Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 30, 2018
Thank you, Rosa, for another fine puzzle with your typically brilliant surfaces. My favourites this time are 20ac (LANCET), 26ac (ONION), 3dn (ROUND-SHOULDERED), 6dn (LEAGUE OF NATIONS), 9dn (CRISIS) and 20dn (LIDDELL).
| Across | ||
| 1 | MISTRESS | Woman on side of motorway subject to strain (8) |
| MI (motorway) + STRESS (stress) | ||
| 5 | SLACKS | Son has no trousers (6) |
| S (son) + LACKS (has no) | ||
| 10 | FICHU | Setter in Germany wears short fur cape (5) |
| ICH (setter in Germany) in (wears) FU[r]. I had to look up ‘fichu’ which refers to a triangular scarf worn by women. | ||
| 11 | DORSAL FIN | Fantastic island for bit of fish (6,3) |
| Anagram (fantastic) of ISLAND FOR | ||
| 12 | LAUNDRESS | Half-cut lads take clothes from washer (9) |
| LA[ds] + UNDRESS (take clothes from) | ||
| 13 | UPSET | Aggrieved and tense after bus passes oddly withdrawn (5) |
| [b]U[s] P[a]S[s]E[s] + T (tense) | ||
| 14 | FISHES | Perhaps sole snapper of fine individual women (6) |
| F (fine) + I (individual) + SHES (women) | ||
| 15 | SLOE GIN | Reportedly late home after good tipple (4,3) |
| SLOE (homophone of “slow” for ‘late’) + G (good) + IN (home) | ||
| 18 | LANGUID | Lazy student with an abridged book (7) |
| L (student) + AN (an) + GUID[e] (abridged book) | ||
| 20 | LANCET | Knight disposing of leftover blade (6) |
| LANCE[lo]T (knight disposing of L[eft] O[ver]) | ||
| 22 | PLAID | Tartan skirts spurned by kids on Penny Lane (5) |
| P (penny) + LA (lane) + [k]ID[s] (skirts spurned by kids) | ||
| 24 | SIDETRACK | Bit of railway in Lake District unfortunately not lit (9) |
| Anagram (unfortunately) of [l]AKE D[i]STRIC[t] (LAKE DISTRICT with the letters of LIT removed) | ||
| 25 | REPORTAGE | Documentary about content of sports pages (9) |
| RE (about) + [s]PORT[s] [p]AGE[s] | ||
| 26 | ONION | Lily’s relative Antonio never rings (5) |
| Hidden word (rings) | ||
| 27 | PLEADS | Begs escort to wear panties inside out (6) |
| LEAD (escort) in (to wear) P[antie]S | ||
| 28 | BLISTERY | Second-rate celeb with yen for bubbly (8) |
| B-LISTER (second-rate celeb) + Y (yen) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | MUFFLE | Cross nursing staff leaving station in silence (6) |
| [sta]FF (staff leaving station) in (nursing) MULE (cross) | ||
| 2 | SECLUSION | Privacy of uncle is so compromised! (9) |
| Anagram (compromised) of UNCLE IS SO | ||
| 3 | ROUND-SHOULDERED | Plump bore exhibiting poor posture (5-10) |
| ROUND (plump) + SHOULDERED (bore) | ||
| 4 | SADNESS | Retired Irishman’s first to start singing the blues (7) |
| ENDA’S (Irishman’s) backwards (retired) + S[tart] S[inging]. The best known example of an Irishman named Enda is probably Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) who is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach (PM) from 2011 to 2017. | ||
| 6 | LEAGUE OF NATIONS | Old pacifists carving a nose flute in Goa (6,2,7) |
| Anagram (carving) of A NOSE FLUTE IN GOA | ||
| 7 | CUFFS | Hits copper with brief expression of annoyance (5) |
| CU (copper) + F[or] F[…] S[ake]. Do I have this right? | ||
| 8 | SONATINA | Anna is to play short composition (8) |
| Anagram (play) of ANNA IS TO | ||
| 9 | CRISIS | Bachelors avoid cribs, bibs and mess (6) |
| CRI[b]S [b]I[b]S | ||
| 16 | GRENADINE | Cordial, endearing jockey (9) |
| Anagram (jockey) of ENDEARING | ||
| 17 | CLAPTRAP | 100 lire – suitable charge for rhubarb (8) |
| C (100) + L (lire) + APT (suitable) + RAP (charge) | ||
| 19 | DISMAL | Discouraging nudism, allocates clothes (6) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 20 | LIDDELL | Eric who ran key cutting discount chain (7) |
| DEL (key, as on a computer keyboard) in LIDL (discount chain). Eric Liddell was a Scottish Olympic Gold Medalist runner, rugby union international player, and Christian missionary. | ||
| 21 | SKINNY | Scrawny relatives south of small city (6) |
| S (small) + KIN (relatives) + NY (city) | ||
| 23 | AMPLE | Plenty of beer keeping male quiet (5) |
| M (male) + P (quiet) together in (keeping) ALE (beer) | ||
*anagram
Thanks Rosa and Pete
This was pretty tough taking almost the hour to finally get through it. As well as her usual slick surfaces, there was a lot of work to unravel some of the wordplay involved (particularly with 22a, 1d, 4d and 20d) and several new terms (ENDA (the Irish name), FICHU (the triangular cape) and LIDL (the German supermarket chain)).
Had to smile when I unexpectedly saw Rosa use FFS and also liked the use of the German ICH (I) for setter. Always take time to remember LIDDELL as the runner made famous in ‘Chariots of Fire’ – an interesting man – an Olympic gold medallist, an international rugby union player and Christian missionary who died at a reasonably young age in China. He was my last one in after a very pleasant battle.
Really nice puzzle (as always) from Rosa Klebb.
From Russia with Love – well, that’s a bit contentious these days.
For what it’s worth, I just would like to say something about two anagram indicators: the ones in 8d and 16d.
Perhaps, some see ‘play’ as a noun [as many setters would use it] but I am convinced that Rosa Klebb sees ‘Anna’,’is’ and ‘to’ as three separate building stones for the fodder, therefore using the plural form of the verb ‘play’.
The use of ‘jockey’ does surprise me. It is clearly a verb and positioned behind the fodder it is not what I’ve come to expect from this setter in either of her guises. I’m not saying it’s wrong, we see it more often but perhaps it’s just me who doesn’t want to see it even more often.
Last one to parse was the easily gettable 4d.
Many thanks to Pete & Rosa Klebb.
Bruce, I wish now that I had thought to mention ‘Chariots of Fire’. Thank you for doing so.
Sil, I interpreted 8d as you did but failed to notice the awkwardness in 16d. I agree with your sentiment about the latter.
Never heard of enda, so couldn’t parse it, but ended up with sadness as it was the only word that fitted. Thanks for the explanation Pete.
Small correction: 8d is SONATINA (ending with an A). Thanks for blog Pete; it showed me that I’d apparently written LANCEL (character from the A Song Of Ice And Fire novels) instead of LANCET. Bah. Thanks also to Rosa for another hugely enjoyable puzzle.
Ah, thank you very much, Steve. Correction made.