Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 9, 2019
I often find Redshank’s puzzles trickier than most but I completed this one rather quickly, although resorting to a pattern-matching tool for 16dn (WHIPPER-IN). My favourite clue, which was my first-in, is 3dn (PORT-AU-PRINCE) — okay, it’s a bit of a giveaway but it is also clever. I also especially like 9ac (LACHRYMOSE) and 11dn (TIME CAPSULES).
| Across | ||
| 1 | VIVIPAROUS | Various snakes crush lion, like most mammals (10) |
| VIP (lion) in (crush) anagram (snakes) of VARIOUS. ‘Viviparous’ refers to animals that give live birth to their offspring. All mammals are viviparous except a group called the monotremes which includes the platypus and echidna. | ||
| 6 | GRID | It’s hard work uprooting northern network (4) |
| GRI[n]D (hard work uprooting northern) | ||
| 9 | LACHRYMOSE | Sad city opted to retain extremely rocky motorway (10) |
| LA (city) + R[ock]Y M (motorway) in CHOSE (opted) | ||
| 10 | OBAN | Retired tycoon last to leave northern port (4) |
| NABO[b] (tycoon last to leave) backwards (retired) | ||
| 12 | HAUTE CUISINE | Nancy’s tall kitchen which may attract stars (5,7) |
| HAUTE CUISINE (Nancy’s tall kitchen — i.e. “tall” and “kitchen” translated into French) | ||
| 15 | OVERPOWER | Best remaining stalag inmate very content (9) |
| OVER (remaining) + POW (stalag inmate) + [v]ER[y] | ||
| 17 | ETHIC | Principle of the customised integrated circuit (5) |
| Anagram (customised) of THE + IC (integrated circuit) | ||
| 18 | ENNUI | Withdrawn rabbi unnecessarily masks depression (5) |
| Reverse (withdrawn) hidden word (masks) | ||
| 19 | INDIAN INK | Draw with this local in heart of Kolkata (6,3) |
| INDIAN IN (local in) + [kol]K[ata]. So “in heart of Kolkata” plays a dual role. | ||
| 20 | FRENCH POLISH | Europeans finish (6,6) |
| FRENCH POLISH (Europeans) | ||
| 24 | CHIN | Prominent feature of short service? (4) |
| CHIN[a] (short service) | ||
| 25 | PROPELLANT | Secure line in factory producing explosive (10) |
| ROPE (secure) + L (line) together in PLANT (factory) | ||
| 26 | DOGE | Avoid neglecting duke and foreign magistrate (4) |
| DO[d]GE (avoid neglecting duke) | ||
| 27 | UNCENSORED | Complete drunk conned user (10) |
| Anagram (drunk) of CONNED USER | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | VOLT | Very old officer offers little force (4) |
| V (very) + O (old) + LT (officer) | ||
| 2 | VICE | Contest involves Charlie gripping tool (4) |
| C (Charlie) in VIE (contest). By the way, as pointed out by a couple of commenters, Americans spell the name of this gripping tool VISE. Even though I live in the U.S., I am not sure of how Americans pronounce it. | ||
| 3 | PORT-AU-PRINCE | Puerto Rican rebels seizing quiet capital nearby (4-2-6) |
| P (quiet) in (seizing) anagram (rebels) of PUERTO RICAN. Port-au-Prince being the capital of Haiti. | ||
| 4 | REMIT | Perhaps watch over authority (5) |
| TIMER (perhaps watch) backwards (over) | ||
| 5 | UNSECURED | Blue Berets broadcast about dog on the loose (9) |
| UN (Blue Berets) + CUR (dog) in SEED (broadcast) | ||
| 7 | RUBBISH BIN | Refuse to go there to criticise bishop at home (7,3) |
| RUBBISH (criticise) + B (bishop) + IN (at home) | ||
| 8 | DUNDEE CAKE | Dark river bar’s fruity confection (6,4) |
| DUN (dark) + DEE (river) + CAKE (bar) | ||
| 11 | TIME CAPSULES | Harry speculates about writer’s buried souvenirs? (4,8) |
| IM (writer’s) in (about) anagram (harry) of SPECULATES | ||
| 13 | POKER-FACED | Royal pair occupy stern, getting perfect air for 23 (5-5) |
| K ER (royal pair) in (occupy) PO-FACED (stern, as in stern-looking) and the definition referring to stud (23) poker. | ||
| 14 | MEANDERING | Drift across the German Serpentine? (10) |
| DER (the German) in (across) MEANING (drift) | ||
| 16 | WHIPPER-IN | Triumph over more modern dog-handler (7-2) |
| HIPPER (more modern) in (over) WIN (triumph). I had to look up the answer to this one. The term refers to a huntsman’s assistant in managing hounds. | ||
| 21 | LAPSE | Liberal primate admits second sin (5) |
| L (Liberal) + S (second) in APE (primate) | ||
| 22 | FAIR | Just the place for a roundabout (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | STUD | Briefly inspect Playboy (4) |
| STUD[y] (briefly inspect) | ||
2D. I think that “vise” is the American spelling of “vice”.
In any event I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and, as usual, your blog.
Very7 nice, Thaanks to Redshank and Pete
Thanks for the blog, Pete.
I’ve just found my copy of the puzzle and see that I gave ticks to the same three clues as you did.
I was puzzled by your querying the spelling of VICE and assumed that ‘vise’ must be the American spelling – confirmed by trenodia and Chambers. [But you’re British!] Now I’m intrigued as to how the Americans pronounce it: I can’t see that it could be the way that we do [cf advice / advise]?
Re the puzzle; I entirely agree with copmus’s comment. Many thanks, Redshank – I loved it.
Oh dear, I was way off about the spelling of VISE/VICE! Now corrected. Thank you, all.
Thanks Redshank and Pete
Normal excellent fare from this setter which I did at lunch time on the following Monday. A good mix of clue devices and one new word in VIVIPAROUS.
We refer to the gripping tool as a VICE down here too – so was surprised to see the query too. WHIPPER-IN is a term used by race callers here to refer to the last horse in the running or at the finish of a race – and being a follower was well aware of the term.
Finished in the NE corner with UNSECURED (after having to recall that the Blue Berets were in the UN), GRID (for no good reason) and DUNDEE CAKE (struggled with DUN for ‘dark’ for a while) as the last few in.
Hi Bruce, I thought you might have known the word viviparous because, as the clue suggests, almost all mammals are viviparous but the exceptions are mostly (or totally?) Australian. They include the platypus (some of which I saw at the Healesville Sanctuary) and the echidna.