Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 19, 2017
I found this to be a mostly standard Mudd with a few tricky clues, notably 28ac, 29ac, 14dn and 22dn. My clue of the week is 6dn (MYSTIQUE) and I also very much like 7dn (ISRAEL).
| Across | ||
| 1 | DANGLE | Hang fish on front of door (6) |
| D[oor] + ANGLE (fish) | ||
| 4 | CHAMPION | Gold medallist is back (8) |
| Double definition, the second referring to being a champion of a cause | ||
| 9 | ADVISE | Guide I saved after a mauling (6) |
| Anagram (after a mauling) of I SAVED | ||
| 10 | AIRSTRIP | Land here shows journey (8) |
| AIRS (shows) + TRIP (journey) | ||
| 12 | GALLOWAY | Scottish region happy to claim grant (8) |
| ALLOW (grant) in GAY (happy) | ||
| 13 | BIREME | How paper may be sold, did you say, in old vessel? (6) |
| Homophone (did you say) of “by ream” (how paper may be sold) | ||
| 15 | TUSH | American behind an expression of disgust (4) |
| Double definition. I had not been aware of “tush” as an expression of disgust! | ||
| 16 | BELARUS | Stomach about full, ultimately, with American nation (7) |
| [ful]L in BEAR (stomach) backwards + US (American) | ||
| 20 | FESTIVE | Jolly unusual set among with-it children, literally? (7) |
| Anagram (unusual) of SET in FIVE (with-it children, literally). I originally guessed that this literary reference was to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. I did not, however, see why they would be considered particularly “with-it” and suspected I might be wrong. Well, wrong I was. Thanks to a comment below, it is now clear that the reference is to E. Nesbit’s “Five Children and It”. While very familiar with her work “The Railway Children”, I had never heard of this other book. | ||
| 21 | RANI | Queen ruled over India for a start (4) |
| RAN (ruled over) + I[ndia] | ||
| 25 | HOOK UP | Meet westbound bear touring Britain (4,2) |
| UK (Britain) in POOH (bear) backwards (westbound). Very strictly speaking ‘Britain’ does not clue UK — but close enough. | ||
| 26 | CRACKING | Wonderful failing (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | SPHEROID | Solid favourite relishes making a comeback on the outside (8) |
| HERO (favourite) in DIPS (relishes) backwards. This was one I found difficult as I would never have thought that ‘favourite’ might clue HERO. | ||
| 29 | WASHER | Baptist ring (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 30 | STRIDENT | Loud weapon behind bow of ship (8) |
| S[hip] + TRIDENT (weapon) | ||
| 31 | FRIDAY | One of seven, free in spirit (6) |
| RID (free) in FAY (spirit) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | DRAUGHTY | Humourless, stifling anything breezy (8) |
| AUGHT (anything) in DRY (humourless) | ||
| 2 | NOVELIST | Author hopelessly in love with good man (8) |
| Anagram (hopelessly) of IN LOVE + ST (good man) | ||
| 3 | LESSON | More available, perhaps, for corrective punishment (6) |
| LESS ON (more available, perhaps). Originally I failed to understand the ON part of the answer and thank Bruce (see comments) for pointing out that it means in the sense of one’s calendar. | ||
| 5 | HAIL | British ultimately having to suffer cold weather (4) |
| [Britis]H + AIL (to suffer) | ||
| 6 | MYSTIQUE | How intelligent I am to keep way above upper echelons, initially – powerful aura! (8) |
| ST (way) in MY IQ (how intelligent I am) + U[pper] E[chelons] | ||
| 7 | ISRAEL | Is king upstate? (6) |
| IS (is) + LEAR (king) backwards (up). I have the sense that Brits do not use the word ‘upstate’ much. In New York City, where I lived for many years, it is however very commonly heard essentially to mean any part of New York state other than New York City, its suburbs and Long Island. | ||
| 8 | NEPHEW | Relative seeing topless individual, I’m perspiring! (6) |
| [o]NE (topless individual) + PHEW (I’m perspiring) | ||
| 11 | MAJESTY | Supreme power corrupting James ends in absolutist monarchy (7) |
| Anagram (corrupting) of JAMES + [absolutis]T [monarch]Y | ||
| 14 | CARVERY | One for the road, particularly in restaurant (7) |
| CAR (one for the road) + VERY (particularly) | ||
| 17 | REQUIRED | Obligatory papers marked urgent, it’s suggested? (8) |
| Reverse clue: QUIRE (papers) in RED (marked as urgent). Ah! Reams and quires in the same puzzle. | ||
| 18 | FAMISHED | Hungry Mennonites provided with bags (8) |
| AMISH (Mennonites) in FED (provided with bags). I live in an area where there is a significant Mennonite population and my understanding is that Amish and Mennonites, while very similar, are definitely not the same. | ||
| 19 | GINGERLY | Trap good, rely on moving with caution (8) |
| GIN (trap) + G (good) + anagram (on moving) of RELY | ||
| 22 | RHESUS | Man is breaking most of biscuit for primate (6) |
| HES (man is) in (breaking) + RUS[k] (most of biscuit) | ||
| 23 | BOTHER | Badger baiting primarily remaining (6) |
| B[aiting] + OTHER (remaining) | ||
| 24 | ECLAIR | Sweet thing in extraterrestrial, certainly uplifting (6) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 27 | FINN | European conclusions of Chief Rabbi in question (4) |
| [chie]F [rabb]I [i]N [questio]N | ||
For LESSON I wondered if “more available” had a sexual connotation, at least in the private sense of, say, a wife wearing something scanty as a signal.
I supposed in FESTIVE that the Famous Five (if that’s the right interpretation) are “with it” in the sense of being bright and quick on the uptake.
I’ve very little confidence in either of the above! Thank you for the blog, and thanks to Mudd.
With 3D, I had it in a calendar context where if one had less on (meeting wise) would mean that one was ‘more available’.
Given that it is JH who can go down the thought patterns of michael@1, that is also a possibility. 🙂
On reflection, I think you’re more likely to be right, Bruce. I’m clearly not taking enough cold showers. 😀
The reference in 20a is to E. Nesbit’s Five Children and It.
Gladys, Thank you very much for setting us straight on this.
Bruce, I think you are right about LESS ON. Thank you!
Thanks Pete.
I needed help for (the full explanation of) LESSON and it seems that Bruce found the key to open the door!
That said, “has less on” as opposed to “is more available”, mmm, not sure.
The other (other?) odd thing I thought was the word ‘on’ in the clue for 19d (GINGERLY).
I cannot see (yet) ‘on moving’ as an anagram indicator, I’m afraid.
The surface needs ‘on’, true, and Mudd is always very precise, also true.
Still.
Lots to like.
Hi Sil,
You have prompted me to give it some deep thought but with the result that I am very okay with “on moving” as an anagram indicator. I am not sure how to present a good case for that but will continue to think on it.
Thanks for commenting.