Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 21, 2018
This puzzle has a theme, Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest. This theme is unannounced, which I think is fine, but two clues are connected to the theme (3dn and 25,27) without any indication and I wonder about that. I imagine some solvers may have been left unable to fathom these two. I was familiar enough with the play to recognize the connection but not familiar enough to come up with the answers and had to resort to some googling.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ROYAL MARINES | RYA sailormen deployed as part of the navy (5,7) |
| Anagram (deployed) of RYA SAILORMEN. RYA refers to the Royal Yachting Association which is the British national governing body for all forms of boating sport. A remarkable anagram here! | ||
| 10 | HEBRAIC | The man with a woman’s garment, I see, reported to be Jewish (7) |
| HE (the man) + BRA (a woman’s garment) + homophone (reported to be) of “I see” | ||
| 11 | LUMBAGO | Rock album attempt is a pain (7) |
| Anagram (rock) of ALBUM + GO (attempt) | ||
| 12 | ILIAD | Among memorabilia, displayed an epic poem (5) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 13 | ON THE DOT | Decayed tooth end is sharp (2,3,3) |
| Anagram (decayed) of TOOTH END | ||
| 15 | PUGNACIOUS | Aggressive dog savaged a cousin (10) |
| PUG (dog) + anagram (savaged) of A COUSIN | ||
| 16 | ALTO | What altar boy shares with falsetto voice (4) |
| A L T O (the letters common to ALTAR BOY and FALSETTO) | ||
| 18 | REEL | Film dance (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | MAISONETTE | Mother is on settee with no clothes or property (10) |
| MA (mother) + IS (is) + ON (on) + [s]ETTE[e] | ||
| 22 | ATROCITY | Evil rot set in Birmingham? (8) |
| Anagram (set) of ROT in A CITY (Birmingham?). Do we like ‘set’ as an anagram indicator? | ||
| 24 | AEONS | Nose job after a long time (5) |
| A (a) + anagram (job) of NOSE. I especially like this one! | ||
| 26 | CRETINS | Terribly sectarian, but not as idiots (7) |
| Anagram (terribly) of SECT[a]RI[a]N | ||
| 27 | See 25 | |
| 28 | TAKEN BY STORM | Most impressed by markets not reacting (5,2,5) |
| Anagram (reacting) of BY MARKETS NOT | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | See 8 | |
| 3 | A HANDBAG | Help graduate at long last, to 25, 27’s unacceptable breeding environment (1,7) |
| A HAND (help) + BA (graduate) + [lon]G. The definition refers to The Importance of Being Earnest and, in particular, Jack Worthing’s being found as a baby in a handbag at Victoria Station. | ||
| 4 | MACE | Spice stick (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | RELINQUISH | Rejoin desire for listeners to give up (10) |
| Homophone (for listeners) of “relink wish” (rejoin desire) | ||
| 6 | NYMPH | Daphne may be extremely naughty on speed (5) |
| N[aught]Y + MPH (speed) | ||
| 7 | SCANDAL | Extremes of sybaritic arousal a public disgrace (7) |
| S[ybariti]C AND A[rousa]L | ||
| 8, 2, 19 | THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST | Poor boat engine performance in believer’s play (3,10,2,5,7) |
| Anagram (poor) of BOAT ENGINE PERFORMANCE in THEIST (believer). The web edition of the crossword has a minor error in the enumeration with (3.10,2,5,7) instead of (3,10,2,5,7). | ||
| 9 | CONTROVERSIAL | Dubious drifter follows nutcase into social work (13) |
| N[u]T + ROVER (drifter) together in anagram (work) of SOCIAL | ||
| 14 | BIPARTISAN | Originally born in Poland, highly skilled worker supported by both sides (10) |
| B[orn] I[n] P[oland] + ARTISAN (highly skilled worker) | ||
| 17 | UNTAUGHT | Amount halved with anything natural (8) |
| [amo]UNT + AUGHT (anything) | ||
| 19 | See 8 | |
| 21 | TROUSER | Starting to rely on employer’s pocket (7) |
| T[o] R[ely] O[n] + USER (employer) | ||
| 23 | CLINK | Sound prison (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25, 27 | LADY AUGUSTA | Boy’s sorry end: entire summer month with a gorgon (4,7) |
| LAD (boy) + [sorr]Y + AUGUST (entire summer month) + A (a). In The Importance of Being Earnest, the character of Aunt Augusta (i.e. Lady Augusta) is described as a gorgon. Oscar Wilde’s play is a great one to know not only for its (dare I say?) incomparable wit but also because it can come up in contexts like this. I do know it fairly well but nevertheless needed my memory jogged to recognize its relevance in this clue. | ||
Thanks Goliath and Pete
This was classy – from the excellent anagrams at 1a and in the keystone play clue, the clever homophone at 5d and the driving of me to look up the various bits of the Oscar Wilde play that I hadn’t read (have only read his Dorian Gray).
The other clues were also varied and fun to work through, although on looking back, for some reason, it didn’t take me as long as it usually does to complete one of his puzzles.
Finished with the tricky UNTAUGHT and that HANDBAG clues.
I too thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. Having seen the 1952 film many times Edith Evan’s declamation of “A handbag!” still rings in my ears. But I always remembered her as Lady Bracknell and Worthing’s Aunt so also had to remind myself of her first name Augusta, although the clue was straightforward.
Thank you both.
Classy, yes!
Thanks Pete and Goliath.
You are right about 25/27 and 3d.
I got 25/27 from word play and crossers and confirmed by searching for characters of the play. 3d completely floored me, not having read the play.
Thanks Goliath & Pete.
In 10 across I think the definition is JEWISH. Reported has its usual function as a homophone indicator (of I see / IC).
psmith, I was not comfortable about my interpretation of that wordplay and like yours much better. Thank you, I have edited the explanation of the clue accordingly. It is an unusual use of a homophone.