Monday Prize Crossword/May 11, 2015
A friendly Falcon crossword, surely very much welcomed by those who miss the Everyman old style. It can be found here , just in case.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | STRATEGY |
Plan to wander around Turkey’s capital, say (8)
STRAY (to wander) around {T[urkey] + EG (say)} |
| 5 | POWWOW |
Petty Officer and wife, sensational success in meeting (6)
PO (Petty Officer) + W (wife) + WOW (sensational success) |
| 10 | ON PAPER |
Operating daily, in theory (2,5)
ON (operating) + PAPER (daily) |
| 11 | ARBITER |
Rarebit cooked for judge (7)
(RAREBIT)* [* = cooked] |
| 12 | AGREE |
A nearly new suit (5)
A + GREE[n] (new, nearly) |
| 13 | AUDITORIA |
Check on old artist touring independent theatres (9)
AUDIT (check)+ O (old) + {RA (artist) around I (independent)} |
| 14 | DRESSING GOWN |
Sauce on dress and robe (8,4)
DRESSING (sauce) + GOWN (dress) A pity that we have ‘dress’ in the clue itself. |
| 18 | CALL THE SHOTS |
Exercise control over what the photographer takes? (4,3,5)
Definition plus a cryptic extension |
| 21 | RADICCHIO |
I’d a chicory mostly growing wild, an Italian variety? (9)
(I’D A CHICOR[y])* [* = growing wild] Clever, radicchio is indeed a variety of chicory. |
| 23 | CREDO |
Set of beliefs, note, held by Conservative party (5)
RE (note) inside {C (Conservative) + DO (party)} |
| 24 | AMATEUR |
A strange team game, recalled layman (7)
A+ (TEAM)* + UR (reversal (‘recalled’) of RU (game, Rugby Union)) [* = strange] |
| 25 | REALIST |
Pragmatic type in Israel, wasted little time (7)
(ISRAEL)* + T ((little) time) [* = wasted] |
| 26 | ERSATZ |
Mock some keepers at zoo (6)
Hidden solution (‘some’): [keep]ERS AT Z[oo] |
| 27 | BETHESDA |
Wager heads turned in chapel (8)
BET (wager) + (HEADS)* [* = turned] |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SLOGAN |
Work hard on an advertising catchphrase (6)
SLOG (work hard) + AN |
| 2 | REPORT |
Rumour about fortified wine (6)
RE (about) + PORT (fortified wine) |
| 3 | TOP SECRET |
Street cop, potentially restricted (3,6)
(STREET COP)* [* = potentially] |
| 4 | GERMAN SHEPHERD |
European female departs holding lead of poodle, her dog (6,8)
{GERMAN (European) + SHE (female) + D (departs)} around {P[oodle] + HER} |
| 6 | ORBIT |
Complete circuit, or small part (5)
OR + BIT (small part) |
| 7 | WATERLOO |
Battle station (8)
Double definition |
| 8 | WAR PAINT |
Trouble hiding blemish? Just the opposite with cosmetics (3,5)
WART (blemish) around PAIN (trouble), instead of the other way around |
| 9 | SANDWICH COURSE |
On which one will study, in part, Royal St George’s? (8,6)
Double definition Royal St George is a Golf Club located in Sandwich (Kent). |
| 15 | GATECRASH |
Upset at charges, attend uninvited (9)
(AT CHARGES)* [* = upset] |
| 16 | SCARFACE |
Capone’s type of joint – marvellous (8)
SCARF (joint) + ACE (marvellous) |
| 17 | GLAD RAGS |
Jokes about boy heading for Roedean in best clothes (4,4)
GAGS (jokes) around {LAD (boy) + R[oedean]} |
| 19 | GENIUS |
I must get information on American virtuoso (6)
GEN (information) + I + US (American) |
| 20 | PORTIA |
Left one by a rich heiress (6)
PORT (left) + I (one) + A Think: The Merchant Of Venice. |
| 22 | CHEAT |
Talk about conclusion of bizarre con (5)
CHAT (talk) around [bizarr]E |
Wonderful crossword by Falcon much missed as Everyman. I couldn’t get 12a or 20d but I’m content with getting all the rest I about 30 mins.
Thanks Falcon and Sil
A typical Falcon puzzle that was mostly straightforward with a couple of little stings in the tail with the clever SCARFACE and AGREE the last couple in.
Didn’t like the two long across clues – 14a for the reason stated by Sil and in 15a surely the photographer ‘takes the shots’ or perhaps ‘calls the shots’ … but the clue has it that he/she ‘takes calls the shots’ !
On the other hand, thought that 9d, RADICCHIO and SCARFACE were very good.
Think 15a is All the shots for the second half but needs something for the C.
Another antipodean who has followed the recent contributions re Allan Scott and the new Everyman with interest and who followed up on the suggestion to pursue the recommended source of FT crosswords from Sil van den Hoek!! Who I see has written the above blog!! A big thankyou-I have an entertaining puzzle for Sundays (in addition to the Saturday Herald) and hope that others down here also avail themselves of this opportunity.
I read 18a as the “photographer” takes “the shots” exercise control=”call the shots” and was happy enough-it was one of my first in. Lots of lovely clues which gave quite a thrill when solved. Particularly the smart hidden ones 26a! I liked 1a,5a,21a,4d, (some kiwis might struggle with) 9d,17d and 16d was super, my loi.
Thanks to Falcon and again to Sil
What a thrill to find this puzzle! Thanks to Sil for directing us here. Didn’t get Scarface but got all the rest even 9d eventually, though it was new to me. Thanks Falcon. Hope I can find the next one.
Hope I can find the next one?
Well, the next one by Falcon is here:
http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/32896d72-ffc4-11e4-bc30-00144feabdc0.pdf
Alternatively, you can go to the FT website:
http://www.ft.com/life-arts/crossword.
The most recent Falcon puzzle is dated June 1 2015 (# 14,945)
Hope this helps.