Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 9
I found this puzzle considerably more tricky than most of Cincinnus’ and just as clever. My clues of the week are 1A (ORANGE-TIP), 1D (OFFER), 19A (MAKINGS) and 2D (ALONGSIDE). There is one clues, 6D (CITE), that seems not as impeccable as Cincinnus’ clues almost always are — or could I be misunderstanding it?
Across
1. ORANGE-TIP – anagram of PIG OR NEAT
6. CATCH – double definition
9. FLORA – double definition
10. SHOOT-EM-UP – TO (to) backwards + EMU (Australian native) in SHOP (store)
11. REGISTERED – double definition
12. ALTO – hidden word
14. SPINOZA – S[hee]P + IN (in) + OZ (Australia) + A (a)
15. SCHEMER – anagram of M[a]RCHESE
17. ICEBERG – GREBE (diver) + C (caught) + I (one) all backwards
19. MAKINGS – MA (graduate) + KINGS (college)
20. PLAY – P (piano) + LAY (song)
22. TRILOBITES – I (island) in anagram of LOST TRIBE
25. ROYAL BLUE – ROYAL (boys — Roy and Al) + BLUE (not happy). I did not understand originally how one got from “boys” to ROYAL but Sil kindly explained in a comment below.
26. RUMBA – anagram of BURMA
27. DUSTY – S[impson] in DUTY (task)
28. ANNOYANCE – anagram of ANYONE CAN
Down
1. OFFER – “off ER” (no longer a royalist)
2. ALONGSIDE – anagram of DO A SINGLE
3. GOALSCORER – GOALS (ends) + CORE (centre) + R (run)
4. TESSERA – ARES (Greek god) + SET (put) all backwards
5. PROFESS – O (old) + F (female) both in PRESS (Fleet Street)
6. CITE – homophone (“site”). I am not happy with this clue. The homophone wordplay seems not quite right.
7. TAMIL – [agen]T + LIMA (capital) backwards
8. HIPPOCRAS – anagram of H (hot) PARIS COP. This I had to look up — never heard of a hippocras before. Turns out to be a drink made from wine mixed with sugar and spices, most notably cinnamon.
13. CHOKEBERRY – OK (fine) + E (European) + B (British) all in CHERRY (fruit)
14. SKIPPERED – KIPPER (fish) in [o]S[t]E[n]D
16. MINUTEMAN – cryptic/double definition
18. GORILLA – RILL (water) in GOA (part of India)
19. MULLEIN – MULL (Scottish island) + EIN (one German)
21. ABYSS – hidden word
23. SHAVE – H (husband) in SAVE (bar)
24. SLAY – homophone (“sleigh”)
Thanks once more, Pete.
I think the boys in 25ac are ROY and AL.
Even if CITE (6d) was my last entry – for which, to be fair, I needed my PinC – it is quite obvious at the end of the day.
‘Audibly place’ means a homophone of ‘place’, so a homophone of ‘site’ which leads to ‘cite’ (‘name’).
You parsed it perfectly well yourself, didn’t you?
My Clue of that Day: 20ac (PLAY).
D’oh! Of course, Roy and Al. Thanks, Sil.
Right, I had no problem parsing 6d. I just don’t think that audible is a good homophone indicator. “Audible” means loud enough to be heard. I think a homophone indicator should mean “as spoken” or “as heard”. “Aloud” would do but simply “loud” is weak.
Thanks for the blog, Pete.
This was an enjoyable solve for me. 17 was my favourite clue.
Sorry. Typo! 27 was my foavourite, not 17.
Thanks Pete. One needed to be a bit of a botanist for this one, eh?
I didn’t see Roy and Al. I almost wondered whether we had another three clue puzzle. Blue is an Australian argument and I wondered whether royal blue was a ding dong blue.
John
Hi Richard,
Ah, yes, 27A left me with a good smile!
Yes a good and rather more difficult than usual crossword from Cincinnus. My only quibble related to 5dn (Claim made by old female in Fleet Street: PROFESS) where Fleet Street = press is what is required. Quite apart from the fact that there is now I believe very little or even none of the press in Fleet Street, to equate Fleet Street to press seems a bit of a stretch. Yes Fleet Street is (or at any rate was) the home of the press, but it isn’t/wasn’t the press itself.