Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 5, 2012
While it sports a couple of fine clues — I would single out 11A (SADDLE-SORE) — I found this puzzle more of a challenge than a delight. I mean a good challenge, nothing bad!
Across
1. LEGION – double definition
4. SCARAB – SCAR (wound mark) + AB (type of blood)
8. TABASCO – TAB (label) + AS (as) + C (cold) + O (nothing)
9. DENSITY – SIT (rest) in DENY (decline)
11. SADDLE-SORE – anagram of LADDERS SO + [catastroph]E
12. IRON – I[panema] R[io] O[ffering] N[ibbles]
13. SMART – double definition
14. ARSONIST – SON (boy) + IS (is) together in ART (cunning)
16. DRAWBACK – WARD is ‘draw back’
18. CHAMP – double definition
20. AMMO – [g]AMMO[n] (knocking head and tail from pig)
21. CONTINGENT – G[oes] in CONTINENT (massive area)
23. SLIPWAY – LIP (impudence) in SWAY (power)
24. ANY ROAD – double definition. Originally I was unsure about ‘however’ as the definition here but am now satisfied that it is fine; see the comments below.
25. REEFER – double definition. A reefer is a type of jacket as well as a marijuana cigarette.
26. BLEACH – L (length) in BEACH (strand)
Down
1. LHASA – hidden word
2. GRANDPA – RAND (foreign money) in anagram of GAP
3. ORCHESTRA – anagram of HORSE CART
5. CRETE – [con]CRETE (‘con’ taken off real)
6. RUSSIAN – USSR (old country) with its R moved to the front + anagram of IN A
7. BOTTOMS UP – BOTTOM (last) + SUP (drink)
10. WOMANKIND – OMAN (country) + K (king) together in WIND (blow)
13. SCRAMBLER – double definition
15. SECTIONAL – anagram of CAT LESION
17. WHOOPEE – HOOP (band) in WEE (little)
19. ALGERIA – [b]L[o]G[g]E[r] (blogger oddly ignored) in ARIA (song),
21. CRATE – anagram of CAR + T[h]E (the gutted)
22. NEATH – hidden word
Thanks, Pete, for your blog.
You say you do not fully understand 22D, but I think you do.
It is indeed a hidden solution (device: not entirely), and Neath is a town in the South of Wales. As simple as that.
Only little thing: in 9ac SIT is just ‘rest’ – ‘to grab’ is the container indicator.
Can’t help you any further with 24ac.
All in all, the usual Paul Lite quality stuff from Mudd (for which many thanks).
Thanks, Sil, I have updated the blog.
Thanks Pete and Mudd.
Agree it’s a challenge, and, I found, an enjoyable one.
I too liked SADDLE-SORE.
Re 24A ANYROAD. One has to split “however” into “how ever” = “any way” = “anyroad”, I think. Or else it’s a typo 🙂
P.S. To be more precise, ……”any way” = “anyhow” = = “anyroad”, as in Chambers.
scchua, Thank you. You have led me to realize my mistake. I was looking up ‘any road’ and I should have been looking up ‘however’. I was thinking of ‘however’ in its meaning as a conjunction while, as now becomes clear, Mudd was using it in its meaning as an adverb — which fits perfectly. As in, “How should I do this?” “However you like.”