Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 15, 2022
Another fine puzzle from our pirate setter. My first-in was 10 (TASTIEST) quickly followed by 1 (DICAPRIO) and I ended up with the very misleading 6d (MISLED). My favourites are 5 (OPTICAL ILLUSION) for its fine anagram, 4d (RUSHMORE), 6d (MISLED) and 13d (FIRECRACKER).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DICAPRIO |
Hollywood star, one better wearing Dior pants (8)
|
| I (one) + CAP (better) together in (wearing) anagram (pants) of DIOR | ||
| 6 | MASSIF |
Service provided in area for climbers (6)
|
| MASS (service) + IF (provided) | ||
| 9 | DEBRIS |
Two teachers sent back rubbish (6)
|
| SIR (teacher) + BED (teacher, i.e. B.Ed.) all backwards (sent back) | ||
| 10 | TASTIEST |
Try drinking wine – it’s most pleasing (8)
|
| ASTI (wine) in (drinking) TEST (try) | ||
| 11 | SLAV |
Small ladies, perhaps one from Russia? (4)
|
| S (small) + LAV (ladies, perhaps) | ||
| 12 | MICKEY FINN |
What’s taken when teasing European? It’ll knock you out (6,4)
|
| MICKEY (what’s taken when teasing) + FINN (European) | ||
| 14 | EPIDURAL |
Empty receptacle laid up, moving a number for delivery (8)
|
| Anagram (moving) of R[eceptacl]E LAID UP | ||
| 16 | REEF |
Bank at liberty to delay opening (4)
|
| FREE (at liberty) with the ‘R’ moved to the end (to delay opening) | ||
| 18 | SCAR |
Almost put the wind up Mark (4)
|
| SCAR[e] (almost put the wind up) | ||
| 19 | LAUNCHED |
American ate sandwiches and got going (8)
|
| A (American) in (sandwiches) LUNCHED (ate) | ||
| 21 | SOLICITUDE |
Charlie and I, overwhelmed by loneliness, showing concern (10)
|
| C (Charlie) + I (I) together in (overwhelmed by) SOLITUDE (loneliness) | ||
| 22 | ALLY |
Join large gathering to depose leader (4)
|
| [r]ALLY (large gathering to depose leader) | ||
| 24 | GRAFFITI |
Tennis player, one framing suitable wall decoration (8)
|
| FIT (suitable) in (framing) GRAF (tennis player) + I (one) | ||
| 26 | ASKING |
Pursuing enquiries in a royal capacity (6)
|
| AS KING (in a royal capacity) | ||
| 27 | IMOGEN |
This person’s with old dope, a daughter of Will’s (6)
|
| IM (this person’s) + O (old) + GEN (dope). Imogen is a name that may have been invented by Will Shakespeare for a character in Cymbeline. | ||
| 28 | NOSE RING |
At first, nuncio foolishly ignores feature of bull (4,4)
|
| N[uncio] + anagram (foolishly) of IGNORES | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | IDEAL |
Upright character by Kentish Town is a paragon (5)
|
| I (upright character) + DEAL (Kentish Town) | ||
| 3 | ARRIVEDERCI |
Turn up pressed cider I’m leaving for Roman? (11)
|
| ARRIVE (turn up) + anagram (pressed) of CIDER. Arrivederci is Italian for good-bye and appears in English dictionaries. | ||
| 4 | RUSHMORE |
Mount to gallop further (8)
|
| RUSH (to gallop) + MORE (further) | ||
| 5 | OPTICAL ILLUSION |
A dubious appearance is all I fixed with liposuction (7,8)
|
| Anagram (fixed) of ALL I LIPOSUCTION | ||
| 6 | MISLED |
Did fool go for a sleigh ride south of large thoroughfare? (6)
|
| MI (large thoroughfare) + SLED (go for a sleigh ride) | ||
| 7 | SKI |
Runner in unfinished sketch (3)
|
| SKI[t] | ||
| 8 | INSINCERE |
Concerned with clothing because this is counterfeit (9)
|
| SINCE (because) in (clothing) IN RE (concerned with) | ||
| 13 | FIRECRACKER |
Banger, a beauty, introduced by car racing engineers (11)
|
| FI (car racing, i.e. Formula 1) + RE (engineers, i.e. Royal Engineers) + CRACKER (a beauty). And I am writing this on the day of the announcement of the death of Robbie Coltrane, a real cracker. RIP Robbie/Fitz/Hagrid. | ||
| 15 | PICTOGRAM |
Maybe Chinese character and ancient Briton love to put on weight (9)
|
| PICT (ancient Briton) + O (love) + GRAM (weight) | ||
| 17 | NUMERALS |
I could be one of these spreading mean slur (8)
|
| Anagram (spreading) of MEAN SLUR | ||
| 20 | MINION |
Lackey running behind car (6)
|
| MINI (car) + ON (running) | ||
| 23 | LINEN |
Bedsheets etc from the 14th row (5)
|
| LINE (row) + N (the 14th, i.e. letter of the alphabet) | ||
| 25 | FIG |
Flipped over image file showing fruit (3)
|
| GIF (image file) backwards (flipped over)
GIF is an abbreviation for Graphic Interchange Format. |
Thanks for the blog and the info on GIF which I did not know but fortunately the answer was obvious. Another fine puzzle indeed and I share your favourites and will add IMOGEN.
I am not usually a fan of names in a puzzle but realise sometimes they are needed to fit in the grid, do not like to see them clued as “girl” or “boy”. Here the clue is very interesting and reminds me of about the only thing I remember from Eng. Lit at school. IMOGEN was probably a misprint for INNOGEN
[ very minor typo, your bull needs a little gap in the NOSE RING ]
Thanks Buccaneer for the challenge. I found this tougher than usual and finally resorted to a word finder for DICAPRIO, LAUNCHED, and NUMERALS. Favourites included IDEAL and MISLED. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Not much to add. MASSIF, DEAL and Gen to mean dope were all new to me. That aside, it was plain sailing (sorry Tony). I had no stand-out favourites.
Thanks Buccaneer and Pete
Thanks Pete – I remembered to look at the right time.
All good fun although I had huge trouble with DICAPRIO – I take no entertainment from the entertainment industry these days so muddled thinking was guaranteed.
DEBRIS and MASSIF rated on my smile scale.
Thanks Buccaneer.
A very nice puzzle.
Good fun. Thanks, Buccaneer and Pete.
For the solution to 16a, wouldn’t be the ‘f’ that is delayed and moves to the rear?
Great puzzle. After a speedy start I ended up needed help with last three in. I’m still groaning about not getting DICAPRIO.