Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 9, 2020
Another entertaining puzzle from Mudd. My favourite clue is 24ac (INCAPACITY) and I also like 2dn (GIN AND TONIC) and the pair of ‘boozer’ clues, 26dn (LUSH) and 28dn (BAR).
| Across | ||
| 1 | BEGONE | Number on petition get out! (6) |
| BEG (petition) + ONE (number) | ||
| 4 | COBBLERS | A load of rubbish fruit pies (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | WINSOME | Lose occasionally then? That’s fair (7) |
| WIN SOME (lose occasionally then?). I seem to remember seeing a clue very like this one before but I cannot find it in my archive. | ||
| 11 | ELASTIC | One held captive in castle, tragically yielding (7) |
| I (one) in (held captive in) anagram (tragically) of CASTLE | ||
| 12 | LANE | Way in when allowed back (4) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 13 | REASONABLE | Fair where dancing bear on sale (10) |
| Anagram (dancing) of BEAR ON SALE | ||
| 16 | ENTAIL | Force let in with a warrant (6) |
| Anagram (force) of LET IN A | ||
| 17 | DENTATE | Office and gallery with a notched pattern around the edge (7) |
| DEN (office) + TATE (gallery) | ||
| 20 | INFANCY | Early stage, where batting complicated (7) |
| IN (batting) + FANCY (complicated) | ||
| 21 | IRWELL | English river, Irish source of water (6) |
| IR (Irish) + WELL (source of water).
The River Irwell is a 39-mile (63 km) long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in North West England. |
||
| 24 | INCAPACITY | Powerlessness in a place like Washington, for example, with Trump installed (10) |
| IN (in) + CAP (trump) + A (a) + CITY (place like Washington) | ||
| 25 | AFRO | Style in calf or cow oddly lacking (4) |
| [c]A[l]F [o]R [c]O[w] | ||
| 27 | SUBLIME | Splendid under tree (7) |
| SUB (under) + LIME (tree) | ||
| 29 | ROUTINE | Standard number out in evening dresses (7) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 30 | MARITIME | Sea, where girl rescues boy (8) |
| TIM (boy) in (rescues) MARIE (girl) | ||
| 31 | THESIS | Essay is written on the first of September (6) |
| THE (the) + S[eptember] + IS (is) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BEWILDER | Bitter about uncivilised puzzle (8) |
| WILD (uncivilised) in (about) BEER (bitter) | ||
| 2 | GIN AND TONIC | Drink primarily containing rum – that’s not it! (3,3,5) |
| Anagram (rum) of D[rink] CONTAINING | ||
| 3 | NOOK | Centre of Grenoble passable for recess (4) |
| [gre]NO[ble] + OK (passable) | ||
| 5 | OVERSEEN | One serve badly managed (8) |
| Anagram (badly) of ONE SERVE | ||
| 6 | BRAINSTORM | Together come up with something smart, or bin rubbish (10) |
| Anagram (rubbish) of SMART OR BIN | ||
| 7 | EAT | Piece of furniture, a table put away (3) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 8 | SUCKER | Fool, one enjoying lollipop perhaps? (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | SEWER | Pipe, small vessel (5) |
| S (small) + EWER (vessel) | ||
| 14 | BUTTERFLIES | Nervous feeling spread over device in trousers (11) |
| BUTTER (spread) + FLIES (device in trousers) | ||
| 15 | DISAPPOINT | Fail in post: paid off (10) |
| Anagram (off) of IN POST PAID | ||
| 18 | ICE CREAM | Elite going after diamonds – is that a scoop? (3,5) |
| ICE (diamonds) + CREAM (elite) | ||
| 19 | BLOOMERS | Underwear slips (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | DIM-SUM | Stupid quantity for an appetiser (3,3) |
| DIM (stupid) + SUM (quantity) | ||
| 23 | STARK | Complete legend, king (5) |
| STAR (legend) + K (king) | ||
| 26 | LUSH | Grand boozer (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | BAR | Prohibit boozer (3) |
| Double definition | ||
Thanks Pete and Mudd. A very enjoyable puzzle. I read 29 ac as a straightforward hidden word
Annie, Thank you, I am shocked that I misses that.
Great fun as always from Mudd. Loved the surfaces for GIN AND TONIC and DIM SUM. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Thanks Mudd abd Pete
Standard good fare from this setter again. Took a little longer than usual to finish although was trying to do it whilst watching a movie. Didn’t know the river before meeting it here.
Likewise, I enjoyed the ‘boozer’ clues and also the different and clever word play for SEWER.
Finished in the SW corner with that IRWELL, the cunningly hidden ROUTINE and STARK the last few in.
Hi Bruce, ROUTINE was one of my last in and I even failed to see that it was a hidden word!