Monday Prize Crossword/May 12
Familiar start to the FT week by Dante. However, there is one clue (1d) in which something seems to be missing unless I am on the wrong track.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ESPIAL | Detection means plea is changed (6) |
| (PLEA IS)* | ||
| 4 | CAMBER | Caught by traffic light at bend in road (6) |
| C (caught) + AMBER (traffic light) | ||
| 8 | MASCOTS | A course in writing may bring fortune (7) |
| ASCOT (a course, racecourse) inside MS (writing, manuscript) | ||
| In his previous crossword Dante had ‘mascot’, placed one position higher in coincidentally exactly the same grid as this one. | ||
| 9 | CORDIAL | Warm drink with a fruity flavour (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | PETITIONER | One with a suit may give tip to Ernie (10) |
| (TIP TO ERNIE)* | ||
| 12 | OMIT | Ring-road, junction and by-pass (4) |
| O (ring) + MI (road, M1) + T (junction, a T-junction) | ||
| Nice clue. | ||
| 13 | ADIEU | A valediction is something cast in gold (5) |
| DIE (something cast, you can cast a die) inside AU (gold) | ||
| 14 | OBSOLETE | Antiquated, so allowed to be held in honour (8) |
| {SO + LET (allowed)} inside OBE (honour) | ||
| 16 | DAYDREAM | The opposite of night-vision? (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 18 | CIVIC | Municipal palindrome (5) |
| CIVIC (municipal) is a palindrome | ||
| I found this a strange clue as ‘municipal palindrome’ doesn’t mean anything (as far as I’m aware of). | ||
| 20 | EDGY | Extremely nervous? (4) |
| Cryptic / Double definition | ||
| 21 | CONFIDENCE | Private communication of faith (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | ANCIENT | Article on foreign currency includes one no longer current (7) |
| AN (article) + {CENT (foreign currency) around I (one)} | ||
| 24 | FIANCEE | She has promised to give a hand (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | DUENNA | Chaperon is expected to bring the girl back (6) |
| DUE (expected) + NNA (reversal (‘back’) of ANN (girl)) | ||
| 26 | HELMET | Wood used in the new case for personal protection (6) |
| ELM ( wood) inside (THE)* | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | EVADE | First wife is concealing two keys (5) |
| EVE (first wife) around A,D (two keys, in music) | ||
| Maybe I got it wrong but I cannot see a definition here and surely the clue as a whole is also not an allusion to the answer. A mistake? | ||
| 2 | PUCCINI | Picnic arranged to entertain posh composer (7) |
| (PICNIC)* around U (posh) | ||
| 3 | ATTRIBUTE | A feature of credit (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | AMOUR | A calm end to our love-affair (5) |
| A + [cal]M + OUR | ||
| 6 | BED-ROLL | Knapsack, we hear, carried by travellers (3-4) |
| Knapsack sounds like ‘nap-sack’ which might be taken as a ’sleeping bag’, hence BED-ROLL. | ||
| 7 | REALISTIC | Practical article is manufactured (9) |
| (ARTICLE IS)* | ||
| 10 | INFORMANT | Sneak into class with a lot of books (9) |
| IN (into) + FORM (class) + A + NT (lot of books, New Testament) | ||
| 13 | ABANDONED | Performed in a group that’s dissolute (9) |
| DONE (performed) inside A BAND (a group) | ||
| 15 | SACRIFICE | Give up what’s offered (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | DAYTIME | Light diet may be ordered (7) |
| (DIET MAY)* | ||
| 19 | VIETNAM | Energy coming out of volcano in Asian land (7) |
| VIM (energy) around ETNA (volcano) | ||
| 21 | CANON | Head of choir soon becomes a priest (5) |
| C[hoir] + ANON (soon) | ||
| 22 | CHEAT | Old punishment governor included for offending pupil (5) |
| CAT (old punishment, whip) around HE (governor, His or Her Excellency) | ||
Thanks Sil and Dante. I’m with you on 1d: the answer seemed inescapable but I couldn’t make it parse.
All solved bar 1d which must be an error and 22d. A cheat is found in all walks of life so I think that a final question mark would have been better.
I too am flummoxed by 1d. Dear Dante, please tell us what we’ve missed.