Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 11, 2018
I made a good start with this puzzle with 13ac my first-in then ended having difficulty with a couple of clues, notably 29ac. My clue of the week is 5dn (WATERING HOLE).
| Across | ||
| 1 | PALTRY | Mean, sticking key in nose (6) |
| ALT (key) in PRY (nose) | ||
| 4 | SWARMING | Pipe in which heat abounding (8) |
| WARM (heat) in SING (pipe) | ||
| 9 | LACKEY | Servant – need you back! (6) |
| LACK (need) + YE (you) backwards | ||
| 10 | STAGGERS | Beastly condition beginning to grate in veterans (8) |
| G[rate] in STAGERS (veterans). Staggers refers to a disease of horses and cattle characterized by, well, staggering. | ||
| 12 | OATH | Promise of apple tart and hot starters (4) |
| O[f] A[pple] T[art] H[ot] | ||
| 13 | SECRETAIRE | Career set, I moved desk (10) |
| Anagram (moved) of CAREER SET I | ||
| 15 | EVOLUTIONARY | Scratching head, subversive gradually changing (12) |
| [r]EVOLUTIONARY (subversive with head scratched) | ||
| 18 | GOLAN HEIGHTS | Figure has long flowing dresses for Levantine region (5,7) |
| EIGHT (figure) in (has dresses) anagram (flowing) of HAS LONG | ||
| 21 | SUGAR APPLE | A cloth pulled back in yielding Caribbean fruit (5,5) |
| A (a) + RAG (cloth) together backwards (pulled back) in SUPPLE (yielding). I have spent time in the Caribbean but do not remember coming across this fruit which is not really a type of apple but a tropical fruit with thick scaly skin and shiny black seeds. | ||
| 22 | COOL | Hot – or not? (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 24 | LINGERIE | Soldier guarding queen in queue for frilly nightwear (8) |
| ER (queen) in (guarding) GI (soldier) in (in) LINE (queue) | ||
| 25 | WITH IT | Trendy comedian, great success (4,2) |
| WIT (comedian) + HIT (great success) | ||
| 26 | SPARSITY | Spot in which abstract art is lacking quality? (8) |
| Anagram (abstract) of ART IS in SPY (spot). I guess Mudd intends the definition in the sense of “the quality of being lacking” rather then “lacking in quality”. | ||
| 27 | ABROAD | A US girl in Canada perhaps? (6) |
| A (a) + BROAD (US girl) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PULLOVER | Top stop? (8) |
| PULL OVER (stop) | ||
| 2 | LOCATION | Light orange colour initially, at ten sun finally setting (8) |
| L[ight] O[range] C[olour] + AT (at) + IO (ten) + [su]N | ||
| 3 | REEL | Dance that’s proper for audition? (4) |
| Homophone (for audition) of “real” (proper) | ||
| 5 | WATERING HOLE | Total drinks miscalculated in great pub (8,4) |
| Anagram (miscalculated) of IN GREAT in (drinks) WHOLE (total) | ||
| 6 | RIGHT BRAIN | Conservative supporter in creative thinker (5,5) |
| RIGHT (conservative) + BRA (supporter) + IN (in). My understanding holds that Mudd’s definition here is wrong. There seems to be a common notion that the right hemisphere is the brain’s creative thinker but it is a mistaken one. The right brain is adapted for, for example, spatial thinking but creativity is a whole-brain thing. | ||
| 7 | IRENIC | Entering ceasefire, Nicosia favouring peace (6) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 8 | GUSSET | Group of Americans after good supporter (6) |
| G (good) + US (American) + SET (group) | ||
| 11 | DECIMAL POINT | Dot claimed woozy – nothing in drink? (7,5) |
| Anagram (woozy) of CLAIMED + O (nothing) in PINT (drink) | ||
| 14 | HUMOURLESS | Not funny, description of popped eyeball? (10) |
| HUMOURLESS could describe an eye that is missing its vitreous humour | ||
| 16 | CHOO-CHOO | Train champ to speak repeatedly? (4-4) |
| Homophone (to speak) of “chew” (champ) repeated | ||
| 17 | ISOLATED | Cut off deal, so it fails (8) |
| Anagram (fails) of DEAL SO IT | ||
| 19 | PSALMS | Final word on charity book (6) |
| PS (final word) + ALMS (charity) | ||
| 20 | UGANDA | Sheep and bird conversing in the country (6) |
| Homophone (conversing) of “ewe gander” (sheep and bird) | ||
| 23 | LIMB | Branch to ascend, not reaching the top (4) |
| [c]LIMB (ascend, not reaching the top) | ||
Thanks Mudd and Pete
A typical JH puzzle which just came together over time steadily, rather than with any great rush. Good solid clues, without anything special, and some new learning with SUGAR APPLE.
Initially wrote in ESCRITOIRE at 13a which then caused issues with the anagram fodder and then had to go looking for SECRETAIRE which didn’t !
REEL was the first one in and eventually worked my way down to the SW corner with LINGERIE and PSALMS the last couple in.
Thanks Pete, and Mudd.
This was a disaster for me, less than half filled; what’s more, it is one of those weekends when it is a Paul/Mudd ensemble, which I hate, and I mean it in the nicest way possible (after having completed Paul first).
I was waiting to see what you made of it.
The RIGHT BRAIN thing, wasn’t there another clue like that recently?
Guardian 27566 by Paul: (July 20)
17 down: Logical thinker abandoned sheikhdom – Noah! (4,5)
LEFT BRAIN
LEFT [abandoned] + B[ah]RAIN [sheikdom – with no ah!]
By the way, Sugar Apple is called Custard Apple in India. Great fruit, I used to love it.
29ac ?? I can see why are addled, as well (again, no offence meant :-))
you are addled