON – anagram of TOADS in MON (the day)
28 Prayer of interest to all (8)
CATHOLIC – double definition
29 Hammer, hook, line and sinker confiscated by the police (6)
MALLET – ALL (hook, line and sinker) in MET (the police)
30 Stretch toe, angle crooked (8)
ELONGATE – anagram of TOE ANGLE
31 Pay incorporated with ‘ouse (6)
INCOME – INC (incorporated) + [h]OME (‘ouse)

DOWN
1 South winds accompanied by a couple of monkeys in total? (8)
THOUSAND – anagram oF SOUTH + AND (accompanied by). The definition here is “a couple of monkeys in total” which depends on the slang meaning of ‘monkey’ as an amount of £500.
2 Cold twisted metal is for plant (8)
CLEMATIS – C (cold) + anagram of METAL IS
3 Member worried papal emissary (6)
LEGATE – LEG (member) + ATE (worried)
5 Bald tramp on English instrument (4)
OBOE – [h]OBO (bald tramp) + E (English)
6 Suspiciously, she and I welcoming dubious charmer (8)
SMOOTHIE – MOOT (dubious) in anagram of SHE I
7 Warm out? (6)
UNCOOL – double/cryptic definition
8 Good, more elegant dresses, one on hand (6)
FINGER – G (good) in FINER (more elegant)
11 Father figure in transport of goods (7)
FREIGHT – FR (father) + EIGHT (figure)
14 Articulate rogue for a quickie? (7)
CHEETAH – homophone (“cheater”) with a cute cryptic definition
17 Battle of the campanologists? (4-4)
DING-DONG – cryptic definition. The meaning of ‘battle’ for ding-dong here was new to me.
18 Bordeaux served with first of dhansaks and Indian potato – 4 across! (8)
VINDALOO – VIN (Bordeaux) + D[hansaks] + ALOO (Indian potato)
19 Animal about to trap girl unlike Goldilocks? (8)
BRUNETTE – NET (trap) in BRUTE (animal)
22 Soul man supporting Paul Simon, Yazz and Cher for starters (6)
PSYCHE – P[aul] S[imon] Y[azz] C[her] + HE (man)
23 Game of chance after first of bombs – under the table! (6)
BLOTTO – B[ombs] + LOTTO (game of chance)
24 An air of pressure? (6)
STRAIN – double definition
27 Film clip from Stepmom is tedious (4)
MIST – hidden word

8 comments on “Financial Times 14,490 by Mudd”

  2. I agree 15 didn’t work as a clue. Couldn’t get 6 14 and 16.
    17. Round our way a “right old ding-dong” is a heated argument, which if it gets physical could be described as a battle so had no trouble with it.

  3. Thanks Pete.

    One of your favourites (SLATTERN, 12ac) was the only one I couldn’t get.
    Perhaps, I was misled by the use of the dash in clue.
    I still cannot see why it is there.

    As others say, 15ac is most certainly a mistake.
    If it is, a strange one too. At the moment I cannot think of an alternative for ‘and’ starting with I.

    My penultimate entry was CATHOLIC (28ac).
    I am not a believer and therefore I took ‘catholic’ = ‘prayer’ for granted. But it is not in my dictionaries.

  4. Sil, It seems to me that one could get away with interpreting 15ac (NAIL) such that the ‘and’ is not one of the words whose initial is to be used. Then one could make it, say: Arrest nefarious arsonist and ‘ilarious larcenist initially (4)

    Too precious in its rhyming? Okay, then how about: Arrest nefarious arsonist and ignominious larcenist initially (4)

    I suspected at first glance that 28ac (CATHOLIC) was a weak clue. Even if both definitions were justified, it seems that they would be too close.

    Malcolm, Thanks for the dope on ding-dong.

  5. Hi Pete, obviously something has gone awry with 15ac, I thought that originally it might have had “infamous” before larcenist but who knows?

  6. I took the word “prayer” in 28 to mean “one who prays” rather than its ordinary meaning. Catholics certainly don’t have a monopoly on praying, but I think they stand out in that regard.

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