Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 22, 2014
I finished this puzzle in one sitting, something that does not happen often. This is not to say I found it completely easy; 11a and 4d stumped me for a while. I think 3d (ASTRONOMER ROYAL) is a gem and I also especially like 24a (GREY WHALE) and 19d (LAGOON).
ACROSS
1 Part of France expected result with Brittany, finally (8)
NORMANDY – NORM (expected result) + AND (with) + [brittan]Y
5 European endlessly featured in clip showing capital city (6)
MOSCOW – SCO[t] (European endlessly) in MOW (clip)
10 Whole number in France, share of the profit (5)
UNCUT – UN (number in France) + CUT (share of the profit)
11 Four times sugar spilt in European city (9)
STUTTGART – anagram of TTTT (four times) and SUGAR
12 Gold hits or awful dirge in the end OK (9)
AUTHORISE – AU (gold) + anagram of HITS OR + [dirg]E
13 Ashes stirred by this game (5)
POKER – double definition
14 Stick in money that’s an imitation (6)
PARODY – ROD (stick) in PAY (money)
15 US city where expert has a look (7)
BUFFALO – BUFF (expert) + A (a) + LO (look)
18 Writer’s depression will end shortly, perhaps, capturing last character in book (7)
INKWELL – [boo]K in anagram of WILL EN[d] with a cryptic definition
20 A number of fish streaming in here? (6)
SCHOOL – double definition
22 Nation’s queen not quite overthrown (5)
NIGER – REGIN[a] (queen not quite) backwards
24 Possibly why large creature ultimately is a large creature (4,5)
GREY WHALE – anagram of WHY LARGE [creatur]E
25 Piece of china got by a varmint, not mint, broken (5,4)
GRAVY BOAT – anagram of GOT BY A VAR[mint]
26 Rule that’s a comedown, it’s said (5)
REIGN – homophone (“rain”)
27 Tail of wet fish in a mess (6)
TANGLE – [we]T + ANGLE (fish)
28 Red is of prime importance (8)
CARDINAL – double definition
DOWN
1 Something sweet restored to a gun (6)
NOUGAT – anagram oF TO A GUN
2 Course people follow (9)
RACETRACK – RACE (people) + TRACK (follow)
3 Queen’s official looking up his remit? (10,5)
ASTRONOMER ROYAL – double/cryptic definition
4 Fate stops short of one minute (7)
DESTINY – D[i]ES (stops short of one) + TINY (minute)
6 Was Peary the first to be so happy? (2,3,2,3,5)
ON TOP OF THE WORLD – double definition
7 First-rate joke (5)
CRACK – double definition
8 Conflict keeping the empty little chamber in battle (8)
WATERLOO – T[h]E in WAR (conflict) + LOO (little chamber)
9 Great to get by in transport underwater (6)
SUPERB – PER (by) in SUB (transport underwater)
16 A party allocation showing passionate allegiance (9)
ADORATION – A (a) + DO (party) + RATION (allocation)
17 Strength required to pen papers before noon – or much later? (8)
MIDNIGHT – ID (papers) + N (noon) together in MIGHT (strength)
19 Thug from Hollywood? One’s quite shallow (6)
LAGOON – LA (Hollywood) + GOON (thug)
20 Painting mushrooms from below, rainbows seen (7)
SPECTRA – ART (painting) + CEPS (mushrooms) all backwards
21 Fresh meat passed round the Navy (6)
VERNAL – RN (the Navy) in VEAL (meat)
23 Profit about right for cereal crop (5)
GRAIN – R (right) in GAIN (profit)
Many thanks Pete for another Prize blog.
You probably meant it right but you made a little mistake in 24ac. It should be: an anagram of WHY LARGE + [creatur]E.
D’oh! Yes, I got sloppy there. Thanks for pointing it out, Sil. I have made the correction.
I liked 6D even though I had not heard of Robert Peary, the American explorer, who claimed to have reached the North Pole.
Thanks to Pete for his blog and to Mudd for setting an enjoyable puzzle,
Ah, I should have pointed out who Robert Peary was.