Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 1, 2018
This puzzle was published within a couple of days of the fifth anniversary of the death of Cinephile (a.k.a. Araucaria and John Graham) and contains a tribute to him in 25ac. That is a beautiful clue but my favourite is 18ac (FUNFAIR). I also applaud 11ac (LANGUEDOC).
| Across | ||
| 1 | FIENDISH | Beastly animal biting one on the bottom (8) |
| I (one) + END (bottom) in (biting) FISH (animal) | ||
| 5 | SCREAM | In stitches, comedy routine initially proving a great laugh (6) |
| C[omedy] R[outine] in SEAM (stitches) | ||
| 10 | SHELF | Fabulous match ends, magical being a supporter (5) |
| [fabulou]S [matc]H + ELF (magical being) | ||
| 11 | LANGUEDOC | Crack clue, and go for an old part of France (9) |
| Anagram (crack) of CLUE AND GO | ||
| 12 | ARGENTINA | A Republican man in a South American country (9) |
| A (a) + R (Republican) + GENT (man) + IN (in) + A (a) | ||
| 13 | TARSI | Bones brought about in this ratio (5) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 14 | NETTLE | Prove irritating as a weed (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | ETRURIA | Italian nation once irate about screening rugby (7) |
| RU (rugby, i.e. Rugby Union) in (screening) anagram (about) of IRATE | ||
| 18 | FUNFAIR | French capital, not just a place for entertainment (7) |
| F (French capital) + UNFAIR (not just) | ||
| 20 | PIRACY | Crime is constant and exciting (6) |
| PI (constant) + RACY (exciting) | ||
| 22 | EIGHT | Figure, one less than drunk? (5) |
| Double definition with the second referring to the expression “one over the eight” meaning to be drunk | ||
| 24 | CELLULOSE | Wall-building substance nearby penetrated by bullet when shelled from behind (9) |
| [b]ULLE[t] backwards (from behind) in (penetrated by) CLOSE (nearby) | ||
| 25 | ARAUCARIA | Constant song by a river and golden tree (9) |
| A (a) + R (river) + AU (golden) + C (constant) + ARIA (river) | ||
| 26 | ERECT | Standing committee finally ahead of clergyman, or not? (5) |
| [committe]E + RECT[or] (clergyman, or not) | ||
| 27 | LATTER | Second coffee before last of beer (6) |
| LATTE (coffee) + [bee]R | ||
| 28 | TERTIARY | Third artery, it requiring surgery (8) |
| Anagram (requiring surgery) of ARTERY IT. This must be one of the best anagram indicators if you ask me, albeit also a fairly obvious one. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | FISCAL | Economic leaders in league, as commercial system is fouled up (6) |
| L[eague] A[s] C[ommercial] S[system] I[s] F[iscal] backwards (up) | ||
| 2 | EVERGREEN | Enduring terrible revenge, Queen taken prisoner (9) |
| ER (Queen) in (taken prisoner) anagram (terrible) of REVENGE | ||
| 3 | DEFINITE ARTICLE | The damage around intricate weaving (8,7) |
| Anagram (weaving) of INTRICATE in (around) DEFILE (damage) | ||
| 4 | SALTIRE | Standard alert is broadcast (7) |
| Anagram (broadcast) of ALERT IS | ||
| 6 | COUNTERARGUMENT | Row back? (15) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 7 | EIDER | Duck about to go upside down (5) |
| RE (about) + DIE (to go) all backwards (upside down) | ||
| 8 | MICHIGAN | State aiming to build around church (8) |
| CH (church) in (around) anagram (to build) of AIMING | ||
| 9 | INMATE | Con, elected crony (6) |
| IN (elected) + MATE (crony) | ||
| 16 | ROCK OPERA | Create a rope for Tommy, perhaps? (4,5) |
| Reverse clue: “rock opera” could clue A ROPE | ||
| 17 | AFTER ALL | A newspaper with energy slowing in the end (5,3) |
| A (A) + FT (newspaper) + E (energy) + RALL (slowing). ‘Rall’, short for rallentando, a word used on music scores meaning to slow down. | ||
| 19 | RECORD | Highest ever achievement put down (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | PILLAGE | Strip – time for medication? (7) |
| PILL AGE (time for medication?) | ||
| 21 | SENTRY | Guard delighted to be on track (6) |
| SENT (delighted) + RY (track, i.e. abbreviation for railway) | ||
| 23 | GRANT | Concede as US president (5) |
| Double definition | ||
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Noticed the ARAUCARIA clue and think that the quality of this puzzle was a worthy tribute to that great setter. I found it quite tough going and took quite a while to get started on it with it not easing up all that much as I gradually prised each clue out.
My favourite was the cleverly defined CELLULOSE with its equally clever charade, but it was one among many great clues. It was among my last in with PILLAGE (where I initially wrote in BANDAGE) and ERECT as the last couple in.
Hi Bruce. I happen to know that you are not the only person to initially choose BANDAGE for 20dn.
Thanks to Mudd and Pete. Tough going for me also but I did finish. Needed some help in parsing, especially with the “rall” in AFTER ALL.
Ah, yes, I needed help with “rall” too!
Thanks Pete and Mudd.
Was not aware of ‘one over the eight’…thanks.