Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 19, 2016
What a crappy puzzle! I mean that cryptically. I actually think that this is a particularly fine crossword; it is just that its theme is crap (literally).
So, Goliath gives us another themed puzzle with no hint at what the theme is but that’s okay because it is easily figured out. The themed clues turn out to be 1a (DETRITUS), 5a (REFUSE), 14a (CRAP), 16a (GARBAGE), 19a (RUBBISH) and 29a (LITTER).
I have several favourites including my clue of the week 9a (ESPRESSO). The others are 7d (UPHEAVAL), 16a (GARBAGE), 17d (PRENATAL), 25 (PEA-SOUPER) and 30a (FREE REIN). Thank you, Goliath.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DETRITUS | Top sturdiest construction (8) |
| Anagram (construction) of [s]TURDIEST | ||
| 5 | REFUSE | Employ first judge (6) |
| REF (judge) + USE (employ) | ||
| 9 | ESPRESSO | The type of drink some tosser pseudo-intellectual knocked back (8) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 10 | TOP HAT | Tails partner on purpose to begin with? That covers it (3,3) |
| O[n] P[urpose] in THAT (that). “Putting on my top hat, putting on my tails…” | ||
| 12 | SMELL A RAT | Be suspicious to find this compiler among all-star cast (5,1,3) |
| ME (this compiler) in anagram (cast) of ALL STAR | ||
| 13 | MEANT | Average temperature is indicated (5) |
| MEAN (average) + T (temperature) | ||
| 14 | CRAP | In ecstatic rapture (4) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 16 | GARBAGE | First of BMWs is securely parked (7) |
| B[MWs] in GARAGE (is securely parked) | ||
| 19 | RUBBISH | Polish senior clergyman out of work (7) |
| RUB (polish) + BISH[op] (senior clergyman out of work) | ||
| 21 | HEED | Sounds like he would mind (4) |
| Homophone of “he’d” (he would) | ||
| 24 | NUDGE | Reminder to get naked: at last nothing is hidden (5) |
| [nothin]G in NUDE (naked) | ||
| 25 | PEA-SOUPER | What made Londoners choke quietly as Europe disintegrated (3-6) |
| P (quietly) + anagram (disintegrated) of AS EUROPE | ||
| 27 | TOECAP | It’s essential for Oxford to step back (6) |
| TO (to) + PACE (step) backwards | ||
| 28 | IDENTIFY | This compiler before and after depression finally cleared name (8) |
| I (this compiler) + DENT (depression) + I (this compiler) + F[inall]Y | ||
| 29 | LITTER | Kittens? (6) |
| Double definition (as it were) | ||
| 30 | FREE REIN | Carte blanche for Spooner’s chorus (4,4) |
| Spoonerism of “refrain” (chorus) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | DRESSY | Stylish medic losing a composition (6) |
| DR (medic) + ESS[a]Y (losing a composition) | ||
| 2 | TEPEES | Eliot keeps a sword in many a tent (6) |
| EPEE (a sword) in TS (Eliot) | ||
| 3 | IDEAL | Perfect trade is my job (5) |
| “I deal” (trade is my job) | ||
| 4 | UNSTRAP | Part of the garden where leader slips free from restriction (7) |
| SUN TRAP (part of the garden) with the S shifted down two places (where leader slips) | ||
| 6 | E-COMMERCE | Finally, police force investing two thousand in high street competition (1-8) |
| [polic]E + MM (two thousand) in COERCE (force) | ||
| 7 | UPHEAVAL | Turmoil’s rising. What’s rising? Hot stuff’s rising (8) |
| UP (rising) + EH (what’s) backwards + LAVA (hot stuff) backwards | ||
| 8 | ENTITLED | Named party crossed dotted line, perhaps (8) |
| Anagram (perhaps) of [do]TTED LINE | ||
| 11 | STAG | Bust a gut to include men only (4) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 15 | REITERATE | Once more, state of Eritrea reformed these extremists (9) |
| Anagram (reformed) of ERITREA + T[hes]E | ||
| 17 | PRENATAL | Learn tap-dancing while pregnant (8) |
| Anagram (dancing) of LEARN TAP | ||
| 18 | OBEDIENT | At one’s beck and call in the east to find a place to sleep right away (8) |
| BED (a place to sleep) in O[r]IENT (the east…right away) | ||
| 20 | HOPE | Bob’s wish (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | HOARDER | More difficult to keep love for one to keep possessions (7) |
| O (love) in HARDER (more difficult) | ||
| 22 | SPRITE | Fairy corrupting priest (6) |
| Anagram (corrupting) of PRIEST | ||
| 23 | CRAYON | I’m leaving acrimony to ferment in a drawer (6) |
| Anagram (to ferment) of ACR[im]ONY | ||
| 26 | OUNCE | Lightweight uniform previously packaged (5) |
| U (uniform) in ONCE (previously) | ||
Yes, this was a rubbish crossword.
But a fine one it was.
A puzzle that was quite similar to last Saturday’s prize crossword in the Guardian, set by – indeed – Philistine.
Goliath tells us ‘Solutions of a kind are undefined’.
Then you cannot make use of ‘double definition’ as a device, can you?
In that sense, I think 29ac (LITTER) is the odd one out.
But who cares?
This was fun!
Thanks Pete & Goliath.
When I think about it now, just a few minutes later, I think you can (re 29ac).
Only the definitions that are of a kind are not defined, so an additional definition is all right.
Thanks Goliath and Pete
Started to get a bit worried when almost half way through without sighting a themed clue, then REFUSE and GARBAGE both popped and must admit to being a little surprised by the mini-theme topic.
Overall, a pretty mild crossword for this setter with not too much else going on, although I did tie myself up a bit with the ‘Learn tap’ anagram – going through PATERNAL & PARENTAL before finally seeing PRENATAL.
SUNTRAP was a new term for me and did like the neatness of the OUNCE clue. Finished in that SW corner with RUBBISH that forced the final change to PRENATAL and then NUDGE last of all.
I am unsure if I have come across suntrap before or not. Maybe I have or maybe it just seems that I have because it’s a somewhat obvious term to use.