Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 10
Here’s another puzzle with a slew of great Cincinnusian clues. How about 27A (ELDER) and 10A (PRISONERS)? Just brilliant. And I marvel at the inventiveness of clues for such simple words as TALK (20A) and SHELL (7D).
Across
1. GASOMETER – SOME (unspecified amount) in anagram of GREAT. I like “buggy” as an anagrind.
6. HASID – “has ID”
9. TONGA – N[ative] in TOGA (classic garb)
10. PRISONERS – anagram of RESIN PROS
11. PROVISIONS – VISION (seeing) in PROS[e] (writing mostly)
12. ALSO – reverse hidden word
14. RENEGUE – RENE (Descartes) + G[l]UE (sticker left out). “Renegue” is a variant of renege — actually seems a better spelling to me given how the word is pronounced.
15. DASHING – double definition
17. PERTURB – PERT (fresh) + UR (ancient city) + B (book)
19. ABORTED – anagram of A DEBTOR
20. TALK – hidden word
22. MAIDENHEAD – MAIDEN (first) + HEAD (principal)
25. BACKPACKS – BACK (sponsor) + PACKS (groups)
26. IRATE – RAT (wild creature) in IE (that is)
27. ELDER – double definition
28. BENIGHTED – anagram of THE BIG END
Down
1. GET UP – GET UP (and go)
2. SUNDOWNER – SUN (star) + DOWNER (depressing experience)
3. MEANINGFUL – MEAN (base) + IN (in) + GULF with F (leader of force) shifted two characters forward
4. TOPSIDE – TOP SIDE (league leaders)
5. REIGNED – homophone (“reined”)
6. HOOK – double definition
7. SHELL – SHE (that woman) + LL (will appear shortly) with cryptic definition referring to ammunition
8. DISLODGED – anagram of IDLE DOGS D[on’t]
13. ASTOUNDING – [cap]T[ain] in A (a) + SOUNDING (measure taken at sea)
14. REPUTABLE – REP (salesman) + U (university) + TABLE (board)
16. IN THE PAST – anagram of PANTHEIST
18. BEAR CUB – anagram of BARBECU[e]
19. ADDISON – A (a) + DD (theologian) + IS (is) + ON (working)
21. LUCID – CU (copper) reversed in LID (top)
23. DREAD – RE (about) in DAD (old man)
24. SPAR – SPAR[e] (not entirely free)