Monday Prize Crossword/Dec 31
After the excitement of last week’s Carte Rosée, this FT puzzle (celebrating the end of the year 2012) was Dante as we all know him: smooth and friendly. And one with a grid 🙂 . Nothing too taxing – more or less plain sailing, I would say. Perhaps an overdose of CDs and DDs in the Across clues, while a similar thing could be said about anagrams in the Down ones.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | FLAWLESS | Impeccable fellow criminal (8) |
| F (fellow) + LAWLESS (criminal) | ||
| 5 | SPOT ON | Spinners put back on, being very accurate (4,2) |
| SPOT (reversal of TOPS (spinners)) + ON | ||
| 9 | UPBRAIDS | Rebukes for violent pub attacks (8) |
| (PUB)* + RAIDS (attacks) | ||
| 10 | MOSCOW | Doctor takes boat to capital (6) |
| MO ( doctor) + SCOW (boat, a flat-bottomed barge) | ||
| 12 | HITCH | Signal to driver to stop – it’s a hold-up (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | CONCEITED | Called round on one occasion in vain (9) |
| CITED (called) around ONCE (on one occasion) | ||
| 14 | CANCER | Tropic disease (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | SOUNDLY | How people who snore sleep? (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | ETERNAL | Point learnt afresh, always to be remembered (7) |
| E (point, East) + (LEARNT)* | ||
| 21 | CREASE | Run in to stop batsman reaching it (6) |
| R (run) inside CEASE (to stop) | ||
| 23 | PROMOTION | Advertising campaign that should result in more money (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | CUPID | Flying heart specialist (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| I fear I would never have found this without crossing letters – but then, it is a crossword. | ||
| 26 | RECORD | It may get broken – put it down! (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | BOARDERS | Students staying at school are the ones who get on (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | GARDEN | Cultural centre? (6) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 29 | GREY AREA | Ray eager to resolve doubtful situation (4,4) |
| (RAY EAGER)* | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | FOUGHT | Battled for stronghold, we hear (6) |
| Homophone of FORT (stronghold) | ||
| 2 | ARBITRATE | Bar attire set out for judge (9) |
| (BAT ATTIRE)* | ||
| 3 | LEASH | The French male remains in control (5) |
| LE (the French, male) + ASH (remains) | ||
| 4 | SIDECAR | A cider’s mixed in cocktail (7) |
| (A CIDER’S)* | ||
| 6 | PROCEDURE | Reproduce new way to get things done (9) |
| (REPRODUCE)* | ||
| 7 | TACIT | Understood one to be in diplomacy (5) |
| I (one) inside TACT (diplomacy) | ||
| 8 | NOWADAYS | Unfortunately, Don’s away at the moment (8) |
| ((DON’S AWAY)* | ||
| 11 | GNUS | Antelopes – their turning up is celebrated (4) |
| Reversal of SUNG (celebrated) | ||
| One of these ambiguous clues – ‘sung’ would have fit the bill just as easily, in my opinion. | ||
| 15 | CONCOURSE | Crowds study the route (9) |
| CON (study) + COURSE (the route) | ||
| 17 | DISAPPEAR | Amend paper said to go by the board (9) |
| (PAPER SAID)* | ||
| 18 | LEAPFROG | A golfer upset about first putt in game (8) |
| (A GOLFER)* around P[utt] | ||
| 20 | LOIN | Part of a carcase the lion chewed up (4) |
| (LION)* | ||
| Dante is a setter who uses ‘articles’ very often where I would not have done that. In most cases I am fine with it, but here that little word ‘the’ stands in the way for me. Looking at the construction of the clue, one expects an anagram of ‘the lion’ (7), but no, it is (4). So, ‘the’ is a bit hanging in the air. Not a major issue for me (especially since the surface needs ‘the’), but still. | ||
| 21 | CANDOUR | Frankness and love seen in a dog (7) |
| {AND + O (love)} inside CUR (a dog) | ||
| 22 | ODESSA | Lines up a ship in port (6) |
| ODE (lines, a poem) + SS A (reversal of A SS (ship)) | ||
| 24 | OCCUR | Turn up to upset company dog (5) |
| OC (reversal of CO (company)) + CUR (dog, again!) | ||
| 25 | CARRY | Motor and railway transport (5) |
| CAR (motor) + RY (railway) | ||
| Perhaps simple, but elegant clue. | ||
thanks Sil and Dante
soundly made me smile,