Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 7, 2014
This was a slow solve for me. No single clue caused any great difficulty, but most took some time. My last solves were 24a (LEONARDO) and 28a (TIRAMISU). My favourite clue is 10a (AL CAPONE).
ACROSS
1 This floored too? Chill out! (8)
OILCLOTH – anagram of TOO CHILL
6 Precious thing, wind, in summer (6)
AUGUST – AU (precious thing, i.e. gold) + GUST (wind)
9 Large building where aristocrats primarily seen in residence? (6)
PALACE – A[ristocrats] in PLACE (residence)
10 Hood by itself covering hat (2,6)
AL CAPONE – CAP (hat) in ALONE (by itself)
11 Saw through donkey edgeways (4)
EYED – hidden word
12 Man of some scale in father, he rocks! (10)
FAHRENHEIT – anagram of IN FATHER HE
14 One’s pink, red and round (8)
FLAMINGO – FLAMING (red) + O (round)
16 Some film for a dance (4)
REEL – double definition
18 Greenish-blue vessel containing last of honey (4)
CYAN – [hone]Y in CAN (vessel)
19 Dispense with humans – turn out to punch a friend (8)
AUTOMATE – anagram of OUT in A (a) + MATE (friend)
21 Country house OK with art that’s outlandish (5,5)
SOUTH KOREA – anagram of HOUSE OK ART
22 US composer’s pen (4)
CAGE – double definition
24 Bacon not entirely encapsulating one struggling as a painter (8)
LEONARDO – anagram of ONE in LARDO[n] (bacon not entirely)
26 Potential killer behind back of van, close (6)
NARROW – [va]N + ARROW (potential killer)
27 Cake one left out as hot (6)
STOLEN – STOL[l]EN (cake one left out)
28 Irish author in middle of autumn, sweet (8)
TIRAMISU – IR (Irish) + AMIS (author) in [au]TU[mn]
DOWN
2 Country invading capital, Yerevan (5)
ITALY – hidden word
3 He painted Satan in a clue, horrible beast ultimately (6,5)
CLAUDE MONET – DEMON (Satan) in anagram of A CLUE + [beas]T
4 Loving too much, tragic end for heart in love (8)
OVERFOND – anagram of END FOR [l]OV[e]. I originally figured this had to be [l]OV[e] followed by an anagram of END FOR — which did not quite work because of the order. Now it seems clear that it must just be an anagram of the entire fodder as Rishi kindly pointed out in comment #1 below.
5 Busy place he left without a project, put out (8,7)
HEATHROW AIRPORT – HE (he) + A (a) + THROW (project) + AIR (put out) + PORT (left)
6 Missile launcher demonstrator defaced (6)
ARCHER – [m]ARCHER (demonstrator defaced)
7 Opening leaf almost coming up (3)
GAP – PAG[e] (leaf almost) backwards
8 Male into conscious feeling (9)
SENTIMENT – M (male) in SENTIENT (conscious)
13 Rash hurt around top of ugly skin blemish – what should I do? (5-6)
HARUM-SCARUM – U[gly] in HARM (hurt) + SCAR (skin blemish) + UM (what should I do?)
15 Finally solve cryptic test with royal (3,2,4)
LAY TO REST – anagram of TEST ROYAL
17 Small shoe, holes in it (8)
STRAINER – S (small) + TRAINER (shoe)
20 Early riser imbibing drink – a long and slippery slope? (3-3)
SKI-RUN – KIR (drink) in SUN (early riser)
23 Large square (5)
GROSS – double definition
25 Duck in river detailed (3)
NIL – NIL[e] (river detailed)
I think 4d is just an anagram of END FOR [l]OV[e], w/o the need for any rev. operation.
Rishi, Thank you! You must be right and I have amended my explanation of the clue.
Mudd is one of my top favourites. But I too struggled with OVERFOND –and a couple more today (which we can’t discuss for a fortnight).Thanks, Pete, and Mudd.