Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 15, 2019
This puzzle came together for me quickly, easily and pleasurably. My clue of the week is 11ac (REGALIA) and I also tip my hat to 1ac (FORTIETH), 1dn (FOSSIL), 4dn (TRAP-DOOR SPIDER) and 9dn (TROUBLESHOOTER).
| Across | ||
| 1 | FORTIETH | Ruby anniversary, out to save relationship! (8) |
| TIE (relationship) in (to save) FORTH (out) | ||
| 5 | TROPIC | One of two lines read initially, in matter for discussion (6) |
| R[ead] in (in) TOPIC (matter for discussion) with the definition referring to the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. | ||
| 10 | SULTANA | Royal fruit (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | REGALIA | One for the road possibly knocked back in the Crown and Sceptre? (7) |
| AI LAGER (one for the road possibly) backwards (knocked back) where ‘AI’ derives from the A1, the grand old British road that connects London and Edinburgh. It could also be taken more generally in that many countries have roads called “A1” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_A1_roads). | ||
| 12 | INTRO | Opener interested in bagging runs (5) |
| R (runs) in (bagging) INTO (interested in) | ||
| 13 | DOUBTLESS | Oldest bus in need of repair, of course (9) |
| Anagram (in need of repair) of OLDEST BUS | ||
| 14 | MAN OF LETTERS | Academic postman? (3,2,7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | PREPOSSESSED | Worried piano will get taken back (12) |
| P (piano) + REPOSSESSED (taken back) | ||
| 21 | SAN MARINO | Southern Iran and Oman formed another country (3,6) |
| Anagram (formed) of S IRAN OMAN | ||
| 23 | DEUCE | Level of tennis where vitality under discussion? (5) |
| Homophone (under discussion) of “juice” (vitality) | ||
| 24 | DEGRADE | Shame qualification not entirely inspiring Bill (7) |
| AD (bill) in (inspiring) DEGRE[e] (qualification not entirely) | ||
| 25 | TRIBUNE | Champion, one of twenty-four in harmony (7) |
| RIB (one of twenty-four) in (in) TUNE (harmony) | ||
| 26 | CUTTER | Ship heading for Cornwall, say (6) |
| C[ornwall] + UTTER (say) | ||
| 27 | PRALINES | Sweets – fifty in Persian confection (8) |
| L (fifty) in anagram (confection) of PERSIAN | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | FOSSIL | Sword with Nazi inscription, museum piece (6) |
| SS (Nazi) in (inscription) FOIL (sword) | ||
| 2 | RELATE | Tell part of the tale, rather uplifting (6) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 3 | INAMORATO | Love throwing chap up into air too carelessly (9) |
| MAN (chap) backwards (up) in (into) anagram (carelessly) of AIR TOO | ||
| 4 | TRAP-DOOR SPIDER | Creature hiding underground: with predator, drop is perilous (4-4,6) |
| Anagram (perilous) of PREDATOR DROP IS | ||
| 6 | RIGHT | Just ceremony to be broadcast? (5) |
| Homophone (to be broadcast) of “rite” (ceremony) | ||
| 7 | PILFERED | Fielder bats after Pakistani opener taken (8) |
| P[akistani] + anagram (bats) of FIELDER | ||
| 8 | COARSEST | Most vulgar actress wildly embracing love (8) |
| O (love) in (embracing) anagram (wildly) of ACTRESS | ||
| 9 | TROUBLESHOOTER | Business adviser gives one a nosebleed, perhaps? (14) |
| TROUBLES HOOTER (gives one a nosebleed perhaps) | ||
| 15 | TREADMILL | Rated awful, factory routine (9) |
| Anagram (awful) of RATED + MILL (factory) | ||
| 16 | EPISODIC | In parts, classic screening is old and dreary, primarily (8) |
| IS (is) + O (old) + D[reary] all together in (screening) EPIC (classic) | ||
| 17 | HEN NIGHT | Oddly, nana wears crown for party (3,5) |
| N[a]N[a] in HEIGHT (crown) | ||
| 19 | AUBURN | Reddish-brown char, gold on top (6) |
| AU (gold) + BURN (char) | ||
| 20 | SEVENS | Numbers still wearing smalls (6) |
| S EVEN S (still wearing smalls) | ||
| 22 | AMAZE | A confusing network, wow! (5) |
| A (a) + MAZE (confusing network) | ||
Well, Pete, I didn’t find it as straightforward as you did (I even had Degrade for Degrace). I finished, but with much more difficulty than usual with Mudd — my favourite setter. Perhaps I got out of bed too early. Thanks, anyway, Pete and Mudd.
I also went with degrade; I think ad=bill is common in these puzzles, a bill being a post such as an ad for a play or other public event. It will be interesting to see what comes out in the answers as either appears justifiable.
Although now I find that degrace is not in the dictionaries I use so maybe it is a typo?
It was not a typo; it was my being out to lunch on 24 across. Sorry! Now corrected.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Did this one on the day of publication and only just checking it off now. Around average time to get it out across a couple of equal length sittings. The normal variation of entertaining clues with the lovely anagram of TRAP-DOOR SPIDER and the succinct but clever CUTTER as my two favourite clues.
Finished the two down clues in the SW corner – HEN NIGHT and EPISODIC as the last couple in.