Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 31, 2015
I raced through this puzzle rather surprising myself with how quickly I solved it. There are some tricky clues, such as 27a (SWATCH), and one unusual meaning, 25a (AKIMBO). I have created a routine of naming a clue of the week in this blog and this week I am unable to do so simply because there are so many brilliant candidates. I especially like 4a (APPLAUSE), 12/3 (LAVATORY), 1d (SHOPLIFT), 5d (POLICYHOLDER), 6d (LAST SUPPER) and 11d (GARDEN OF EDEN). Thank you, Goliath, for another impressive puzzle.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SCANTY |
Spare pen, round container (6)
CAN (container) in STY (pen) |
| 4 | APPLAUSE |
Hand is extremely painful when involved in a break (8)
P[ainfu]L in A PAUSE (a break) |
| 9 | OUTCRY |
Protest the conclusion of county court order (6)
Anagram of [count]Y COURT |
| 10 | FLESHPOT |
Joint for 18 in meat casserole (8)
FLESH (meat) + POT (casserole) |
| 12, 3 | LAVATORY |
John “hot stuff” Major finally embraced in play (8)
LAVA (hot stuff) + [majo]R in TOY (play) |
| 13 | LANCASHIRE |
County in real trouble needs money invested (10)
CASH (money) in anagram of IN REAL |
| 15 | FISH AND CHIPS |
Chef finally cooked spinach dish as traditional fare (4,3,5)
[che]F + anagram of SPINACH DISH |
| 18 | CARNAL DESIRE |
Worry about red nails stirring lust (6,6)
Anagram of RED NAILS in CARE (worry) |
| 21 | CIRCUMFLEX |
Mark half-circumvented contract (10)
CIRCUM[vented] + FLEX (contract) |
| 22 | CLUE |
This artistic skill you acquire at the end (4)
[artisti]C [skil]L [yo]U [acquir]E |
| 24 | BONA FIDE |
Indeed, if an objection is backed, it must be genuine (4,4)
Reverse hidden word |
| 25 | AKIMBO |
Stretched out, a thousand dance topless (6)
A (a) + K (thousand) + [l]IMBO (dance topless). I had always thought that akimbo meant ‘with hands on hips’ and only now discovered that it can also apply to limbs that are outstretched. |
| 26 | YEARNING |
Hunger means you start making money (8)
Y[ou] + EARNING (making money) |
| 27 | SWATCH |
Sticker sample (6)
S (s…) + WATCH (…ticker) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SHOPLIFT |
Appropriate way up in department store (8)
SHOP LIFT (way up in department store) |
| 2 | ACTIVISM |
Certainly not being passive as victim is abused (8)
Anagram of AS VICTIM |
| 3 |
See 12
|
|
| 5 | POLICYHOLDER |
One who’s covered treatment of poorly child taking drug (12)
E (drug) in anagram of POORLY CHILD |
| 6 | LAST SUPPER |
Cobbler tools part of shoe for a special function (4,6)
LASTS (cobbler tools) + UPPER (part of shoe) |
| 7 | UNPAID |
Owing a little money in international assistance (6)
P (a little money) in UN AID (international assistance) |
| 8 | EITHER |
One in three’s poor as an alternative (6)
I (one) in anagram of THREE |
| 11 | GARDEN OF EDEN |
Temptation took place here in PM’s backyard (6,2,4)
GARDEN OF [Anthony] EDEN (PM’s backyard) |
| 14 | RAGAMUFFIN |
Jazz and a cake for the tatterdemalion (10)
RAG (jazz) + A (a) + MUFFIN (cake) |
| 16 | DIPLOMAT |
Barking mad pilot said “go to hell” and you look forward to the trip (8)
Anagram of MAD PILOT |
| 17 | BEHEMOTH |
Goliath, if he is drawn to light (8)
BE HE MOTH (if he is drawn to light) |
| 19 | SCABBY |
With rough coverage from, say, BBC broadcast (6)
Anagram of SAY BBC |
| 20 | CRANIA |
Brainboxes with firsts in cardiology, radiology & anatomy (not in astrophysics) (6)
C[ardiology] R[adiology] A[natomy] N[ot] I[n] A[strophysics] |
| 23 | SKEW |
Bias from the foremost of show gardens (4)
S[how] + KEW (gardens) |
Pete,
For me too ‘akimbo’ has always meant ‘with hands on hips’ (forget the dictionaries!).
It is Napolean’s stance as described in a story poem that my father read to me when I was a boy. Trying to recall it.
‘Outstretched’ probably refers to the elbows being turned outward.
I solved all bar 16d though I did think it must be diplomat. How does the “said “go to hell” and you look forward to the trip” -diplomat, please?
Didn’t see 22a -I’m kicking myself
Thanks Pete and Goliath.
I took a while to get going with 18ac my FOI and then a bit of a struggle to finish off in the SE corner.
But all good stuff with my only carp being CIRCUMFLEX which seemed a bit lazy.
Bamberger, I think the idea with DIPLOMAT is that whatever such a person says will sound nice.
I do wonder what was on Goliath’s mind when he composed this – 1ac, 10ac, 18ac, 12/3, and 19 – all of a sort(ish).
16d “A diplomat… is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.” – seems to be from a quote from Caskie Stinnett.
Thanks to Pete and Goliath
Thanks Goliath and Pete
24ac: It may be worth adding here that the “hiding” indicator is the first part of the word “In/deed” at the beginning of the clue. Goliath used an exactly similar device in his previous prize puzzle (coincidentally also at 24ac):
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2015/10/08/financial-times-15046-by-goliath/
Failed on 1d, 9a and 21a but otherwise completed even if I didn’t always understand how the answers worked, e.g. got swatch as a sample but didn’t get the s..ticker. Liked 6d particularly
I would not consider “jazz” a fair clue for rag, which though related is an older style of composed, not improvised, music. (11d)
I’m with Bamberger on 16d I do not understand the clue, but I did get s tick and thought it was clever. Thanks to all.
Peter Mork, You raise a good point that escaped me. Ragtime was an essential precursor of jazz but it was also something in its own right that was not jazz. Thank you for commenting.
Thanks Goliath and Pete
Not quite as hard as his last puzzle, which also occupied the Prize slot back in late September. It was really pleasing to see that a couple of the folk here warmed more to the style of this setter here !! It’s one that I really like.
Still didn’t find this too easy and took most of last Monday, on and off between the day’s work to get it finished – only got to check it off today. As Hamish alludes, there appears to be a slightly risque mini-theme going on with the puzzle.
Finished up with the crossing CARNAL DESIRE / FLESHPOT / POLICYHOLDER and the very tricky CLUE.