Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 15, 2018
My first-in was 1 across which I got almost immediately and gave me a lot to build on. My last-in was the tricky 19 across. My favourites are 6dn (NOSE FLUTE) and 14dn (BUTTERFLY).
Happy Christmas to all and I will see you next year.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BEDSIDE MANNER | County made merry in private doctor’s style (7,6) |
| BEDS (county) + anagram (merry) of MADE in (in) INNER (private) | ||
| 9 | RELAPSE | Slip back on circuit, and faultless race ends (7) |
| RE (on) + LAP (circuit) + [faultles]S [rac]E | ||
| 10 | RESIDUE | Remainder getting unexpected rise, deserved (7) |
| Anagram (unexpected) of RISE + DUE (deserved) | ||
| 11 | DEVIL | Rogue survived being knocked about (5) |
| LIVED (survived) backwards (being knocked about) | ||
| 12 | HEAD FIRST | Without thinking, newspaper magnate pocketing diamonds, if in recession (4,5) |
| D (diamonds) + IF (if) backwards (in recession) together in HEARST (newspaper magnate) | ||
| 13 | MORIBUND | Bone put in heap on the way out (8) |
| RIB (bone) in (put in) MOUND (heap) | ||
| 15 | TURBOT | Swimmer in the sea has to dry back (6) |
| TO (to) + BRUT (dry) together backwards (back) | ||
| 18 | SPRITE | Fairy king possessed by desire to cause harm (6) |
| R (king) in (possessed by) SPITE (desire to cause harm) | ||
| 19 | LIFE RAFT | Something designed to save cost when travelling back in car journey (4,4) |
| FARE (cost when travelling) backwards (back) in LIFT (car journey) | ||
| 22 | DESPERATE | Wretched peers struggling to see on the periphery (9) |
| Anagram (struggling) of PEERS in (on the periphery) DATE (to see) | ||
| 24 | HINGE | Joint – nothing else’s inhaled (5) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 25 | TRIFFID | Terrifying being on the move, uprooted literarily? (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 26 | INITIAL | First in computer technology, learner perfect to send over (7) |
| IN (in) + IT (computer technology) + (L (learner) + AI (perfect)) backwards (to send over) | ||
| 27 | FLYING SAUCERS | Extraordinary things supposedly witnessed, as result of bull in china shop? (6,7) |
| Double definition — and one I like very much | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BOREDOM | Lack of interest in way mug flipped over (7) |
| MODE (way) + ROB (mug) all backwards (flipped over) | ||
| 2 | DELIVERER | One freeing organ in ungulate (9) |
| LIVER (organ) in DEER (ungulate) | ||
| 3 | IMPEL | Drive the lowest characters in taxi firm up the wall (5) |
| [tax]I [fir]M [u]P [th]E [wal]L | ||
| 4 | ELEPHANT | One carrying trunk, graceful if leaving pub for good? (8) |
| ELEGANT with ‘G’ (good) replaced by ‘PH’ (pub) | ||
| 5 | ABROAD | A general not at home (6) |
| A (a) + BROAD (general) | ||
| 6 | NOSE FLUTE | Unusual instrument no use, left abandoned (4,5) |
| Anagram (abandoned) of NO USE LEFT | ||
| 7 | RIDER | Another thing for jockey (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 8 | SEXTET | Group – ten beginning to trudge into rising river (6) |
| X (ten) + T[rudge] together in TEES (river) backwards (rising) | ||
| 14 | BUTTERFLY | Stroke goat, then run! (9) |
| BUTTER (goat) + FLY (run) | ||
| 16 | BEARNAISE | A Serbian wasted last of Worcestershire sauce (9) |
| Anagram (wasted) of A SERBIAN + [worcestershir]E | ||
| 17 | TIBERIUS | Emperor is brute, I suspect (8) |
| Anagram (suspect) of IS BRUTE I | ||
| 18 | SEDATE | Calm when sitting down, daughter wound up somewhat? (6) |
| SEATED (when sitting down) with ‘D’ (daughter) move up a few positions (wound up somewhat) | ||
| 20 | TRELLIS | Report is outlining Republican framework (7) |
| R (Republican) in (outlining) TELL (report) + IS (is) | ||
| 21 | MAIDEN | Hands clasping support first (6) |
| AID (support) in (clasping) MEN (hands) | ||
| 23 | STIFF | Difficult body (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 24 | HAIKU | Poem – great, great accomplishment read out? (5) |
| Homophone (read-out?) of HIGH COUP (great, great accomplishment) | ||
Thanks Pete, and Mudd.
Thanks for parsing HAIKU. I had high + ?
Happy New Year to you!
Hi ilippu. The homophone in 24dn depends on the typical Western pronunciation of the Japanese word haiku as (“high coo”) — which, I think is fair enough. But I understand that the proper Japanese pronunciation is “high kh”.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Slightly on the easier side for this setter I thought, although I also had troubles with the homophobe of HAIKU – was unconvincingly trying to make IQ work with ‘high’. Also spent some time looking for a General BROAD at 5d until common sense eventually prevailed.
Finished in the SW corner with the clever cryptic of TRIFFID and MAIDEN (that took a little time to equate with ‘first’).
Hope that you had a happy Christmas and agave a great 2019.
I too started well with 1 ac, rattlled through the top half apart from 15ac and 8dn, then crashed. Managed SE corner eventually (apart from 19ac) but SW defeated me. Better clueing next year!
Thanks to Mudd and Pete. I too struggled with HAIKU, my LOI, and also NOSE FLUTE and BUTTERFLY, but I did get through. TRIFFID brought back memories of the Wyndham novel and its subsequent incarnations.
Thank you, Bruce, for the wishes. I did indeed have a happy Christmas with a delightful family party. I wish you all the best for 2019.
TRIFFID comes up surprisingly often. I count 11 instances on this site, not including passing mentions.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Somewhat late to the party, but I think the wordplay in 19 parses as FARE (cost when travelling) reversed (back), inside the aforementioned LIFT.
Why, yes, of course! Thank you, Simon, I have corrected the explanation.