Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 26, 2017
Another enjoyable puzzle from Goliath with a few surprisingly easy clues and a couple that were challenging for me (5ac and 25ac). My clue of the week is the beautiful hidden-word 18dn (DISAGREE) and I also applaud 11dn (BEES).
| Across | ||
| 1 | STRESSED | Lock in shed if leaving hotel under pressure (8) |
| TRESS (lock) in S[h]ED (shed if leaving hotel) | ||
| 5 | RADIOS | Sets right parting? (6) |
| R (right) + ADIOS (parting). ‘Adios’ is, surely, more a parting remark than a parting per se. And I would not have thought of it as an English word at all but, I now see, it is in several dictionaries. | ||
| 9 | REMINDER | Balance doesn’t need a prompt (8) |
| REM[a]INDER (balance doesn’t need a) | ||
| 10 | SAVAGE | Viciously criticise wise one penning a bible (6) |
| AV (a bible) in SAGE (wise one). In this context, ‘AV’ stands for “Authorized Version” and refers to the version of the bible that is also known as the King James Version. This abbreviation was new to me and, I suspect, a good one to remember. | ||
| 12 | LANDSCAPE | Picture awful scandal if seen with prostitute on vacation (9) |
| Anagram (awful) of SCANDAL + P[rostitut]E | ||
| 13 | DRIFT | Doctor provided tablets at first move (5) |
| DR (doctor) + IF (provided) + T[ablets] | ||
| 14 | PSST | Pay attention to addendum by saint (4) |
| PS (addendum) + ST (saint) | ||
| 16 | SINGERS | Chorus resigns in disarray (7) |
| Anagram (in disarray) of RESIGNS | ||
| 19 | ANIMALS | Return of slayer of beasts (7) |
| S (s…) LAMINA (…layer) backwards (return of) | ||
| 21 | SODA | Fusses about drink (4) |
| ADOS (fusses) backwards (about) | ||
| 24 | SCALE | Notes magnitude for climb (5) |
| Triple definition | ||
| 25 | COASTLINE | 21 riots in the capitals of Croatia, Latvia and Estonia (9) |
| Anagram (riots in) of C[roatia] L[atvia] ESTONIA. With ’21’ referring to 21 down, SEASIDE. | ||
| 27 | GARDEN | Where plants are topped to get forest (6) |
| GARDEN ‘topped’ would be ARDEN which is the name of a forest (a once heavily wooded area of England). | ||
| 28 | LIFETIME | Years when fruit contains within it iron (8) |
| FE (iron) in IT (it) in LIME (fruit) | ||
| 29 | SHEETS | The woman set out the linen (6) |
| SHE (the woman) + anagram (out) of SET | ||
| 30 | REVERSED | Backed into a corner, ever seductive (8) |
| Hidden word | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SHRILL | Quiet small stream not at all quiet (6) |
| SH (quiet) + RILL (small stream) | ||
| 2 | ROMANS | Book wherefrom answers framed (6) |
| Hidden word (with ‘Romans’ referring to a book of the bible) | ||
| 3 | SONGS | Being 16, they would produce these kisses with no upset (5) |
| SNOGS (kisses) with ‘N’ and ‘O’ reversed (with no upset). ’16’ refers to the answer to 16 across, singers. Some non-Brits may be unfamiliar with the word ‘snog’, an informal usage meaning to cuddle and kiss. | ||
| 4 | ELEGANT | Well-dressed member, neat fancy clothes (7) |
| LEG (member) in (clothes) anagram (fancy) of NEAT | ||
| 6 | ABANDONED | Left over in an ensemble (9) |
| DONE (over) in A BAND (an ensemble) | ||
| 7 | IMAGINED | I am a soldier Edward fancied (8) |
| IM (I am) + A (a) + GI (soldier) + NED (Edward) | ||
| 8 | SWEETEST | The ultimate in diabetes urinalysis having most sugar (8) |
| [diabete]S + WEE TEST (urinalysis) | ||
| 11 | BEES | Buzzers used in sex education part II (4) |
| Double definition, the second referring to “the birds and the bees” | ||
| 15 | STATEMENT | New Testament declaration (9) |
| Anagram (new) of TESTAMENT | ||
| 17 | PASSAGES | Texts in the corridors (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | DISAGREE | Take a different view from “Greenland is a green land” (8) |
| Hidden word — and a beauty! | ||
| 20 | SACK | Rifle fire (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | SEASIDE | Terrible disease in holiday venue (7) |
| Anagram (terrible) of DISEASE | ||
| 22 | LILIES | Blair regularly spouts untruths and bloomers (6) |
| [b]L[a]I[r} + LIES (spouts untruths) | ||
| 23 | LEGEND | Story of foot? (6) |
| LEG-END (foot?) | ||
| 26 | THERE | Words of comfort when repeated, but not here (5) |
| Double definition | ||
Thanks Goliath and Pete
Took a couple of shortish sessions to knock this one over.
Like you, RADIOS was one of my last in (liked it when I got it) and I didn’t parse COASTLINE (simple once explained – got caught up with the capitals of all three and then wondered where the rest was coming from).
SONGS was my last entry in a puzzle that was at the easier end of this setter’s spectrum.