Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 12, 2015
Cincinnus gives us another fine puzzle with some beautiful clues and clever cryptic definitions. My clue of the week is 1a (JOHN BULL) with 22d (BRAHMS) a very close second. I also especially like 13a (EMBOSSING), 16A (TOILETS), 28a (TREATY), 6d (EGRESSION) and 17d (EDELWEISS).
ACROSS
1 Englishman in noted sloop heading out of port (4,4)
JOHN BULL – JOHN B (noted sloop) + [h]ULL (heading out of port). Folks of my generation will surely know the song “Sloop John B” from the Beach Boys’ version recorded 50 years ago, one I think justly rated as one of the best rock songs of all time. I wonder if younger people will be as familiar with it. The original is a folk song from the Bahamas
5 Simple book with a rather balmy section? (6)
HERBAL – hidden word
9 Bit of water in sink seen by artist (8)
RAINDROP – RA (artist) + IN (in) + DROP (sink)
10 Fine flowers with added features (6)
FRILLS – F (fine) + RILLS (flowers)
12 Piece introduced for clique? (5)
INSET – IN-SET (clique)
13 English maiden giving orders for relief work (9)
EMBOSSING – E (English) + M (maiden) + BOSSING (giving orders) with a great cryptic definition
14 Island where old king seizes power (6)
CYPRUS – P (power) in CYRUS (0ld king)
16 TS Eliot represented ladies and gents (7)
TOILETS – anagram of TS ELIOT
19 Indian pet to approach unnoticed (5,2)
CREEP UP – CREE (Indian) + PUP (pet)
21 Battle song that’s timeless is about right (6)
ARNHEM – R (right) in AN[t]HEM (song that’s timeless)
23 Set off with old-fashioned envelope for school (9)
DETONATED – ETON (school) in DATED (old-fashioned)
25 Subordinate in Hereford, say (5)
LOWER – double/cryptic definition (with Hereford as in cattle)
26 10 runs (6)
EXTRAS – double definition with “10” referring t0 10a (FRILLS)
27 Dowdy swimmer keeps what’s left (8)
FRUMPISH – RUMP (what’s left) in FISH (swimmer)
28 Doctor Jekyll’s fourth compact (6)
TREATY – TREAT (doctor) + [jek]Y[ll]
29 Charlie stirs drinks boisterously (8)
CAROUSES – C (Charlie) + AROUSES (stirs)
DOWN
1 Yank in Top Gear? (6)
JERKIN – JERK (yank) + IN (in)
2 Gathering this early crop, for example (9)
HAIRSTYLE – anagram of THIS EARLY
3 Order extremely elegant basin (5)
BIDET – BID (order) + E[legan]T
4 Singles in catalogue, mostly female, with pride (7)
LIONESS – ONES (singles) in LIS[t] (catalogue mostly) and another nice cryptic definition (which might even work as a stand-alone)
6 Is Gainsbourg turned on or going out? (9)
EGRESSION – IS SERGE (is Gainsbourg) backwards + ON (on)
7 Unfinished sea food that’s spicy (5)
BALTI – BALTI[c] (unfinished sea)
8 Glass apt to shatter at the eleventh hour (4-4)
LAST GASP – anagram of GLASS APT
11 Touch instrument up (4)
ABUT – TUBA (instrument) backwards
15 Sorry about writer? So much for the French! (9)
REPENTANT – RE (about) + PEN (writer) + TANT (so much for the French)
17 High growth Swedes lie about (9)
EDELWEISS – anagram of SWEDES LIE
18 Criminal dictates in crucial trial (4,4)
ACID TEST – anagram of DICTATES
20 Father’s not right in the head (4)
PATE – PATE[r] (father’s not right)
21 Articles about Dickens character losing it somewhere in Europe (7)
ANDORRA – DORR[it] (Dickens character losing it) in AN A (articles)
22 Members of social elite dropping in to see composer (6)
BRAHMS – BRAHM[in]S (members of the social elite dropping in)
24 Heading for the championship (5)
TITLE – double definition
25 Lowly dance in uncertain state (5)
LIMBO – double definition
Thanks Pete and Cincinnus.
A good solid puzzle. I’m obviously just a little younger than you Pete because I well remember Serge Gainsbourg from the classically banned Je t’aime but had to look up John B.
Thanks Cincinnus and Pete
An enjoyable puzzle that I only attempted today – just chipped at it throughout the day with clues gradually falling. Finished in the SE corner with ANDORRA, FRUMPISH and ARNHEM the last few in.
Got held up for longer than I should have with ARNHEM by initially having EGRESSING instead of EGRESSION at 6d.
The French term TANT was new to me. Thought that the HAIRSTYLE anagram was top class.
Hadn’t seen the use of HERBAL as a book about herbs and although I am old enough to remember the song SLOOP JOHN B, I had to play it to remember the tune – still would never have guessed the title !
Never heard of serge gainsbourg so failed to get egression. Guessed at John Bull as never heard of sloop John b.
Karen, I find it hard to know what to say about the use of references such as Sloop John B and Serge Gainsbourg. On one hand, it must be hard for compilers to resist the temptation to use them when they fit as neatly into clues as these two do. On the other hand, I sometimes dislike it myself when compilers use, say, biblical references that I am unfamiliar with. In a case such as ‘Gainsbourg’, one can always look it up. And I do like learning things from puzzles….but not things that are so obscure that I have no interest in learning them.