Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 30, 2015
Thank you Magwitch for this relatively easy puzzle with a few fine clues. My clue of the week is a beauty, 15d (ABOLITION). Other favourites are 9a (ACTIVATE), 28a (NEATNESS) and 25d (SMART).
ACROSS
1 Perfect end to headscarf rule by the French South (8)
FLAWLESS – [headscar]F + LAW (rule) + LES (the French) + S (south)
5 Seasoned layers of prime sandalwood (10%), pine (50%) and cedar (60%) (6)
SPICED – S[andalwood] + PI[ne] + CED[ar]
9 Set off for a vet with cat I mistreated (8)
ACTIVATE – anagram of A VET CAT I
10 Annoying quirk in government’s contribution (6)
IRKING – hidden word
12 Corners offspring about accepting agreement (5)
NOOKS – OK (agreement) in SON (offspring) backwards
13 Former copper’s limitless stories can be justified (9)
EXCUSABLE – EX (former) + CUS (copper’s) + [f]ABLE[s] (limitless stories)
14 Rant at dire reorganisation (6)
TIRADE – anagram of AT DIRE
16 Best time mostly to call regularly is after work (7)
OPTIMAL – OP (work) + TIM[e] (time mostly) + [c]A[l]L (call regularly)
19 No trespassing when guard’s not at home (4,3)
KEEP OUT – KEEP (guard) + OUT (not at home)
21 Blame expert over first signs of completely unexpected subsidence (6)
ACCUSE – C[ompletely] U[nexpected] S[ubsidence] in ACE (expert)
23 Weariness resulting from young woman’s endless new duties (9)
LASSITUDE – LASS (young woman) + anagram of DUTIE[s]
25 Bypass closed round the west of Norwich (5)
SHUNT – N[orwich] in SHUT (closed)
26 Part of bird that is a delicacy (6)
TITBIT – TIT (bird) + BIT (part)
27 Profession against replacing everyone at start of assignment (8)
VOCATION – ALLOCATION (assignment) with ‘ALL’ (everyone) replaced by V (against)
28 Proceeding gingerly with part of design I so nearly sent back (6)
NOSING – reverse hidden word
29 Ants seen to move in order (8)
NEATNESS – anagram of ANTS SEEN
DOWN
1 Wave about washing that fails to dry in empty flat (6)
FLAUNT – LAUN[dry] (washing that fails to dry) in F[la]T
2 Allow to use hot air for a change (9)
AUTHORISE – anagram of USE HOT AIR
3 Is mad about ducks (5)
LOVES – double definition
4 Drunk at this point with a defiant expression (2,5)
SO THERE – SOT (drunk) + HERE (at this point)
6 It is in care largely after retirement dad begins being reliant on others (9)
PARASITIC – PA (dad) + IT IS (it is) backwards in CAR[e] (care largely) backwards
7 College wing is to scale (5)
CLIMB – C (college) + LIMB (wing)
8 Reset dodgy leg with stubborn determination (8)
DOGGEDLY – anagram of DODGY LEG
11 Trace extremely enigmatic call (4)
ECHO – E[nigmati]C + HO (call)
15 Slag off rampant globalisation for causing destruction (9)
ABOLITION – anagram of [gl]OBALI[sa]TION (GLOBALISATION with the letters of SLAG removed)
17 Gender of mum’s uncle is starting to change (9)
MASCULINE – MAS (mum’s) + anagram of UNCLE I[s]
18 Write up notes about foreign currency being reduced to a minimum (8)
SKELETON – LEK (foreign currency) in NOTES (notes) all backwards. The Lek is the currency unit of Albania.
20 Non-drinker imbibes first two drops of Auslese and gets tight (4)
TAUT – AU[slese] in TT (non-drinker, i.e. teetotaller)
21 Terrible battle with a thousand lost by Scottish loch (7)
AWESOME – AWE (Scottish loch) + SOM[m]E (battle with a thousand lost)
22 Trick with you reportedly disappearing for one second is mean (6)
STINTS – STUNT (trick) with ‘U’ (you reportedly) replaced by ‘I’ (one) + S (second)
24 Places become hard up following Spanish agreement (5)
SITES – SI (Spanish agreement) + SET (become hard) backwards
25 Sweet that is no longer fashionable (5)
SMART – SMART[ie] (sweet that is no longer)
Thanks Magwitch and Pete
If someone had of said that Magwitch and Falcon were going to present a crossword each with one very straightforward and the other reasonably tough – would never have guessed that this one was going to be the easy one … and Falcon was quite a bit harder than normal !!
I also like those compound anagram clues as in ABOLITION. Last in was AWESOME and had to look up to see if there was a Loch Awe in Scotland … and there was 🙂 !!
I failed in the SE not knowing Loch Awe (surely it doesn’t really exist) and if I’d got one of 22d,25d or 25a I might have got the other two -but I didn’t
Thanks Pete and Magwitch.
A good clean and quick puzzle this. All but the South East corner finished at bedtime and the remainder on the train in this morning.
Like Brucew, I do enjoy deductive anagrinds when I spot them – and I agree that Abolition was class!
Bamberger, Loch Awe is one of the largest freshwater lochs in Scotland, and at its head is the Pass of Brander – the site of a major post-Bannockburn battle which helped Robert de Bruis ( sadly not a Scottish Nationalist but a Norman Baron just like his allies and enemies) secure superiority over the whole of Scotland.
But keep at it, don’t be down-hearted. 10 years ago I’d have been pleased to get half-way through a puzzle like this.