Financial Times 13,312 / Dogberry

Overall I didn’t think this was as difficult as some Dogberry puzzles. It seemed to be something of a mixture, some very easy clues, some more tricky ones, some good surfaces and some that didn’t make much sense (at least to me). I rather liked the wordplay in 9dn.

Across
1 WOBBLE  B (bishop) in ELBOW (joint) reversed
4 KINDLING  KIND (genus or species) LING (fish or shrub)
10 ROEBUCK  CUBE (solid) reversed in ROK (South Korea, IVR)
11 DORMICE  DO (cook) M (large number) in RICE (staple food)
12 RAKE  [d]RAKE (bird losing head)
13 GINGIVITIS GIN (spirit) VI (six) in GIT (fool) IS
15 BROLLY  ROLL (piece of bread) in BY
16 ANATOMY  NATO (alliance) in AMY (girl)
20 UNCOUTH  O (love) in UNCUT (having escaped censorship) H (hot)
21 AVIARY  A I (setter) in VARY (change)
24 THUNDERBOX  *(DETOX BRUN[c]H)
26 SWAP  PAWS (feet) reversed
28 MEMENTO  ME (compiler) in MENTO[r] (finish off teacher)
29 ELEGIST  LEG in [h]EIST (‘old-up)
30 CONTRITE  CON (internee) TRITE (lacking originality)
31 STEELY  EEL (fish) in STY (enclosure)

Down
1 WARDROBE  EBOR (archbishop) DRAW (pull) reversed
2 BREAKDOWN  dd
3 LOUT  L (student) OUT (away)
5 INDIGENT  GI (soldier) revered in INDENT (space)
6 DERIVATIVE  ER IV (Queen Elizabeth the Fourth) in DATIVE (case)
7 IDIOT  DIO (god in Italian) in IT (Italian)
8 GREASY  GR (Greek) EASY (simple)
9 SKEIN  E (drug) in SKIN (intradermal)
14 BLOOD DONOR  B ODD (rum) in LOON (bird) OR
17 MEANWHILE  MEAN (signify) WHILE (whereas)
18 START OUT STAR TOUT (renowned salesman)
19 SYMPATHY  *(MYTH PAYS)
22 ATOMIC  hidden in ‘mantegnA TO MIChelangelo’
23 TOWER dd
25 UNMAN  M (male) in UNA (woman) N (name)
27 REST dd

1 comment on “Financial Times 13,312 / Dogberry”

  1. Thanks Gaufrid

    I think my favourite part of this puzzle was the definition for DERIVATIVE: “betraying debts,” which had me stumped for a while.

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