Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 14, 2019
A slightly challenging but very satisfying puzzle from Alberich. My clue of the week is 26dn (RAGOUT) and there are several more clues that I would rate highly, especially 1ac (SMETANA), 9ac (BLIND), 23ac (BASIE) and 25ac (OUT-AND-OUT).
| Across | ||
| 1 | SMETANA | A team’s new ground produces scorer (7) |
| Anagram (ground) of A TEAMS N (new) | ||
| 5 | TOASTY | Warm turkey without stuffing in oven? On the contrary (6) |
| OAST (oven) in (stuffing in…on the contrary) T[urke]Y | ||
| 8 | CHARACTER | Deed embodying a scoundrel’s second nature (9) |
| A (a) + [s]C[oundrel] together in CHARTER (deed) | ||
| 9 | BLIND | Bass and Swedish soprano dazzle (5) |
| B (bass) + [Jenny] LIND (Swedish soprano) | ||
| 11 | ALIBI | Defence fighter nets one billion (5) |
| I (one) + B (billion) together in ALI (fighter, presumably referring to boxer Mohammed Ali) | ||
| 12 | FRACTIOUS | Third, perhaps, to dismiss North American as grouchy (9) |
| FRACTIO[n] (third perhaps to dismiss North) + US (American) | ||
| 13 | AVERSION | Dislike adult edition (8) |
| A (adult) + VERSION (edition) | ||
| 15 | CANYON | Principle involving gluttony ultimately: gorge! (6) |
| [glutton]Y in (involving) CANON (principle) | ||
| 17 | ARRANT | Justify losing wicket for 25 (6) |
| [w]ARRANT (justify losing wicket) with “25” referring to 25 across (OUT-AND-OUT) | ||
| 19 | INVEIGLE | Persuade the Parisian to go by rail, mostly (8) |
| INVEIG[h] (rail mostly) + LE (the Parisian) | ||
| 22 | REPLICATE | Fancy Alec knocking off a pirate copy! (9) |
| Anagram (fancy) of [a]LEC PIRATE | ||
| 23 | BASIE | Count unit entering headquarters (5) |
| I (unit) in (entering) BASE (headquarters) | ||
| 24 | TWAIN | Home on time, starts to woo au pair (5) |
| T (time) + W[oo] A[u] + IN (home) | ||
| 25 | OUT-AND-OUT | Unqualified don at two universities to broadcast (3-3- 3) |
| Anagram (broadcast) of DON AT UU (two universities) TO | ||
| 26 | BEHEST | He is put in supreme command (6) |
| HE (he) in (is put in) BEST (supreme) | ||
| 27 | RELATED | Told story about boring revolutionary (7) |
| TALE (story) backwards (about) in (boring) RED (revolutionary) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SICK AS A PARROT | Demolished a car park – so it’s gutted (4,2,1,6) |
| Anagram (demolished) of A CAR PARK SO ITS. I was unfamiliar with the expression “sick as a parrot” which apparently means “extremely disappointed”. | ||
| 2 | EXAMINE | Cut up over mark in English test (7) |
| AXE (cut) backwards (up) + M (mark) + IN (in) + E (English) | ||
| 3 | AMATI | One requires bow tie shortly after advanced degree (5) |
| A (advanced) + MA (degree) + TI[e] | ||
| 4 | ACT OF GOD | Ultimately, eating cat food could spell disaster! (3,2,3) |
| Anagram (could spell) of [eatin]G CAT FOOD | ||
| 5 | TARTAR | Jack repeated calculus (6) |
| TAR (Jack) + TAR (Jack) | ||
| 6 | ARBITRATE | Spoilt brat, I reckon, will become judge (9) |
| Anagram (spoilt) of BRAT I + RATE (reckon) | ||
| 7 | TRILOGY | One on record blocking attempt to produce Gormenghast? (7) |
| I (one) + LOG (record) together in (blocking) TRY (attempt) | ||
| 10 | DISINTERESTED | Unearth established journalist that’s impartial (13) |
| DISINTER (unearth) + EST (established) + ED (journalist) | ||
| 14 | SENTIENCE | Condemn overwhelming ego, showing feeling (9) |
| I (ego) in (overwhelming) SENTENCE (condemn) | ||
| 16 | INVENTOR | Working in TV, one gets close to Inspector Morse? (8) |
| Anagram (working) of IN TV ONE + [inspecto]R | ||
| 18 | REPLACE | Substitute materials (7) |
| REP (material) + LACE (material). Rep is a fabric with prominent rounded crosswise ribs. | ||
| 20 | GOSPORT | Hampshire town has success with play (7) |
| GO (success) + SPORT (play) | ||
| 21 | RAGOUT | What gets fragrance to France’s dish? (6) |
| RAG OUT (what gives fragrance to France) | ||
| 23 | BANAL | Somewhat suburban, a laughing stock (5) |
| Hidden word | ||
I enyoyed this too and like you had not heard of 1d.
7d. I was friends with Sebastian Peake, a son of Mervyn, so TRILOGY was a write-in and brought back happy memories.
Thank you Alberich and Pete.
‘Sick as a parrot’ is probably only familiar to those who live in England. It is a cliché trotted out by football managers.
Ah, 7d was not so easy for me as I had not read any of Mervyn Peake’s books.
Thanks, Will.
I’ve never read any of Mervyn Peake’s books but he always puts me in mind of a magnificent clue my friend Robin Gilbert won second prize with in an Azed spoonerism competition for ORGAN: ‘Confounded organ needed leak: peed in fantastic volumes’.
The Spooner clue above leads to GROAN rather than ORGAN, I think?
Thanks Alberich and Pete
Good challenge with this one that I was able to get through in the single sitting – gotta love holidays – still took around 40 minutes to finish it. Lots of clever tricks and I also thought RAGOUT was the pick of a very good lot of clues. The wordplay for DISINTERESTED was pretty good as well.
Have come across the ‘Gormenghast’ series before in crossword land – and apparently there was a fourth instalment that was published posthumously by his sister.
Finished in the SW corner with REPLICATE (which looked much easy post solve) and ARRANT (clever wordplay) the last couple in.
Hope that all enjoyed a great Christmas and looking forward to a prosperous New Year with a continuation of the high standard of puzzle that we have had !!
Just came here to admire Alberich’s cluing. Particularly liked the clue for INVENTOR with (perhaps?) its hat-tip to Colin Dexter. Does anyone know if it’s possible to get FT crosswords free on a smartphone, and if so, how?
@Wil Ransome, can you explain the clue for the “spoonerism competition for ORGAN”, please?
Tony, Thank you for commenting. I like the idea that Alberich intended a hat-tip to Colin Dexter in 16dn.
And a good New Year to all.
Sorry, wasn’t concentrating: It was for GROAN: ‘Confounded organ needed leak: peed in fantastic volumes’ (confounded organ needed: Peake, lead in fantastic volumes’. Titus Groan was the leading character, so far as I know.
Yes, thanks Wil. Probably should have said, I got it once cruciverbophile had pointed out that it was a clue for GROAN. I take it Azed’s comp expects a spoonerism in the def?
No, Tony, he just has specials from time to time. Usually they’re just plain (as he calls them). There’s an excellent website: http://www.andlit.org.uk/azed/slip_search.php
Thanks, Wil
Amati is a new word to me. Otherwise completed it though three answers were wrong. The idea that someone can complete any of the FT crosswords in 40 minutes floors me; I usually take a week over several sessions and still don’t finish. Oh well, I still (usually) enjoy them.
Ah now understand 3d. Googled amati, had not heard of violins made by the family amati. The Good thing is one learns new words when doing the crosswords. Thank you Pete and Alberich. Happy New Year to all.