Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 9, 2019
Mudd, Mudd, glorious Mudd… What a fine 1 across with a reference to the actor Gene Wilder. I am also struck by the cleverness of 6dn (GRAND SLAM) and 22dn (PATENT). My last-in was 25dn (SINGE).
| Across | ||
| 1 | BEWILDERING | Gene in human, complex (11) |
| WILDER (Gene) in (in) BEING (human) | ||
| 7 | POP | Modern music that may be retro? (3) |
| Palindrome (may be retro?) | ||
| 9 | RIOJA | Port and certainly Bavarian wine (5) |
| RIO (port) + JA (certainly Bavarian) | ||
| 10 | OPERAGOER | Eager to tussle with poor attender of musical performances (9) |
| Anagram (to tussle) of EAGER POOR | ||
| 11 | EGLANTINE | Kind of inelegant plant (9) |
| Anagram (kind of) of INELEGANT | ||
| 12 | DRILL | Boring thing, practice (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | LINOCUT | Print until company, shortly, going bust? (7) |
| Anagram (going bust) of UNTIL CO | ||
| 15 | GOLF | Hit back for a few rounds? (4) |
| FLOG (hit) backwards (back) | ||
| 18 | GNUS | Return of some enormous ungulates, wildebeest (4) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 20 | LAMBADA | Athenian character embracing a dance (7) |
| A (a) in (embracing) LAMBDA (Athenian character) | ||
| 23 | UMAMI | Newly discovered taste in opium, amiss (5) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 24 | AMBUSCADE | Attack came with bad reforms around America (9) |
| US (America) in anagram (reforms) of CAME BAD. I was not familiar with the word ‘ambuscade’. It seems to have a meaning very close to ambush. | ||
| 26 | BEEKEEPER | In alarm, perhaps, I’m shocked, as protector of the workers? (9) |
| EEK (I’m shocked) in (in) BEEPER (alarm, perhaps) | ||
| 27 | NAOMI | I cry over woman in the Bible (5) |
| I (I) + MOAN (cry) all backwards (over) | ||
| 28 | TOT | Dram that may be knocked back? (3) |
| Palindrome (that may be knocked back) | ||
| 29 | THREATENING | Dangerous matter admitting last drop of liquor swallowed (11) |
| [liquo]R + EATEN (swallowed) together in THING (matter) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BORDELLO | Congress here offered new doorbell (8) |
| Anagram (new) of DOORBELL | ||
| 2 | WOODLAND | Cold ultimately, warmer with coats for sylvan scene (8) |
| [col]D in (coats) WOOL (warmer) AND (with) | ||
| 3 | LEARN | Pick up losses initially, then win (5) |
| L[osses] + EARN (win) | ||
| 4 | EGOTIST | Say, nothing is in bike racing for braggart (7) |
| EG (say) + (O (nothing) + IS (is)) in TT (bike racing) | ||
| 5 | ICEBERG | Decorate composer for smash hit in Titanic? (7) |
| ICE (decorate) + BERG (composer) | ||
| 6 | GRAND SLAM | Garlands thrown over man’s head for rare sporting achievement (5,4) |
| Anagram (thrown) of GARLANDS + M[an] | ||
| 7 | PROSIT | Paid, model cheers (6) |
| PRO (paid) + SIT (model) | ||
| 8 | PARTLY | Not quite fifty in group (6) |
| L (fifty) in (in) PARTY (group) | ||
| 14 | CONTINENT | Gratified houses in huge area of land (9) |
| IN (in) in (housed) CONTENT (gratified) | ||
| 16 | MACARONI | Tubes, many cut in half, wheels on one (8) |
| MA[ny] + CAR (wheels) + ON (on) + I (one) | ||
| 17 | TAPERING | Band supporting record that’s certainly not coming out! (8) |
| TAPE (record) + RING (band) | ||
| 19 | SNAPPER | Fish ending in ten private traps (7) |
| [te]N in (traps) SAPPER (private) | ||
| 20 | LIBERIA | Country tale more influenced by alcohol, audibly? (7) |
| Homophone (audibly) of LIE (tale) BEERIER (more influenced by alchohol) | ||
| 21 | TURBOT | Powerfully driven tail of pilot fish (6) |
| TURBO (powerfully driven) + [pilo]T | ||
| 22 | PATENT | Obvious covered in butter, all fingers and thumbs? (6) |
| TEN (all fingers and thumbs?) in (covered in) PAT (butter) | ||
| 25 | SINGE | Pipe needs fire, not wood, to burn (5) |
| SING (pipe) + [fir]E (fire, not wood) | ||
Thanks for the blog PM. I had ticks by 1a and 1d. I thought this was relatively straightforward for a prize (and Mudd/Paul) puzzle, especially after the previous two Saturdays but it was still enjoyable. Thanks to Mudd as well.
Yes, lots of good clues, my picks being the ‘Gene’ in BEWILDERING (don’t know why, but I best remember him in “Bonnie and Clyde”), the ‘lie beerier’ homophone and the ‘smash hit in Titanic’ def. SINGE was my last in too and remained unparsed. This was certainly challenging enough for me, with UMAMI as a new word and AMBUSCADE and PROSIT only just remembered.
Very satisfying, just like the Punk in today’s Indy. I’m now off to do a Paul in the Guardian. Evidence that quantity and quality aren’t mutually exclusive.
Thank you to setter and blogger.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Despite having quite a high number of ‘well-trodden path’ clues – 11a, 12a, 15a, 18a and 27a – this took over the hour across two sittings to get out. Could almost add 9a to that group but the subtle change to the JA definition had me wondering for ages that RIOJA is from Spain not Germany ! UMAMI was a new word although seemed to be obvious from the run-on letters and a quick look up confirmed it.
There were a couple that I held back from entering for quite a while – BEEKEEPER and SINGE – they both looked obvious enough but took some time to work out why!
Liked ‘all fingers and thumbs’ and the ‘smash hit in Titanic’ and finished with TAPERING (which I found quite tough) and that SINGE (as well)
Sorry to be so late to the party, but in what sense is TAPERING = “certainly not coming out”?
For what it’s worth, I thought in 1d “offered” should also be part of the definition.
custard, I am glad you brought up the matter of the definition for TAPERING because it seemed questionable to me. I wish now that I had mentioned the matter. I think there is a suggestion of tapering in something going in but it’s very loose.
And thank you for the tip about 1d. On further thought I have to agree that ‘offered’ must be part of the definition and I have corrected clue.