Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 28, 2017
I found this to be a moderately challenging Mudd. I think of Mudd as the master of the double definition and my clue of the week is his DD at 29ac (EYE-CATCHING) and I also especially like 14dn (BRASSERIE).
| Across | ||
| 1 | HORNETS NEST | Dangerous situation where straight tackles ending in minor gains (7,4) |
| [mino]R + NETS (gains) together in (tackles) HONEST (straight) | ||
| 7 | GAG | Crack running this way and that (3) |
| Palindrome | ||
| 9 | ARGUS | Giant proves quarrelsome, sapped of energy (5) |
| ARGU[e]S (quarrelsome, sapped of energy). Argus was a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology. | ||
| 10 | DESTITUTE | Poor old king, it’s recalled, put in river (9) |
| TUT (old king) + ITS (it’s) together backwards (recalled) in DEE (river) | ||
| 11 | RED-PENCIL | Censor in decline given extremes of popular novel (3-6) |
| Anagram (novel) of DECLINE P[opula]E | ||
| 12 | ORGAN | Welsh name not starting – something stopped? (5) |
| [m]ORGAN (Welsh name not starting) | ||
| 13 | SLOBBER | Dribble ending on knickers, one throwing up? (7) |
| [knicker]S + LOBBER (one throwing up) | ||
| 15 | NOON | Twelve numbers, back to back (4) |
| NO NO (numbers) put back to back | ||
| 18 | MALI | Nation close to freedom fighter (4) |
| [freedo]M + ALI (fighter) | ||
| 20 | CURTAIN | One’s drawn a hound, one in brown (7) |
| CUR (a hound) + I (one) in TAN (brown) | ||
| 23 | OASIS | Middle of crowd, a relative place of safety (5) |
| [cr]O[wd] + A (a) + SIS (relative) | ||
| 24 | CHINAWARE | Pottery feature in the picture (9) |
| CHIN (feature) + AWARE (in the picture) | ||
| 26 | FRAGRANCE | Cologne newspaper embraced by the nation (9) |
| RAG (newspaper) in FRANCE (the nation) | ||
| 27 | TRIAD | Bolt pulled back to secure first of inmates in group of three (5) |
| I[nmates] in (to secure) in DART (bolt) backwards | ||
| 28 | RYE | Speaker’s mocking whiskey ingredient (3) |
| Homophone (speaker’s) of “wry” (mocking) | ||
| 29 | EYE-CATCHING | Is a Bayeux tapestry arrow so beautiful? (3-8) |
| Double definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HEAT RASH | Vacuous homage a nonsense, irritating thing (4,4) |
| H[omag]E + A (a) + TRASH (nonsense) | ||
| 2 | RIGADOON | Dance party taking place south of European capital (8) |
| RIGA (European capital) + DO (party) + ON (taking place). I had to look up this one: a rigadoon is a lively dance of the 17th and 18th centuries. | ||
| 3 | ENSUE | Follow leaders in Election Night Special uttering expletives (5) |
| E[lection] N[ight] S[pecial] U[ttering] E[xpletives] | ||
| 4 | SIDECAR | Teacher drinking endless coffee, one on a motorbike? (7) |
| DECA[f] (endless coffee) in SIR (teacher) | ||
| 5 | EPSILON | Greek character partial to ethanol is perking up (7) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 6 | TRICOLOUR | Pass beyond outskirts of Rimini during trip, one flying over Italian embassy, perhaps? (9) |
| R[imin]I + COL (pass) in TOUR (trip) | ||
| 7 | GRUNGE | Unpleasant matter about right for filthy fashion? (6) |
| R (right) in (about) GUNGE (unpleasant matter) | ||
| 8 | GREENE | Sound politician, British author (6) |
| Homophone of “green” (politician, as in a member of the Green Party) | ||
| 14 | BRASSERIE | Queen admitted to old club where cheap food served (9) |
| ER (queen) in (admitted to) BRASSIE (old club). I had to look up brassie — it is a old-fashioned type of golf club. | ||
| 16 | PAGANINI | A great fiddler, one not believing in integrity, initially (8) |
| PAGAN (one not believing) + IN (in) + I[ntegrity] | ||
| 17 | UNDERDOG | Probable failure grounded after failing (8) |
| Anagram (after failing) of GROUNDED | ||
| 19 | INCENSE | Scent anger (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | CHIMERA | Agree on origins of remarkably arcane monster (7) |
| CHIME (agree) + R[emarkably] A[rcane] | ||
| 21 | WOOFER | Speaker in court before judge, upstanding (6) |
| WOO (court) + REF (judge) backwards (upstanding) | ||
| 22 | ESCAPE | See cuckoo welcoming better flight (6) |
| CAP (better) in (welcoming) anagram (cuckoo) of SEE | ||
| 25 | ANTIC | Opponent caught in trick (5) |
| ANTI (opponent) + C (caught) | ||
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Also found this challenging in parts, with Mudd in one of his deceptive moods. Was not able to properly parse either of the long ones along the top or bottom and had to head-slap myself when I saw both of them here, particularly EYE-CATCHING (which was very clever).
Finished at the top of the puzzle with DESTITUTE, SIDECAR and HORNET’S NEST.