Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 28, 2019
I think this crossword is an outstanding example of Mudd’s cluing. We have the amusing 1ac (HIPPOCRATES), the artful 10ac (PAPERBACK), the cute 5dn (TOPLESS), the delightful 7ac (SPA) plus three cryptic definitions starring 29ac (TREE SURGEON). What a splendid way to end the year and indeed the decade.
| Across | ||
| 1 | HIPPOCRATES | Medicine man in large consignment from Africa? (11) |
| HIPPO CRATES (large consignment from Africa?) | ||
| 7 | SPA | Where flu may have come from scrubbing in bath (3) |
| SPA[in] (where flu may have come from scrubbing in). The great influenza pandemic of 1918 was dubbed “Spanish Flu” although, if I recall correctly, there was no strong evidence that it actually originated in Spain. | ||
| 9 | TURIN | Track back visiting European city (5) |
| RUT (track) backwards (back) + IN (visiting) | ||
| 10 | PAPERBACK | Book TF? (9) |
| PAPER (FT) + BACK (TF) | ||
| 11 | TANGERINE | 17 entering a ground (9) |
| Anagram (ground) of ENTERING A. The definition refers to 17dn (MANDARIN). | ||
| 12 | AGAIN | Range popular once more (5) |
| AGA (range) + IN (popular) | ||
| 13 | FIANCEE | Intended payment to secure him a snack, regularly (7) |
| h]I[m] A [s]N[a]C[k] in (to secure) FEE (payment) | ||
| 15 | SLIP | Mistake knocking lager over (4) |
| PILS (lager) backwards (knocking…over) | ||
| 18 | FAIR | Pretty ordinary (4) |
| Double definition. A pretty ordinary clue, I’d say. | ||
| 20 | SIGNORA | Venetian lady soaring all over the place (7) |
| Anagram (all over the place) of SOARING | ||
| 23 | INAPT | Unbecoming taking forty winks during technology lessons (5) |
| NAP (forty winks) in (during) IT (technology lessons). ‘Inept’ is more commonly used and, according to my dictionaries, has a wider range of meanings but ‘inapt’ is a fine word too. | ||
| 24 | MANICURED | With lovely hands, my better male patient? (9) |
| MAN I CURED (my better male patient?) | ||
| 26 | HORSE RACE | Loveless beauty cuddled by old poet in Derby, perhaps? (5,4) |
| R[o]SE (loveless beauty) in (cuddled by) HORACE (old poet) | ||
| 27 | ADDER | Calculating poisoner? (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 28 | TOW | Pull the other way, initially (3) |
| T[he] O[ther] W[ay] | ||
| 29 | TREE SURGEON | Doctor on a plane, perhaps? (4,7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HOT STUFF | Exciting thing, molten lava perhaps? (3,5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 2 | PARENTAL | Prenatal and paternal problems of mum and dad? (8) |
| Double anagrams (problems) of PRENATAL and PATERNAL | ||
| 3 | OUNCE | Feline in limbo, uncertain (5) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 4 | REPTILE | Salesman with hat, despicable type (7) |
| REP (salesman) + TILE (hat) | ||
| 5 | TOPLESS | are-chested? (7) |
| Cryptic definition to be read as “bare-chested without the top” | ||
| 6 | SCREAMING | Perform top parts, for crying out loud! (9) |
| CREAM (top) in (parts) SING (perform) | ||
| 7 | SEAMAN | Jack, boy dressing in the morning (6) |
| AM (in the morning) in (dressing) SEAN (boy) | ||
| 8 | ASKING | Posing like royal (6) |
| AS (like) + KING (royal) | ||
| 14 | CRAFTIEST | Most devious ref’s tactic almost absurd (9) |
| Anagram (absurd) of REFS TACTI[c] | ||
| 16 | PORRIDGE | Stir breakfast? (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 17 | MANDARIN | Influential figure, sweet thing (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | RAMPAGE | Charge male servant (7) |
| RAM (male) + PAGE (servant) | ||
| 20 | SINNERS | Offenders taking private on board? (7) |
| INNER (private) in SS (on board) | ||
| 21 | WITH IT | In clever humour, success (4,2) |
| WIT (clever humour) + HIT (success) | ||
| 22 | HARROW | School torment (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | CHAIR | Moderate shock perhaps after first of calamities (5) |
| C[alamities] + HAIR (shock perhaps) | ||
All I can do is agree wholeheartedly with Pete. Thanks Pete and, of course, Mudd
Not sure if 5d was parsed in blog the same way as I did, namely (b)are-chested without the top.
Like Hovis’s parsing for 5d. Can now understand the clue. Thanks Hovis, Pete and mudd.
Hovis/Karen, your parsing of 5d is the same as mine. Maybe I did not express it clearly enough? I will fix it.
I’m getting to like Mudd lots, mostly because I have a fair chance of finishing his, as I did with this.
Not sure I agree with 2d being a double definition. “of mum and dad’ is a definition, but isn’t the first part a double anagram?
Malcolm @5. For sure. Didn’t notice blog said DD. Pete @4, as you probably guessed from my wording @2, I thought you may have meant that but didn’t think it was clear.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Did this one on a couple of short train rides and a bowl of pho on the way home from work. Enjoyable as you say, which is so typical of this prolific and evergreen setter.
With 21d, I think that the definition is simply ‘In’ (fashionable) constructed from WIT (‘clever humour’) + HIT (‘success’). Agree with Malcolm & Hovis regarding 2d. One or two clues where it is hard to decide whether they were cryptic or double definitions – e.g. PORRIDGE.
Finished with the clever PAPERBACK (where I just had it as a reversal of FT – as in PAPER is BACK which is probably what you meant), JACK (with its cleverly disguised definition) and my clue of the day, the excellent SPA.
2A. My recollection (for what it is worth) is that the first large incidences of the flu epidemic were recorded in Spain. The media needed to define the outbreak so they dubbed it “Spanish”. There was no knowledge then or since that it originated there.
I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzzle and I am getting on to his wavelength.
Thank you Mudd and Pete
Well-crafted crossword from one of my favorite setters — especially enjoyed 26a and 19d. Thanks Mudd and to Pete for the blog.
Many thanks to both. As always I solved this at some odd hour days after it was published.
I am another who went down the anagrams, definition line for 2d and admired Mudd for the triple anagram. A thoroughly enjoyable exercise overall.
To me, “charge” implies forward motion toward something, to rampage is to go berserk and bolt around a lot.
Thanks Mudd & Pete.
Didn’t solve a few clues but agree with Bruce that Porridge is a double definition — stir and porridge are slang terms for prison or a prison sentence. Can’t see it as a cryptic definition though.
This is interesting. I can certainly see the case for 16dn being a double definition and, given that this is a Mudd puzzle, it surely has a good probability of being a double definition. However I still see it working well as a cryptic definition too with the idea that porridge is what one is led to expect of breakfast in prison. And the fact that the clue bears a question mark seals it for me. So I welcome more discussion of the matter but, for now, I am standing by my conclusion that the PORRIDGE clue is a cryptic definition.
While sticking with my take on 16dn, I totally acknowledge fouling up on 21dn (which I have now corrected) and probably on 2dn too (which I have also amended). Thank you Bruce, Hovis and Mystogre.
Thanks to Pete and Mudd
Very good from Mudd, but two I didn’t like.
23a: if IT can be clued by “technology lessons” then German can be clued by “language lessons”.
5d doesn’t work for me – “are-chested” clues “topless topless”.
Dansar, Thanks for posting. I had doubts about IT myself and I like the point you make about ‘German’. I also see your point about 5d but am still okay with the clue.
As Mudd is the setter, 23 across should have been clued as:
Unbecoming taking forty winks during sex (5)
Pete@ 16
Thanks for your reply
It was fairly obvious what Mudd was getting at but it doesn’t bear scrutiny:
tripped to the waist?
hirtless?
opless?
Thanks Pete @ 13.
I now see why you classified Porridge as a cryptic definition. As Bruce suggested, a clue may be interpreted in more than one way, though the. origin of the slang meaning apparently relates to prison conditions a few centuries ago. The question mark is not conclusive: 1 down has a question mark but is a double definition!
Unbecoming taking forty winks during sex (5)
Yes. Rosa would probably have clued it this way.
I acknowledge that the question mark on the PORRIDGE clue cannot be considered conclusive.
I forgot to mention my (other) objection to 23a.
(At this point I should point out I admire and enjoy Mudd/Paul/Punk, but I do think he (as I’ve said before)), is overworked and underpaid.
The clue renders (if we accept “technology lessons” gives “it”), as “inappingt”.
“Unbecoming to take forty winks during technology lessons”, perhaps.