Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 18, 2016
This puzzle has some beautiful clues as usual from Cincinnus. My clue of the week is 29A (SCREENED) and I also especially like 12a (LEIS), 27A (CARPI), 6d (BIG BROTHER) and 14d (ATTRACTIVE).
| Across | ||
| 1 | IMPISH | Impatient expression after one monkey started being mischievous (6) |
| I (one) + M[onkey] + PISH (impatietnt expression) | ||
| 4 | BARBICAN | Short doll is able to provide defence (8) |
| BARBI[e] (short doll) + CAN (is able) | ||
| 10 | EMBRYONIC | Rudimentary structure by incomer (9) |
| Anagarm of BY INCOMER | ||
| 11 | GIVEN | Information about 4 may be provided (5) |
| IV (4) in GEN (information) | ||
| 12 | LEIS | Garlands from exotic 26 (4) |
| Anagram of ISLE (26) | ||
| 13 | TEMPERANCE | Teetotalism met setback – peer can get fuddled (10) |
| MET (met) backwards + anagram of PEER CAN | ||
| 15 | SKIPTON | Pass over to North Yorkshire town (7) |
| SKIP (pass) + TO (to) + N (north) | ||
| 16 | POTASH | Prize tree required fertiliser (6) |
| POT (prize) + ASH (tree) | ||
| 19 | HYBRID | Extremely happy newlywed almost getting cross (6) |
| H[app]Y + BRID[e] (newlywed almost) | ||
| 21 | SWEATER | Top I left spinning, as it were (7) |
| Anagram of AS [i]T WERE | ||
| 23 | TRENCH COAT | Waterproof garment swimming coach put in river (6,4) |
| Anagram (swimming) of COACH in TRENT (river) | ||
| 25 | PROM | Perform regularly in concert (4) |
| P[e]R[f]O[r]M | ||
| 27 | CARPI | Ichthyologist primarily associated with fish bones (5) |
| CARP (fish) + I[cthyologist] | ||
| 28 | IMPASSIVE | This writer’s voice giving nothing away (9) |
| I’M (this writer’s) + PASSIVE (voice) | ||
| 29 | SCREENED | Rocky feature a chap has shown in the cinema? (8) |
| SCREE (rocky feature) + NED (a chap) | ||
| 30 | RECESS | Engineers given tax break (6) |
| RE (engineers) + CESS (tax). I did not know this but ‘cess’ means a tax or levy in Scotland, Ireland, and India. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | IDEALIST | Dreamer possibly tabulated results of brainstorming (8) |
| IDEA LIST (tabulated results of brainstorming) | ||
| 2 | PUBLICITY | Raise circulation by including lawful advertising (9) |
| UP (raise) backwards (circulation) + LICIT (lawful) in BY (by) | ||
| 3 | STYX | River finally crossed where pigs are unknown (4) |
| STY (where pigs are) + X (unknown) | ||
| 5 | ALCOPOP | Missing first dance, policeman comes in for a drink (7) |
| COP (policeman) in [g]ALOP (missing first dance) | ||
| 6 | BIG BROTHER | Much ado about Republican as dystopian leader (3,7) |
| R (Republican) in BIG BOTHER (much ado) | ||
| 7 | COVEN | Charming women try to leave Midlands city (5) |
| COVEN[try] | ||
| 8 | NANTES | Poles with stake in French city (6) |
| ANTE (stake) in NS (poles) | ||
| 9 | INTERN | Lock up one acquiring work experience (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | ATTRACTIVE | Fetching tart, terribly busy (10) |
| Anagram (terribly) of TART + ACTIVE (busy) | ||
| 17 | SATURNINE | It’s disturbing – unrest in a grave (9) |
| Anagram of UNREST IN A | ||
| 18 | TRUMPETS | They may play fanfare for alien in best suit (8) |
| ET (alien) in TRUMPS (best suit) | ||
| 20 | DECLINE | Don’t accept deterioration (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | SNAPPY | Quick sort of dresser (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | STICKS | 3, we hear, doesn’t go smoothly (6) |
| Homophone (“Styx”) | ||
| 24 | ERROR | Troublesome child, first ignored, may be a howler (5) |
| [t]ERROR (troublesome child, first ignored) | ||
| 26 | ISLE | Man, for example, spreading lies (4) |
| Anagram of LIES | ||
Thanks Pete and Cincinnus.
This was an elegant puzzle. CESS meaning a type of tax was new to me too but clearly clued.
Pete, I think that 15ac is SKIP + O(ver) + N(orth) with the definition being Yorkshire town – albeit one in North Yorkshire.
CARPI was my favourite.
Thanks Cincinnus and Pete
For 15ac, how about SKIP (Pass over) + TO + N(orth)?
Thanks Cincinnus and Pete
Enjoyable puzzle which I started and finished early this morning to get me off to a flyer knowing that there was an Io lurking in the wings that I must tackle over the next day or two. Seemed to be a bit of geography happening here.
Can anybody else remember the Temperance exams that one sat in – was it Form Four (Year 10) ? Can’t remember what it was for or what it was about – think that it just gave you scholarship money? Didn’t work … cos I wouldn’t give up the Shiraz now … maybe I didn’t do well in it back then !!
Finished in the SE corner with IMPASSIVE, SNAPPY and SWEATER the last few in.
One day I’ll finish a Cincinnus . One short 29a where I was looking for a rocky feature s?r?n?e? . Clearly the chap was Ron to give s?ron?e? and that was as far as I got.
Thanks for these comments. I got SKIPTON from checked letters and the definition and, at solving time, ignored the wordplay. Then, when blogging, I got careless. Sorry! All fixed now.
Never heard of “alcopop”- sounds like something Alex from Clockwork Orange would be drinking.
While I had heard the term ‘alcopop’, I had very little idea of what it means. I find now that it is a ready-mixed drink that resembles a soft drink but contains alcohol. And I think your association with A Clockwork Orange is brilliant!