Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 24
I was pleased with this typical and fine puzzle by Cinephile. I took a while over 10D and 15D, and I especially like 12A (BIGFOOT), 23A (UP TRAIN) and 18D (WALLACE). I do have a quibble about 15D.
Across
1, 8. BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE – anagram of HIBERNIAN PRO LICENCE. Rather easy as Cinephile’s clues for long answers often are and a great way to get a strong start.
9. UNSCREW – UNS (Ban Ki-Moon’s) + CREW (employees)
11. TITMICE – T (model) in TIM (boy) + ICE (diamonds)
12. BIGFOOT – “big foot” (more than 12 inches). Kind of like a baker’s dozen?!
13. HARRY – double definition
14. APPETISER – A (a) + PPET (f-favourite) + IS (is) + ER (queen)
16. HIGH WATER – “hell or high water”
19. BEBOP – BE[e]B (Auntie’s lost some energy) + OP (work)
21. SAMPLER – double definition
23. UP TRAIN – anagram of PURITAN
24. YARDARM – YARD (feet) + ARM (other body part). “Feet” for “yard” is a bit loose.
25. TRICKLE – double definition
26. SEVENTY-EIGHT – EVENT (occurrence) + YE (old solvers) in SIGHT (view)
Down
1. BOASTER – S[traw] in BOATER (hat). Nice given that a boater is a straw hat.
2. NULLIFY – FILL (complete) + U (turn) backwards in NY (New York)
3. INELEGANT – anagram of EGLANTINE
4. PLUMB – PLUM + B (more than fruit). I like it!
5. INSIGHT – IN (in) + SIGHT (view)
6. CURIOUS – CUR (dog) + IOUS (notes)
7. SCOTCH WHISKY – anagram of COST WHICH + SKY (heaven)
10. WATER SPANIEL – WA[i]TERS (I leave attendants) + I in PANEL (experts)
15. PIROUETTE – PI (religious) + ROU[l]ETTE (student abandons gambling game). “Student abandons gambling game” sounds inverted to me. How about “student thrown out of gambling game”?
17. GUMTREE – you might get stuck!
18. WALLACE – W (winner) + ALL (every) + ACE (one)
19. BATTING – double definition
20. BLANKET – BLANK (nothing) + ET (extraterrestrial)
22. REMIT – TIMER (watch) backwards
Thanks for the blog, Pete. I do remember enjoying doing this one, but don’t remember getting TITMICE or WATER SPANIEL.
Hi Richard. Thanks for commenting.
I do not recall coming across the term Water Spaniel before so had to resort to a dictionary for that one.
I read 15dn as def ‘Scottish hero a winner’, w = with etc. I haven’t looked it up, but winner = w seems a bit unlikely. Certainly not, to my memory, in Chambers.
Wil, I think you are right there. Thanks for the correction. By the way, it’s 18dn.