Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 11
Even a relatively humdrum puzzle from Cincinnus is a good and satisfying solve. Here I particularly liked 1,28A (PEANUT BUTTER), 10D (LONG-TAILED TIT) and 20D (BAY RUM).
Across
1, 28. PEANUT BUTTER – anagram of NEAT PUB + UTTER (say)
4. TWISTERS – double definition
9. LUNCH – L[a]UNCH (start missing a)
10. LOOK AFTER – LOOK (butcher) + AFTER (following)
11. MAUDLIN – homophone (“Magdalene”)
12. GONERIL – anagram of ONE GIRL
13. TIER – double definition
14. STITCH UP – double definition
17. MISSIVES – MISS (daughter) + IVES (Burl)
19. FARO – FAR (a long way) + O (round)
22. AT PEACE – anagram of TAPE + ACE (expert)
24. IN A MESS – I (I) + NAME (identify) + SS (ship)
25. REICHSTAG – anagram of CHAIRS GET
26. CHORD – double definition
27. MEREDITH – REM (American rock band) backwards + EDITH (female)
Down
1. POLYMATH – OLYM[pian] (Olympian, not half) in PATH (way)
2. AD NAUSEUM – cryptic definition
3. UPHOLD – UP (mounted) + H (horse) + OLD (elderly)
5. WOOL-GATHERING – WOO (court) + [officia]L + GATHERING (getting it together)
6. STAUNCH – double definition
7. ENTER – hidden word
8. SORELY – O (old) + RE (soldiers) in SLY (deceitful)
10. LONG-TAILED TIT – anagram of LITTLE DOG AINT
15. PHASED OUT – anagram of HEADS UP TO
16. CONSIDER – ON (on) + S (small) both in CIDER (drink)
18. SMASHED – SMASHE[r] (attractive person has no right) + D (daughter)
20. BAY RUM – [l]A[d]Y in BRUM (Birmingham)
21. MANCHU – hidden word
23. PRIOR – double definition
Many thanks Pete and Cincinnus
This was very straightforward and enjoyable.
If only I could have afforded the postage, I would have bunged this off as an entry for a prize.
I shall now start saving up, just in case.
Thanks Pete
You will have to explain 20 down to me. Don’t know much about perfume or Birmingham.
Made a mistake with 4A. Had SWINGERS. It was the swinging 60s wasn’t it? I erroneously thought swinge-rs were not to be trusted.
Don’t like 13A much. Understand it, but don’t like it.
cheers
John
Hi John,
Bay Rum is a cologne, used as far as I know by men. I once worked for a fellow who used it which is how I knew the name. It is made in Bermuda. “Brum” is a colloquial name for Birmingham (the British city, not the one in Alabama). I was unaware of how this name came about so just looked it up to learn that it is a short form of Brummagem which is the city’s name in its local dialect. The wordplay of the clue has “Lady regularly” meaning take the even letters in LADY (not a device I like much).
I did not think much of 13A either.
It is very seldom that I get an all correct unaided solve so I was cross with 12a.
I had g?n?r?l and e,i& o to fit in.
So genirol, genoril, ginerol, ginorel, goneril or gonirel? I had no idea at all. Of course I looked it up but very unhappy that knowledge of Shakespeare required. Not even someone that you might reasonably have heard of e.g Shylock, Falstaff.
Decades ago, it was worse. You sometimes needed to complete quotes from Shakespeare — without a Google to look them up.
I had no trouble with Goneril here but am sometimes stumped by clues that expect me to know things about Christianity.