Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 2, 2014
I made my way quickly through this puzzle. Only 5d gave me a little trouble. My top clues are 1a (SEMI-PRECIOUS), 13a (GLADIOLI) and 9d (MINIATURE GOLF).
With this puzzle I am starting the practice of underlining definitions in clues as several other bloggers here do.
ACROSS
1 Millions invested in shoddy piece, ours is not very valuable (4-8)
SEMI-PRECIOUS – M (millions) in anagram of PIECE OURS IS
10 Promise clothes set to be woven in fine yarn (7)
WORSTED – anagram of SET in WORD (promise)
11 Conclusion deducted in a month, or one that’s deductive (1,6)
A PRIORI – APRI[l] (conclusion deducted in a month) + OR (or) + I (one)
12 Fine to be unqualified (5)
SHEER – double definition
13 Willing something saucy, remove top – and bloomers! (8)
GLADIOLI – GLAD (willing) + [a]IOLI (something saucy, remove top)
15 Unfathomable, exposing oneself? (10)
BOTTOMLESS – double definition
16 Suspect image of thief, I think? (1-3)
E-FIT – hidden word
18 Side – or base? (4)
CAMP – double definition
20 Unacceptable to be not working (3,2,5)
OUT OF ORDER – double definition
22 Channel screening Spice Girl in panties and bra, say? (8)
LINGERIE – GERI (Spice Girl) in LINE (channel)
24 Emulating a game, abandon second half (5)
APING – A (a) + PING [pong] (game, abandon second half)
26 Blissful state runs through terrible man in central Panama (7)
NIRVANA – R (runs) in IVAN (terrible man) together in [pa]NA[ma]
27 Minor case involving first parts of irregular verbs (7)
TRIVIAL – I[rregular] V[erbs] in TRIAL (case)
28 Tapping sound, as prettier tap dancing captivates theatre, initially (6-6)
PITTER-PATTER – T[heatre] in anagram of PRETTIER TAP
DOWN
2 Serious point about France, though odd bits missed (7)
EARNEST – [f]R[a]N[c}]E (France, though odd bits missed) in EAST (point)
3 Private pub more sorrowful, they say? (8)
INTERIOR – homophone (“inn tearier”)
4 Blue cross, by the sound of it? (4)
RUDE – homophone (“rood”)
5 Soul-bearing man embraces that dance (10)
CHARLESTON – LEST (that) in CHARON (soul-bearing man). Are we happy with ‘that’ cluing LEST? Surely ‘lest’ means, in a sense, ‘that not’.
6 Describing a boat that’s flown, heading off (5)
OARED – [s]OARED (flown, heading off)
7 Entertainment cancelled for poseur (4-3)
SHOW-OFF – SHOW (entertainment) + OFF (cancelled)
8 Adventurous supporter about to sponge money (13)
SWASHBUCKLING – WASH (sponge) + BUCK (money) together in SLING (supporter)
9 Putting entertainment on film, argue it’s rubbish (9,4)
MINIATURE GOLF – anagram of ON FILM ARGUE IT
14 Ailing a minute, flickering light (10)
ILLUMINATE – ILL (ailing) + anagram of A MINUTE
17 Test in film for puritan (8)
MORALIST – ORAL (test) in MIST (film)
19 “Catcher”, word repeated quietly (7)
MANTRAP – MANTRA (word repeated) + P (quietly)
21 Resolve to arrest individual for divine crime (7)
DEICIDE – I (individual) in DECIDE (resolve). Deicide is, of course, the killing of a god.
23 It’s no longer happening? That’s absolutely right! (5)
EXACT – EX (it’s no longer) + ACT (happening)
25 Kitchen items turning up in foil (4)
STOP – POTS (kitchen items) backwards
I wasn’t entirely happy with ‘that’ as a synonym for ‘lest’ in 5D.
As in ‘lest we forget’ it means so that we do NOT forget.
‘Lest’ may also mean ‘for fear that’.
Thanks to Pete and Mudd
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Also found this on the easier side for Mudd – all done in two short sessions.
Agree with the concern about LEST.
Last in was APING but only because that’s where I ended up in the grid. No other real highlights !
I too found it relatively easy by Mudd’s standards (and no less enjoyable for that). However, I do agree with the reservations about LEST; and, probably because I’m ancient, I still don’t understand how CAMP is a double definition. Anyway, thanks to both Pete and Mudd as usual.
Hi Hornbeam
Someone could be said to be the far-left camp – ie in a party or group of supporters (side)
and obviously a camp can be a temporary base of, for example, an army.
Actually one of Chambers’ definitions for CAMP is a permanent military base and this is seen in how the US names some its army bases. For example, Camp Shelby and Camp San Luis Obispo.