Prize crossword from the Weekend FT of March 7, 2020
I found this a quick and pleasant solve with one word that was new to me, 20ac (PINNACE). My favourites are 13ac (THIRSTY), 6dn (TOUCHDOWN) and 14dn (SHADOW BOX).
| Across | ||
| 1 | PILLOW FIGHT | Constant tickling of wolf in gentle bedroom antics (6,5) |
| PI (constant) + anagram (tickling of) of WOLF in LIGHT (gentle) | ||
| 7 | JAM | Scrape something on toast, say? (3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | RANGE | Cooker variety (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | RED MULLET | Fish bloody, old cut (3,6) |
| RED (bloody) + MULLET (old cut) | ||
| 11 | POSTERITY | Shame about trouble in store for future generations (9) |
| Anagram (trouble in) of STORE in (about) PITY (shame) | ||
| 12 | HOP IT | Go – like a rabbit? (3,2) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | THIRSTY | Figure gulping swiftly at first – because this? (7) |
| S[wiftly] in (gulping) THIRTY (figure) | ||
| 15 | POOL | Curve back, shooting game? (4) |
| LOOP (curve) backwards (back) | ||
| 18 | WASP | Point, poisonous thing – one stings (4) |
| W (point – of the compass that is) + ASP (poisonous thing) | ||
| 20 | PINNACE | Ship heading for estuary is able to hurry back (7) |
| E[stuary] + CAN (is able) + NIP (hurry) all backwards (back). I do not recall coming across ‘pinnace’ before and solved this clue using the wordplay. A pinnace is a boat for communication between ship and shore. | ||
| 23 | PHOTO | Flower framing summery picture (5) |
| HOT (summery) in (framing) PO (flower) | ||
| 24 | GARIBALDI | Biscuit taking last of colouring, a blue one (9) |
| [colourin]G + A (a) + RIBALD (blue) + I (one) | ||
| 26 | LEFT BRAIN | Language centre quit, European country abandoning it (4,5) |
| LEFT (quit) + BR[it]AIN (European country abandoning it) | ||
| 27 | ACUTE | A tricky accent (5) |
| A (a) + CUTE (tricky) | ||
| 28 | OAR | Clutched by hero, a razor-sharp blade (3) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 29 | XYLOPHONIST | Pub introduced to drunken loon (sixty), one hitting the bars? (11) |
| PH (pub) in (introduced to) anagram (drunken) of LOON SIXTY | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PARAPETS | Protective walls, bits sheltering primate (8) |
| APE (primate) in (sheltering) PARTS (bits) | ||
| 2 | LONG SUIT | Foolishly sling out extra diamonds, say? (4,4) |
| Anagram (foolishly) of SLING OUT | ||
| 3 | OBESE | Massive award, shame vacuous (5) |
| OBE (award) + S[ham]E | ||
| 4 | FORTIFY | Figure holds if secure (7) |
| IF (if) in (holds) FORTY (figure) | ||
| 5 | GIDDY UP | Suffering from vertigo? Move mount! (5,2) |
| GIDDY (suffering from vertigo) + UP (which seems to be unclued) | ||
| 6 | TOUCHDOWN | US score, bit lower (9) |
| TOUCH (bit) + DOWN (lower). A touchdown is a score in American football. | ||
| 7 | JALOPY | Banger cut to feed bird (6) |
| LOP (cut) in (to feed) JAY (bird) | ||
| 8 | MUTATE | Change in dog burying a bone, ultimately (6) |
| A (a) in (burying) MUTT (dog) + [bon]E | ||
| 14 | SHADOW-BOX | Case supported by opposition, punch the air (6-3) |
| SHADOW (opposition, as in parliament) + BOX (case) | ||
| 16 | HALLOUMI | Cheese room, where French master invents starters (8) |
| HALL (room) + OU (where French) + M[aster] I[nvents] | ||
| 17 | SEDIMENT | Deposit posted, money banked (8) |
| DIME (money) in (banked) SENT (posted) | ||
| 19 | PIGTAIL | Style of hair, one good in knotted plait (7) |
| I (one) + G (good) together in anagram (knotted) of PLAIT | ||
| 20 | PARSNIP | Root sticks on pan when flipped over (7) |
| PINS (sticks) + RAP (pan) all backwards (when flipped over) | ||
| 21 | APOLLO | A survey on old god (6) |
| A (a) + POLL (survey) + O (old) | ||
| 22 | WOOFER | Speaker – setter perhaps? (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | BEANO | Don’t be a “yes” for a party (5) |
| BE A NO (don’t be a yes). I know Beano as a comic from my childhood days and as a substance for suppressing intestinal gas but, I now find, dictionaries define ‘beano’ as a beanfeast, a noisy celebration or a party. | ||
A very enjoyable puzzle – well… apart from ‘poisonous thing’ = ASP which stirring the pedant in me. I had 13a THIRSTY tagged as a semi-&lit and my favourite clue, closely followed by 6d TOUCHDOWN, the surface of which had me racking my brain for classic American songs for a while.
PINNACE was also a new one on me and I’m glad you’ve highlighted that it was gettable from the wordplay, which is exactly how obscure words should be clued.
Thanks to all.
Angstony, Thank you. I should have included THIRSTY in my list of favourites and have now added it. And, yes, I think we can call it a semi-&lit.
Thanks to Mudd and Pete. I did know PINNACE but not HALLOUMI (which I did manage to parse) and knew BEANO = party from previous puzzles. All three were rejected by my spell-checker.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Typically enjoyable puzzle from Mudd which I was able to complete over a coffee on the following Sunday.
I think with VERTIGO, he would have meant that one would suffer it when standing, especially when getting up suddenly – I know that happens to me sometimes – unlike JH to not clue it.
Liked the ‘language centre’ definition of 26a.
Finished in the NE corner with JAM and MUTATE which certainly weren’t the hardest clues.
Thanks to Pete and Mudd
A nice crossword.
I suppose it very much depends on how you first read the clue, but I read the answer @5d as “Giddy (while) up”?
Thanks Mudd, clever as always. Like others, loved THIRSTY. Also amused by RED MULLET, WOLFER, and FORTIFY. Thanks Pete for the blog.