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Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 24, 2019
I raced through most of this puzzle then took some time over the last three, especially 31ac. My favourites are 13ac (UNSCRIPTED), 16ac (ANAGRAM) and 8dn (RESIDE).
| Across | ||
| 1 | HOARSE | Sound of animal, husky (6) |
| Homophone (sound of) of “horse” (animal) | ||
| 4 | NIGHTJAR | Bird near sailor inspiring Jack (8) |
| NIGH (near) + J (jack) in (inspiring) TAR (sailor) | ||
| 10 | TAG LINE | Conclusion of advertisment given surprisingly genial slogan (3,4) |
| [advertisemen]T + anagram (surprisingly) of GENIAL | ||
| 11 | NAPPIES | Scruffs bringing in good waste collectors (7) |
| PI (good, i.e. pious) in (bringing in) NAPES (scruffs) | ||
| 12 | TILL | Work drawer (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | UNSCRIPTED | Prince has stud moved off the cuff (10) |
| Anagram (moved) of PRINCE STUD | ||
| 15 | FRIEND | Intimate close of day? (6) |
| FRI-END (close of day) | ||
| 16 | ANAGRAM | A mix-up translating Belgian into Bengali? (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | SHOOTER | Owl on end of motionless arm (7) |
| [motionles]S + HOOTER (owl) | ||
| 21 | CARPET | Covering estate perhaps, cat or dog? (6) |
| CAR (estate perhaps) + PET (cat or dog) | ||
| 24 | UNDERPANTS | Item of clothing: stunner paid to remove one before doing a twirl (10) |
| Anagram (doing a twirl) of STUNNER PA[i]D | ||
| 26 | TEEN | Youth leader in essence probing into possible age of child? (4) |
| E[ssence] in (probing into) TEN (possible age of child) | ||
| 28 | FANTAIL | Neglect to catch insect for bird (7) |
| ANT (insect) in (to catch) FAIL (neglect) | ||
| 29 | CHIMERA | Crazy idea, cooking ham and rice (7) |
| Anagram (cooking) of HAM RICE | ||
| 30 | WORSENED | Awful downers about opening of enquiry compounded (8) |
| E[nquiry] in anagram (awful) of DOWNERS | ||
| 31 | HOTTIE | Lovely, exciting game (6) |
| HOT (exciting) + TIE (game). With football especially a match may also be referred to as a tie.
This was the most difficult clue for me and I had to consult a couple of other solvers about it. |
||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HIT IT OFF | Success! Yours truly and fop get along (3,2,3) |
| HIT (success) + I (yours truly) + TOFF (fop) | ||
| 2 | ANGELFISH | A fugitive initially baffling English guards – occupant of tank perhaps? (9) |
| A (a) + F[ugitive] in (guards) anagram (baffling) of ENGLISH | ||
| 3 | SKIP | Dismiss refuse collector (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | INNOCENT | Blameless drinking establishment taking zero money (8) |
| INN (drinking establishment) + O (zero) + CENT (money) | ||
| 6 | HOPPING MAD | Livid as a kangaroo? (7,3) |
| I originally called this a double definition but later decided that it does not quite work as such. See the comments… | ||
| 7 | JOIST | Supporter is involved in scrap (5) |
| IS (is) in (involved in) JOT (scrap) | ||
| 8 | RESIDE | Live on the edge (6) |
| RE (on) + SIDE (the edge) | ||
| 9 | FEINT | Reportedly indistinct, misleading action (5) |
| Homophone (reportedly) of “faint” (indistinct) | ||
| 14 | INYOURFACE | Confrontational playing any four in diamonds (10) |
| Anagram (playing) of ANY FOUR in ICE (diamonds). I was surprised to see this enumerated as “(10)” rather than “(2-4-4)”. | ||
| 17 | AT PRESENT | Currently setter taking nap, shattered (2,7) |
| Anagram (shattered) of SETTER NAP | ||
| 18 | DE GAULLE | Old general alleged to be unsure about uniform (2,6) |
| U (uniform) in (about) anagram (to be unsure) of ALLEGED | ||
| 19 | STONE-AGE | Old-time attitude in ancient philosopher (5-3) |
| TONE (attitude) in (in) SAGE (ancient philosopher) | ||
| 22 | CURFEW | Restriction applied, as surly type a handful (6) |
| CUR (surly type) + FEW (a handful) | ||
| 23 | STOCK | Unexceptional merchandise (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | DINER | US restaurant some criticised in error (5) |
| Hidden word | ||
| 27 | MIRO | Border lifted on old Spanish artist (4) |
| RIM (border) backwards + O (old) | ||
Yes, I had the same trouble with HOTTIE, my LOI, which I was unsure about at the time. Definitely no big deal and I suppose it’s six of one, but I parsed HOPPING MAD with ‘Livid’ as the def and ‘as a kangaroo’ as the wordplay. I agree about the unexpected enumeration of INYOURFACE.
Any link between the two is entirely coincidental of course, but I liked the ‘waste collectors’ def. for NAPPIES and the surface for UNDERPANTS.
Thanks to Pete and to Mudd
WordPlodder, Thank you for commenting. You have prompted me to re-think the HOPPING MAD clue. And to think in particular that it does not work as a double definition. ‘As a kangaroo’ could clue HOPPING but not the MAD part. But, as far as I can see, this leaves it without any conventional clue structure unless one calls it a cryptic definition which I also cannot justify.
Thanks to both for the efforts. I read 6d as Livid in the manner of a kangaroo. And smiled when I got the answer. I did not like the enumeration of 14d as one word and that held me up for some time. Otherwise it was a decent exercise.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
A preety stock standard offering from JH with his trademark clue variety and wit.
Did get held up for a while with the enumeration of IN-YOUR-FACE (second time recently in the FT for that).
Think that 6d is just a JH speciality, where if a kangaroo was livid, metaphorically speaking, he would indeed be HOPPNG MAD – it brought on a grin!
Finished in the NE corner with UNSCRIPTED, FEINT and the clever NAPPIES the last few in.
Mystogre and Bruce, Thank you for commenting and for your explanation of HOPPING MAD. I am now in agreement.