Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 6, 2022
My first-in was 1a (VICARAGE) and it flowed well from there on. I have no particular favourites this time. 1d (VOTARY) was a new word for me.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | VICARAGE |
A newspaper probing corruption in minister’s residence (8)
|
| A (a) + RAG (newspaper) together in (probing) VICE (corruption) | ||
| 5 | SPIDER |
Spinner again drops back? (6)
|
| RE (again) + DIPS (drops) all backwards (back) | ||
| 9 | TRUNCATE |
Dock, requiring eighth container, reportedly? (8)
|
| Homophone (reportedly) of “trunk eight” | ||
| 10 | CLARET |
Wine better, alcoholic drinks on the counter (6)
|
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 12 | REDBREAST |
Small avian one removed from stuffed Easter bird (9)
|
| Anagram (stuffed) of EASTER B[i]RD. I wondered about Mudd’s use of ‘stuff’ as an anagram indicator here. Then, consulting Collins, I learned that ‘stuff’ has the slang meaning of to ruin. So, okay. | ||
| 13 | TRAWL |
Fish growth reversed by antimicrobial, finally (5)
|
| WART (growth) backwards (reversec) + [antimicrobia]L | ||
| 14 | PICK |
Plump for cream (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | HEBREWS |
Book is being devised by him (7)
|
| HE BREWS (being devised by him) | ||
| 19 | SLEEPER |
Earring, one found in bed (7)
|
| Double definition with the first referring to a small plain gold circle worn in a pierced ear lobe to prevent the hole from closing up. (I believe this is British usage.) | ||
| 21 | APEX |
Summit made primate cross (4)
|
| APE (primate) + X (cross) | ||
| 24 | ANJOU |
Old French province covered by Italian journal (5)
|
| Hidden word (covered by) | ||
| 25 | SOAPSTONE |
Teaspoons stirred in talc (9)
|
| Anagram (stirred) of TEASPOONS | ||
| 27 | SUMMER |
Heyday for accountant? (6)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | ARROGANT |
Immodest, petulant nag, or radical revolutionary’s kidnapped (8)
|
| Reverse (revolutionary) hidden word (kidnapped) | ||
| 29 | NINETY |
Number in film in “Manhattan”, perhaps? (6)
|
| IN (in) + ET (film) together in NY (Manhattan perhaps) | ||
| 30 | IMPRISON |
Pen is working on Mudd’s image management (8)
|
| IM (Mudd’s) + PR (image management) + IS (is) + ON (working) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | VOTARY |
Change absorbing religious book for devout follower (6)
|
| OT (religious book, i.e. Old Testament) in (absorbing) VARY (change) | ||
| 2 | CRUDDY |
Dirty colour initially red (6)
|
| C[olour] + RUDDY (red) | ||
| 3 | RACER |
Runner, one in posh car (5)
|
| ACE (one) in (in) RR (posh car, i.e. Rolls Royce) | ||
| 4 | GET BACK |
Retrieve number one from the sixties (3,4)
|
| Double definition with the second referring to the Beatles’ hit “Get Back” | ||
| 6 | PALATABLE |
A drink served up with food, tasty (9)
|
| A LAP (a drink) backwards (served up) + TABLE (food) | ||
| 7 | DARK AGES |
Ship captured by Degas on the rocks, in brutal times (4,4)
|
| ARK (ship) in (captured by) anagram (on the rocks) of DEGAS | ||
| 8 | RUTHLESS |
Callous, deceitful head’s left (8)
|
| [t]RUTHLESS | ||
| 11 | UTAH |
US state out, I see, to depose leader (4)
|
| [o]UT AH (I see) | ||
| 15 | IMPRUDENT |
Foolish devil insolent, not heartless (9)
|
| IMP (devil) + RUDE (insolent) + N[o]T | ||
| 17 | ASSASSIN |
Bumper knocked from car that’s backing up, idiot in front – one paid for hit? (8)
|
| ASS (idiot) + NISSA[n] (bumper knocked from car) backwards (that’s backing up) | ||
| 18 | BENJAMIN |
Pickle entering country, righteous son (8)
|
| JAM (pickle) in (entering) BENIN (country) with the definition referring to the youngest and best-loved son of Jacob and Rachel and one of the twelve forebears of the tribes of Israel | ||
| 20 | ROSE |
Flower was revolting (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | ANAGRAM |
Praise of Persia, for example? (7)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 22 | MORASS |
Chaos, port essentially cutting service (6)
|
| [p]OR[t] in (cutting) MASS (service) | ||
| 23 | SEXTON |
Church official from the other century (6)
|
| SEX (the other) + TON (century). I gather than, in cricket, a century (100 runs) is sometimes referred to as a TON. | ||
| 26 | SPOOR |
Track heading for road, oh dear, going the wrong way (5)
|
| R[oad] + OOPS (oh dear) all backwards (going the wrong way) |
VICARAGE was my FOI too but I confess that Saturday’s initial pass proved rather miserly. Sunday proved more successful following the detection of ANJOU and a few others hiding in plain sight.
I enjoyed the cleverly misleading definition of 30’s ‘pen’ and the use of ‘the other’ in 23.
I liked REDBREAST, SLEEPER (yes, a small gold earring as Pete says), SOAPSTONE, CRUDDY and SPOOR.
Couldn’t parse the ‘Nissa(n)’ bit of ASSASSIN.
BENJAMIN is used in French for ‘youngest child which helped me out, my French being better than my biblical knowledge.
Thanks to Mudd for the solid entertainment and Pete for an equally sound blog.
.
Thanks Mudd for the fun. I saved this crossword for a trans-Atlantic flight and made steady progress until the SE corner. After a break I was able to complete this with favourites being TRUNCATE, TRAWL, IMPRISON, CRUDDY, ROSE, and ANAGRAM. The latter took me far too long to see but it was gratifying when I saw it. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Thanks for the blog, a good mixture of clues and quite tricky in parts. I thought CLARET was very well hidden.
SLEEPER, is it just UK usage? It is not in Chambers but is well known. When you first have ears pierced you need to wear the small gold ring in bed, maybe that leads to the name.
SEXTON , like Diane@1 I liked the other. I think TON is also used for driving at 100MPH.
All good fun, although some took me longer to parse.
Roz, SLEEPER is used that way in NZ as well. And TON is definitely used for driving at 100 mph – often with “up” added.
Thanks for the blog Pete.