Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 4, 2017
My clue of the week is 5,9 (GUILTY PLEASURE) and I also especially like 6d (UNEXCUSED) and 18d (MAGIC EYE).
| Across | ||
| 1, 25 | INNOCENT BYSTANDER | Onlooker’s dodgy candy, best not served in private (8,9) |
| Anagram (dodgy) of CANDY BEST NOT in INNER (private) | ||
| 5, 9 | GUILTY PLEASURE | What’s naughty but nice? Say it was me, of course (6,8) |
| GUILTY PLEA (say it was me) + SURE (of course) | ||
| 10 | HERNIA | Complaint of pain rehashed and rejected (6) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 12 | COLD SNAPS | Lands in trouble, surrounded by police at winter events (4,5) |
| Anagram (in trouble) of LANDS in (surrounded by) COPS (police) | ||
| 13 | CREEL | Cinema’s first film basket (5) |
| C[inema] + REEL (film) | ||
| 14 | DOPE | Grass exercise? (4) |
| DO PE (exercise?) | ||
| 16 | RUSSIAN | One directly affected by USSR in a crisis (7) |
| Anagram (crisis) of USSR IN A | ||
| 19 | ADAPTOR | Notice a port in a storm that should fit (7) |
| AD (notice) + A (a) + anagram (in a storm) of PORT | ||
| 21 | FADE | What sounds do when turning deaf (4) |
| Anagram (turning) of DEAF | ||
| 24 | VYING | Very good start, embracing the female principle in competition (5) |
| V (very) + YIN (the female principle) + G[ood] | ||
| 25 | See 1 | |
| 27 | GREENS | Leaves party (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | INVOLUTE | Outline, V-shaped, with rolled edges (8) |
| Anagram (shaped) of OUTLINE V | ||
| 29 | SMELLY | Silly silly me! I lost rank (6) |
| Anagram (silly) of S[i]LLY ME | ||
| 30 | ETHEREAL | With others present inside, it’s very delicate (8) |
| HERE (present) in ET AL (with others) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | IMPACT | Compiler’s agreement, in effect (6) |
| IM (compiler’s) + PACT (agreement) | ||
| 2 | NEEDLE | Badger indicator (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 3 | COSTS | They are paid to put babies finally in their beds (5) |
| [babie]S in COTS (their beds) | ||
| 4 | NARRATE | Provide a commentary rejecting part of secret arrangement (7) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 6 | UNEXCUSED | Copper in nude sex dance is not forgiven (9) |
| CU (copper) in anagram (dance) of NUDE SEX | ||
| 7 | LINGERIE | Hang about – that’s pants! (8) |
| LINGER (hang about) + IE (that’s) | ||
| 8 | YEARLING | You, old girl, with an unruly youngster (8) |
| YE (you old) + anagram (unruly) of GIRL AN | ||
| 11 | TSAR | Emperor partly beats a retreat (4) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 15 | OCTAGONAL | Month of death is of a certain shape (9) |
| OCT (month) + AGONAL (of death). I do not recall coming across this adjective form of ‘agony’ before. It means pertaining to agony, especially death agonies. | ||
| 17 | LAS VEGAS | Girl, around age 5, popping up in Sin City (3,5) |
| AGE (age) + V (5) together backwards (popping up) in LASS (girl) | ||
| 18 | MAGIC EYE | One detects people bearing gifts? Close Yorkshire’s borders! (5,3) |
| MAGI (people bearing gifts) + C[los]E Y[orkshir]E | ||
| 20 | RUBY | A stone gets thrown up in the hurly burly (4) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 21 | FISHNET | The fins’ entanglement (7) |
| Anagram (entanglement) of THE FINS | ||
| 22 | ADJURE | Ask for a flower to go with evening wear (6) |
| A (a) + DJ (evening wear, i.e. Dinner Jacket) + URE (flower). ‘Adjure’ is a word I know only slightly; it means to request earnestly. | ||
| 23 | ORDEAL | Trial uncovered work transaction (6) |
| [w]OR[k] + DEAL (transaction) | ||
| 26 | ATONE | Make up a voice that’s united (5) |
| Two sets of wordplay here: A (a) + TONE (voice) -and- AT ONE (united) | ||
Thanks Pete Maclean and Goliath.
Great puzzle.
I had “?u???y pleasure”. Toying with “Sunday pleasure” and was stuck for 7d as well. Entirety my fault.
Liked “innocent bystander” and “magic eye”.
Thanks Goliath and Pete
Not as tricky as he can be … and four hidden (reverse) clues must be nearly a record.
Liked both of the double word clues – INNOCENT BYSTANDER and GUILTY PLEASURE.
Finished in the SW corner with VYING, MAGIC EYE and ADAPTOR as the last few in.