Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 28, 2018
We are getting puzzles more frequently from Rosa. How nice! My clue of the week is 1ac (MENAGE A TROIS) which I solved almost instantly. And what a splendid clue it is, a typical Rosa gem. I also applaud 12ac (EXIST) and 3dn (APOSTATE).
| Across | ||
| 1 | MENAGE A TROIS | Lois stripped to take part in wild East German threesome (6,1,5) |
| [l]OI[s] in anagram (wild) of EAST GERMAN | ||
| 10 | ICE-COLD | Reportedly observe shrew freezing (3-4) |
| Homophone (reportedly) of “eye scold” (observe shrew) | ||
| 11 | ADENINE | Base in Wiesbaden, inexplicably (7) |
| Hidden word. I had to look this one up. Adenine is a biochemical. | ||
| 12 | EXIST | Are real male chauvinists ignoring boundaries? (5) |
| [s]EXIST[s] (male chauvinists ignoring boundaries) | ||
| 13 | BREATHER | British faculty inspiring the rest (8) |
| BR (British) + THE (the) in EAR (faculty). Hearing is certainly a faculty but can we say that ear is? | ||
| 15 | RIGHT ANGLE | Doctor and husband clash in corner of square (5,5) |
| RIG (doctor) + H (husband) + TANGLE (clash) | ||
| 16 | INCA | Old South American tattooist on the radio (4) |
| Homophone of “inker” (tattooist) | ||
| 18 | SUMS | Text about Ursula’s initial problems at primary school (4) |
| U[rsula] in SMS (text) | ||
| 20 | SAFETY LAMP | Dodgy playmates pocketing fine lighter of mine (6,4) |
| F (fine) in anagram (dodgy) of PLAYMATES | ||
| 22 | RENOWNED | Famous US city, three quarters Democrat (8) |
| RENO (US city) + WNE (three quarters) + D (Democrat) | ||
| 24 | ALTER | Hotel twice leaving Hal the right change (5) |
| [h]AL T[h]E + R (right) | ||
| 26 | EPITOME | Typical example of English goody-goody, in my opinion (7) |
| E (English) + PI (goody-goody) + TO ME (in my opinion) | ||
| 27 | COITION | Male favourite banned from tournament for it (7) |
| CO[m][pet]ITION | ||
| 28 | IRRITATINGLY | Irish girl experiencing pins and needles in irksome way (12) |
| IR (Irish) + RITA (girl) + TINGLY (experiencing pins and needles) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | EVENING | Steven in Grimsby keeping late hours (7) |
| Hidden word (keeping) | ||
| 3 | APOSTATE | Renegade disguised as teapot (8) |
| Anagram (disguised) of AS TEAPOT | ||
| 4 | ENDS | Extremities and backsides of these men developed chilblains (4) |
| [thes]E [me]N [develope]D [chillblain]S | ||
| 5 | TEA TROLLEY | It carries refreshments, stereotypically revolting but not spicy (3,7) |
| Anagram (revolting) of [s]TEREOT[ypic]ALLY | ||
| 6 | OMEGA | Love excellent series finale (5) |
| O (love) + MEGA (excellent) | ||
| 7 | SWITHIN | Saint from Spain concealing suffering inside (7) |
| S[pain] (Spain concealing suffering) + WITHIN (inside) | ||
| 8 | LIFE PRESERVER | Biography leads to passionate readers hosting book club (4,9) |
| LIFE (biography) + RESERVE (book) in P[assionate] R[eaders]. This meaning of ‘life preserver’ is, I think, not well known although it makes literal sense that it could refer to such a thing. In particular, such a life preserver is a short truncheon with a heavily loaded end. | ||
| 9 | HEIRS APPARENT | Those expecting inheritance hire wanton to exhaust dad, perhaps (5,8) |
| Anagram (wanton) of HIRE + SAP (exhaust) + PARENT (dad perhaps) | ||
| 14 | ENGAGEMENT | Angry teen gang involving setter in battle (10) |
| ME (setter) in anagram (angry) of TEEN GANG | ||
| 17 | GYRATION | Wheeling discontented granny over allotment (8) |
| G[rann]Y + RATION (allotment) | ||
| 19 | MANKINI | Garment of one inferior to most of humanity (7) |
| MANKIN[d] (most of humanity) + I (one). I wonder if Rosa intended the clue as a whole to bring Borat to mind, he being the only person I know to wear a mankini. | ||
| 21 | ANTHILL | Earthy construction workers make Xanthe inwardly sick (7) |
| [x]ANTH[e] + ILL (sick) | ||
| 23 | WOOER | Chap pressing suit with expression of alarm (5) |
| W (with) + OO ER (expression of alarm) with a nice cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | SCAT | Southern Burmese perhaps get lost (4) |
| S (southern) + CAT (Burmese perhaps) | ||
Thanks Rosa Klebb and Pete
I think that MENAGE A TROIS was my second one in and the best clue of a very good lot here. Typically smooth and often humorous surfaces with a good variety of clue devices used throughout.
Finished on the left hand side with EPITOME and LIFE PRESERVER (which I didn’t know that definition of it) the last couple in.
Splendid as ever.
Safety lamp my favourite
My heart leaps up when I see a Rosa Klebb puzzle on a Saturday and a further leap when I finish it. Like all potential solvers I love words so having to explore meanings is an additional pleasuer.
My wife, the fashion expert, had not heard of a MANKINI and I LIFE PRESERVER with that meaning. I did think of sending the weblink to Donald Trump and The National Rifle Association.
I have tried compiling anagrams but get nowhere and am astounded at the verbal agiltity of clever ones. For me 5d is astonishingly clever.
Thank you both.
I agree about 5d and think now that I should have given it more kudos in the blog.
Thanks to Rosa Kleb and Pete Maclean. A delightful exercise from my favorite setter. ADENINE was new to me, but I had come across the self defense version of LIFE PRESERVER.
Thanks, Pete.
I do agree with you that it is great to be seeing more Rosa Klebb crosswords.
I do enjoy hers more than any others.
Life preserver turns up in the G&S song “With catlike tread” in Pirates. “Your life preserver, you may want to hit.”
vermontkey, Thanks for mentioning this. I have seen a performance of Pirates but am not familiar with this particular song. I am told it also turns up in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”.
Had this recommended by the Guardian (where RK is, of course, the much-admired Arachne) blog, partly to try out the new app. Really enjoyed it. I think my favourite of a great bunch was 27a — loved the way the def was just that little word at the end.
@trenodia,
Have you tried using scrabble tiles? Or you can get a free app for android, Letterslate, that puts movable tiles on the screen. Quite handy for solving and setting anags. A bit clunky on the front end, but you get used to it.