Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 25, 2014
I found this puzzle easy. My favourite clues are 11a (BUGBEAR) and 18d (ANDORRA). I also note the cleverness of starting two consecutive clues, 19a and 22a, with the same phrase (“Time and trouble taken to find”).
ACROSS
1 A drop of rouge in small restaurant in appropriate container (6)
CARAFE – A (a) + R[ouge] together in CAFE (small restaurant)
4 King inside watched criminal struck forcibly (8)
THWACKED – anagram of K (king) WATCHED
9 On radio, remained composed (5)
STAID – homophone (“stayed”)
10 Ring America following very brief period of great significance (9)
MOMENTOUS – MOMENT (very brief period) + O (ring) + US (America)
11 Having insect land on shoulder is a pet hate (7)
BUGBEAR – BUG (insect) + BEAR (shoulder)
12 Attacking player in match? (7)
STRIKER – double definition
13 Stuff about sheep (4)
CRAM – C (about) + RAM (sheep)
14 They can carry water from river feeding places set apart for games (8)
PITCHERS – R (river) in PITCHES (places set apart for games)
17 Calibre of dear item misplaced (8)
DIAMETER – anagram of DEAR ITEM
19 Time and trouble taken to find private eye (4)
T (time) + AIL (trouble)
22 Time and trouble taken to find retriever (4,3)
BIRD DOG – BIRD (time) + DOG (trouble). I easily guessed the answer from checked letters but did not know the wordplay meanings of either ‘bird’ or ‘dog’! ‘Bird’ apparently can refer to prison time.
24 Regular high fliers in first class, heading for Riyadh, boasted (7)
AIRCREW – AI (first class) + R[iyadh] + CREW (boasted)
25 Antagonist in graveyard’s decapitated, spookily (9)
ADVERSARY – anagram of [g]RAVEYARDS
26 Quietly departed leaving trophy (5)
PLATE – P (quietly) + LATE (departed)
27 Name US conductor coming from former French province (8)
NORMANDY – N (name) + [Eugene] ORMANDY (US conductor)
28 More than one young lad, losing seconds initially, acts indecisively (6)
HAVERS – [s]HAVERS (more than one young lad, losing seconds initially)
DOWN
1 Conservative has shifted support for supermarket service (8)
CASHBACK – C (Conservative) + anagram of HAS + BACK (support)
2 End distribution of a drug for detachment (9)
REARGUARD – REAR (end) + anagram of A DRUG
3 Food favourite and more rum (6)
FODDER – F (favourite) + ODDER (more rum). In what context is F used to abbreviate favourite? In betting perhaps? Ah, it’s in greyhound racing — see the first comment below.
5 Digs private lines flanking a minister (4,9)
HOME SECRETARY – HOME (digs) + SECRET (private) + A (a) + RY (lines)
6 Racecourse trainer mostly worried about Epsom’s opener (7)
AINTREE – E[psom] in anagram of TRAINER
7 In shock, so I keeled over in booth (5)
KIOSK – reverse hidden word
8 Leave course, reportedly (6)
DESERT – homophone (“dessert”). Not strictly a true homophone by any pronunciation I am familiar with but close enough.
10 German elder in comic German opera (6,7)
MERRIE ENGLAND – anagram of GERMAN ELDER IN
15 Leader of 24 in commotion on trial flight (9)
STAIRCASE – A[ircrew] (leader of 24) in STIR (commotion) + CASE (trial)
16 Female, unruly, could become perfect (8)
FLAWLESS – F (female) + LAWLESS (unruly)
18 Road ran out in mountainous country (7)
ANDORRA – anagram of ROAD RAN
20 Get boat repaired at home (6)
OBTAIN – anagram of BOAT + IN (at home)
21 Doctor receiving rebuke over a brandy (6)
GRAPPA – RAP (rebuke) in GP (doctor) + A (a)
23 In right state, one talking incoherently (5)
RAVER – R (right) + AVER (state)
Thanks for the blog, Pete.
I had the same question about F and favourite. Well, apparently, it’s an abbreviation in greyhound racing: http://greyhoundracing.ie/greyhound-racing-abbreviations/
Thanks as ever.
I got, but did not like, 24 ac. To me the past of “to crow” (to boast) is crowed, not crew.
Had no trouble with 8d as a homophone. Maybe the pronunciation is a regional thing.
Malcolm
Aha! Thanks, Keeper.
It did not occur to me at the time of solving or blogging but I too would always use “crowed”. “Crew” just sounds wrong to me. However Chambers does list it as a valid past form of the verb crow. Thanks, Malcolm.