Monday Prize Crossword / May 18, 2015
A good crossword by Crux to start off another FT week.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TAP DANCE |
Measure water supply first, and step lively! (3-5)
DANCE (measure) preceded by TAP (water supply) |
| 5 | SMITHS |
They are widely known to be forgers (6)
Double definition The first one refers to the popularity of the surname Smith. |
| 9 | STAMP OUT |
Scotch and beer may ensnare a politician (5,3)
STOUT (beer) around A MP (politician) |
| 10 | CRITIC |
One quick-on-the-flaw, you might say (6)
Cryptic definition My LOI and, in my opinion, not the best clue of an otherwise enjoyable set. Crux is probably punning on the expression ‘quick on the draw’. |
| 12 | NIECE |
Female relative returning from Greece incognito (5)
Hidden solution (‘from’): [gre]ECE IN[cognito], then reversed (‘returning’) |
| 13 | LEND AN EAR |
Pay attention to make an organ donation (4,2,3)
Double definition, the second one cryptic (or literal) |
| 14 | PISCES |
Last sign of cooked food outside rescue centre (6)
PIES (cooked food) around [re]SC[ue] The twelfth sign of the Zodiac, about 20 February to 20 March. |
| 16 | SEISMIC |
Hugely significant size Mick is said to be (7)
Homophone (‘is said to be’) of: SIZE MICK |
| 19 | AT NIGHT |
After dark a drunk needs direction (2,5)
A + TIGHT (drunk) with inside (‘needs’) N (direction) |
| 21 | GREASE |
Endless vast ocean featuring in a musical (6)
GREA[t] SE[a] (vast ocean), both minus the last letter (‘endless’) |
| 23 | MAJOR PART |
Shaw’s Barbara definitely plays one (5,4)
Cryptic definition George Bernard Shaw wrote a play called Major Barbara (1905). |
| 25 | OCHRE |
Colour regularly found among coach-horses (5)
Regular selection of: [c]O[a]C[h] H[o]R[s]E[s] |
| 26 | UPDATE |
At university a meeting can be brief (6)
UP (at university) + DATE (a meeting) |
| 27 | TV DINNER |
Fine fare for a couch-potato? (2,6)
Cryptic definition |
| 28 | HASTEN |
Race held in Athens, maybe (6)
(ATHENS)* [* = maybe] Almost done with the Across clues and this is only the first anagram! |
| 29 | SNUGGERY |
German spy finally tracks weapons back to the bar-parlour (8)
{GER (German) + [sp]Y} following (‘tracks’) SNUG (reversal (‘back’) of GUNS (weapons)) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | TISANE |
It’s possibly an energy drink like tea (6)
(IT’S)* + AN + E (energy) [* = possibly] Tisane is a herbal tea (infusion). Strictly speaking Crux could have left out ‘like tea’. |
| 2 | PEACE SIGN |
Digital V gesture that’s not at all offensive (5,4)
Kind of cryptic definition ‘Digital’ tells us that it’s about the V sign made by using our fingers, and ‘peace’ is not something that’s ‘offensive’. So, there you are. |
| 3 | AMPLE |
A good number try to go topless (5)
[s]AMPLE (try, topless i.e. without the first letter) |
| 4 | COUPLES |
2s in fuzzy close-up (7)
(CLOSE UP)* [* = fuzzy] |
| 6 | MARGARINE |
Fat horse fed with special grain (9)
MARE (horse) around (GRAIN)* [* = special] |
| 7 | TITHE |
It goes up on the tenth (5)
TI (it, going up) + THE |
| 8 | SACK RACE |
Kick out the competition? You couldn’t in this! (4,4)
SACK (kick out) + RACE (the competition), the definition is kind of cryptic |
| 11 | ONUS |
Bishop is free of an extra responsibility (4)
BONUS (extra) minus B (bishop) |
| 15 | CIGARETTE |
Tragic French and English mix-up we’ve been warned about (9)
(TRAGIC + ET (and, French) + E (English))* [* = mix-up] The definition is ‘something that we’ve been warned about’. I know, a lot of setters use it but I am not very keen on these half-definitions. It’s in the same category as ‘in France’ when we mean ‘somewhere in France’. |
| 17 | MISCHANCE |
Accident caused by careless mechanics (9)
(MECHANICS)* [* = careless] |
| 18 | FALMOUTH |
Half-wrecked about a short mile off port (8)
(HALF)* around {M (a mile, short) + OUT (off)} [* = wrecked] |
| 20 | TRAP |
There’s a danger in role reversal (4)
Reversal of PART (role) |
| 21 | GET EVEN |
To retaliate, score any double (3,4)
Double definition |
| 22 | HEARTY |
He’s over-ostentatious yet friendly (6)
HE + ARTY (over-ostentatious) I took ‘over’ as part of the definition for ‘arty’ (as it’s often linked with being pretentious). However, ignoring punctuation, some might see this as HE going above (‘over’) ARTY. |
| 24 | JUDAS |
Traitor just half sorry to be retiring (5)
JU[st] + DAS (reversal (‘retiring’) of SAD (sorry)) |
| 25 | OWING |
Outstanding old part of mansion (5)
O (old) + WING (part of mansion) |
Thanks Crux and Sil
Reasonably straightforward and enjoyable. Finished up in the NW corner with PEACE SIGN, TAP DANCE and AMPLE the last three in.
Initially entered MAJOR ROLE at 23a, which I fixed with GET BACK at 21d which in turn had to be corrected to GET EVEN !!
Hadn’t heard of SNUGGERY (SNUG) in the context of a bar before and was worried about having to find a two letter word ending in V after realising that 21d was in fact GET EVEN.
Liked GREASE and smiled when I got TAP DANCE.
Thanks Crux and Sil.
I cantered through this in about 15 mins but came here to check the parsing of a couple of clues – including 1 and 23ac and 8 down – in case I’d missed something (which I hadn’t).
It’s funny how tastes vary. Whilst I thought a lot of the clueing a bit lame, the ones I liked were not to your taste Sil. ‘Critic’ I liked even though I got it straight away and I also liked the half-definition for cigarette.