Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 17, 2018
I have often referred to Mudd as the master of double definitions. In this puzzle he gives us three three-to-four-word expressions clued as double definitions: 24ac (BY ALL MEANS), 3dn (GETTING ON A BIT) and 11dn (AT THE SAME TIME). My favourite clue this time is 1dn (BUMP).
| Across | ||
| 1 | BRIDGETOWN | Island capital where girl gets personal (10) |
| BRIDGET (girl) + OWN (personal). Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados. | ||
| 6 | IBIS | Flier again attached to newspaper (4) |
| I (newspaper) + BIS (again). The i is a British newspaper and one I had been unfamiliar with (having started publication only in 2010). However I picked up a copy a few days ago out of curiosity. It has a mini-cryptic with a 6×6 grid and 5 clues! Is this a standard thing?
‘Bis’ is the French word for ‘encore’ (which may seem odd given that ‘encore’ is originally a French word too, but that’s how it is). In English, the word is used as a direction in a musical score indicating that a passage is to be repeated. |
||
| 9 | MEGATON | Measure of bomb, weapon with gas transported by soldiers (7) |
| GAT (weapon) + O (gas, i.e. oxygen) together in MEN (soldiers). A gat is a gangster’s pistol. | ||
| 10 | TRAIPSE | Wearily go to shake up a priest (7) |
| Anagram (to shake up) of A PRIEST | ||
| 12 | REFINEMENT | Polish ripped apart, penalty by yours truly netted (10) |
| FINE (penalty) + ME (yours truly) together in (netted) RENT (ripped apart) | ||
| 13 | DOT | Little point in party time (3) |
| DO (party) + T (time) | ||
| 15 | RESIGN | Step down stair initially to break rule (6) |
| S[tair] in (to break) REIGN (rule) | ||
| 16 | JEWELLER | Mock rings OK, one selling necklaces etc (8) |
| WELL (OK) in (rings) JEER (mock) | ||
| 18 | SALINGER | While twisted, remain an author (8) |
| AS (while) backwards (twisted) + LINGER (remain) | ||
| 20 | CARTON | Box needing wheels a lot (6) |
| CAR (wheels) + TON (a lot) | ||
| 23 | TUG | Jerk in corporation retiring (3) |
| GUT (corporation) backwards (retiring) | ||
| 24 | BY ALL MEANS | Using every method, of course (2,3,5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 26 | COUNTER | Token answer (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | SHINGLE | English sort of surface on beach? (7) |
| Anagram (sort of) ENGLISH | ||
| 28 | SOLE | One part of a shoe (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 29 | ORNAMENTAL | Fancy title on book in exam (10) |
| NAME (title) + NT (book, i.e. New Testament) together in (in) ORAL (exam). I am more used to seeing ‘books’ clue NT. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BUMP | Expecting evidence, poor opening for prosecution (4) |
| BUM (poor) + P[rosecution] with a nice cryptic definition | ||
| 2 | INGRESS | Entrance painter with the ultimate in masterpieces (7) |
| INGRES (painter) + [masterpiece]S | ||
| 3 | GETTING ON A BIT | Elderly slightly friendly? (7,2,1,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | TINDER | Bright spark might destroy this bloody fool after uprising (6) |
| RED (bloody) + NIT (fool) together backwards (after uprising) | ||
| 5 | WITHERED | Card available, diamond wasted (8) |
| WIT (card) + HERE (available) + D (diamond) | ||
| 7 | BIPEDAL | Able dipso, not so drunk, able to stand upright? (7) |
| Anagram (drunk) of ABLE DIP[so] | ||
| 8 | SWELTERING | Carol, carrying jumble, hot (10) |
| WELTER (jumble) in (carrying) SING (carol) | ||
| 11 | AT THE SAME TIME | Concurrently, nevertheless (2,3,4,4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | BRASS TACKS | Essential stuff beginning to stink among piles of underwear? (5,5) |
| S[tink] in (among) BRA STACKS (pile of underwear?) | ||
| 17 | REPAIRER | Getting on with couple before each row starts, one puts things right (8) |
| RE (on) + PAIR (couple) + E[ach] R[ow] | ||
| 19 | LEG-PULL | Stage draw, a joke (3-4) |
| LEG (stage) + PULL (draw) | ||
| 21 | TONIGHT | Soon on, stretched bandages (7) |
| ON (on) in (bandages) TIGHT (stretched) | ||
| 22 | PLASMA | Some blood, a sample almost contaminated (6) |
| Anagram (contaminated) of A SAMPL[e] | ||
| 25 | SEAL | Beastly clapper shut up (4) |
| Double/cryptic definition | ||
Good stuff as one expects from Mudd. BUMP was also my favourite. I spent nearly as much time getting 25d as the rest put together. Thanks to Mudd and Pete.
Thanks Mudd & Pete.
This was the first of Mudd’s puzzles that I have been able to complete – missing only the parsing of 9 across.
The mini-cryptic in the i is just a taster – the paper also reproduces a puzzle from a past edition of the Independent and at the weekend has the Inquisitor.
Congratulations on your completion.
I noticed that the main puzzle in the i was not the same as the one in the Independent of the same day and wondered where it came from. Now I know — thanks.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Interesting puzzle that I did over a couple of sessions. Enjoyed the long multi-word double definitions and especially liked BUMP. Thought that the construction of BRASS TACKS was very clever and quite droll.
Finished in the NE corner with MEGATON (and it’s tricky parsing) and BUMP as the last couple in.