Monday Prize Crossword / May 8, 2017
An enjoyable trademark Falcon puzzle, perfect start of another FT week.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 9 | ANTIPASTO | Article with piece of advice about course of hors d’oeuvres (9) |
| AN (article) + TIP (piece of advice) + AS TO (about) | ||
| 10 | AGAIN | Another commander elected (5) |
| AGA (commander, especially in Turkey) + IN (elected) | ||
| 11 | TSARINA | Empress suffering a strain (7) |
| (A STRAIN)* [* = suffering] | ||
| 12 | NIGHTIE | Frilly thing that is put on? (7) |
| (THING)* + IE (that is, id est) [* = frilly] The clue as a whole is the definition, I’m happy to call this an &lit. |
||
| 13 | YEN | Longing for money in Tokyo (3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | SHOW THE FLAG | Shah flew – got abroad to put in an appearance (4,3,4) |
| (SHAH FLEW + GOT)* [* = abroad] | ||
| 17 | CARGO | Load vehicle and leave (5) |
| CAR (vehicle) + GO (leave) | ||
| 18 | EVE | Girl being fair? Not quite (3) |
| EVE[n] (fair, not quite) | ||
| 19 | ENSUE | Follow dancing queens? Not initially (5) |
| ([q]UEENS)* [* = dancing] | ||
| 21 | PRACTICALLY | Pretty much in a way that is sensible (11) |
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | RUM | Odd male following sport (3) |
| M (male) coming after RU (sport, Rugby Union) | ||
| 25 | FORMULA | Intended to reach Greek character, left a prescription (7) |
| FOR (intended to (reach)) + MU (Greek character) + L (left) + A | ||
| 27 | CUTTING | Biting piece (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | AMEND | Change the last word, last in ballad (5) |
| AMEN (the last word) + [balla]D | ||
| 29 | GOLDENEYE | Good early look at Bond film (9) |
| G (good) + OLDEN (early) + EYE (look at) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PALTRY | Poor mate shot (6) |
| PAL (mate) + TRY (shot) | ||
| 2 | STRAINER | Riddle of spades found on coach (8) |
| S (spades) + TRAINER (coach) | ||
| 3 | SPOILSPORT | Baby’s left a wet blanket (10) |
| SPOIL (baby, as a verb meaning ‘to treat overprotective’) + S (‘s) + PORT (left) | ||
| 4 | ASIA | Part of the world captured by Vespasian (4) |
| Hidden solution [captured by]: Vespasian Vespasian was a Roman emperor who began the construction of the famous Colosseum. |
||
| 5 | DOWN-AT-HEEL | Shabbily dressed in blue, close behind one (4-2-4) |
| DOWN (blue) + AT HEEL (close behind one) | ||
| 6 | BANG | Report made by knight put in holdall (4) |
| N (knight) inside BAG (holdall) | ||
| 7 | CARTEL | Clubs, later, reformed syndicate (6) |
| C (clubs) + (LATER)* [* = reformed] | ||
| 8 | IN LEAGUE | Working together with popular band (2,6) |
| IN (popular) + LEAGUE (band) | ||
| 15 | OVERCHARGE | Finished attack exposing rook (10) |
| OVER (finished) + CHARGE (attack) | ||
| 16 | EVERY OTHER | Each alternate model taken up here, nearly always to the top (5,5) |
| Reversal of TOY (model) + HER[e], preceded by EVER (always) | ||
| 17 | CAPE FEAR | Top English horror film (4,4) |
| CAP (top) + E (English) + FEAR (horror) This film (or the other, of course). |
||
| 20 | SARDINES | Game fish (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | AGREED | Answer, “gluttony”, allowed (6) |
| A (answer) + GREED (gluttony) | ||
| 24 | MAGNET | French painter capturing heart of Avignon – it has a certain attraction (6) |
| MANET (French painter) around [Avi]G[non | ||
| 26 | UNDO | Disentangle a French implement (4) |
| UN (a, in French) + DO (implement) | ||
| 27 | COLD | Unfriendly Conservative, advanced in years (4) |
| C (Conservative) + OLD (advanced in years) | ||
*anagram
Thanks Falcon and Sil
A pretty straightforward puzzle that happily occupied a morning train ride into work. No real reference work to be done except to look up both films that I cannot recall watching before.