Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 7, 2016
A good puzzle inspires me to fight to the end, to solve every clue without hints, dictionary or tools — with the sole exception of a clue for which I become convinced I do not know the answer to. And, as I realized acutely solving this one, a not so good puzzle leads me to turn to pattern-matchers, word lists and my Chambers early on. So I am sticking my neck out and venturing that this was a rather muddy Mudd. But that’s okay; it balances his last which was so brilliant.
My clue of the week is 10a (ANNAPOLIS) which is plenty good and I also liked 19a (SWAN), 25a (NEWSAGENT) and 27a (TURBOFAN). Then there are three with obscure answers or references: 5d (DANDIE DINMONT), 6d (LAPWING) and 18d (STIFADO).
| Across | ||
| 1 | GARISH | Knight caught by battle-axe from behind, screaming? (6) |
| SIR (knight) in HAG (battle-axe) all backwards (from behind) | ||
| 4 | IDOLISED | Soiled contents of wide pants revered (8) |
| Anagram of SOILED [w]ID[e] | ||
| 9 | MAMBO | In the Caribbean, steps taken to have chairman welcome doctor (5) |
| MB (doctor) in MAO (chairman) | ||
| 10 | ANNAPOLIS | An Italian city and southern US port (9) |
| AN (an) + NAPOLI (Italian city) + S (southern) | ||
| 11 | STICK-UP | Hang for robbery (5-2) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | IMITATE | Ape — I breed without it (7) |
| I (I) + IT (it) in MATE (breed) | ||
| 13 | EDDY | Current toy needing no introduction (4) |
| [t]EDDY (toy needing no introduction) | ||
| 14 | BANDAGED | Group, elderly, given hospital treatment (8) |
| BAND (group) + AGED (elderly) | ||
| 17 | RESONANT | Deep notes ran amok (8) |
| Anagram of NOTES RAN | ||
| 19 | SWAN | Bird took to the water, tail a little further back? (4) |
| SWAM (took to the water) with ‘M’ changed to ‘N’ (tail a little further back) | ||
| 22 | PORTICO | Building extension, incomplete image on the left side (7) |
| PORT (the left side) + ICO[n] (incomplete image) | ||
| 24 | OBVERSE | Poetry by leaders in benefits office turned heads (7) |
| B[enefits] O[ffice] backwards + VERSE (poetry) | ||
| 25 | NEWSAGENT | Retailer offering fresh herb with nuts, oddly (9) |
| NEW (fresh) + SAGE (herb) + N[u]T[s] | ||
| 26 | NEGEV | Somewhat unresponsive, gentleman recovered in desert (5) |
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 27 | TURBOFAN | Jet engine, but no RAF manoeuvres (8) |
| Anagram of BUT NO RAF | ||
| 28 | POSTER | Advert shows model holding rear of product (6) |
| [produc]T in POSER (model) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | GAMESTER | Player in Rangers team ran off before misbehaving (8) |
| Anagram of [ran]GERS TEAM | ||
| 2 | REMAINDER | What’s left of jogger gulping air initially (9) |
| A[ir] in REMINDER (jogger) | ||
| 3 | STOCKY | Well-built bed erected in blue (6) |
| COT (bed) backwards in SKY (blue) | ||
| 5 | DANDIE DINMONT | Dog ending in pain ran out of woofs, in dominant barking (6,7) |
| [pai]N + DIED (ran out) together in anagram of DOMINANT
Dandie Dinmont is a breed of small terrier with long wiry coat and drooping ears. And a breed that I am as sure as I can be that I had never heard of before. I found the answer using a pattern-matching tool. |
||
| 6 | LAPWING | Drink syrup, keeping last of confection for bird (7) |
| LAP (drink) + [confectio]N in WIG (syrup)
An obscure meaning of ‘syrup’ is a wig made of syrup of figs — or so my Chambers tells me — I cannot imagine a wig made of any syrup. |
||
| 7 | SALSA | Sauce – it has Latin starter with it (5) |
| SA (it, i.e. sex appeal) + L[atin] + SA (it, again). I originally missed this understanding of the wordplay and thank Sil who clued me in (see comment 1 below). | ||
| 8 | DASHED | Woman in the clutches of father, in pieces (6) |
| SHE (woman) in DAD (father) | ||
| 10 | ALPHA AND OMEGA | God always had a game plan, perhaps to inspire love (5,3,5) |
| O (love) in anagram of HAD A GAME PLAN
I believe the proper expression is “the alpha and the omega” but there is a strong history of leaving out definite articles when using such terms in crosswords. |
||
| 15 | DOWNRIGHT | Unqualified, losing claim (9) |
| DOWN (losing) + RIGHT (claim) | ||
| 16 | ONCE-OVER | Quick survey when finished? (4-4) |
| ONCE (when) + OVER (finished) | ||
| 18 | STIFADO | Greek dish is suitable to serve up before a party (7) |
| FITS (is suitable) backwards + A (a) + DO (party)
I know and like Greek cuisine but this dish is a new one on me and I had to use an online list of Greek dishes to find the word. Stifado means a game (rabbit, venison etc.) stew with pearl onions, red wine and cinnamon. |
||
| 20 | SPINET | Chain of bones over middle of vital organ (6) |
| SPINE (chain of bones) + [vi]T[al]
My experience is that ‘spinet’ usually refers to a small piano or harpsichord but Wikipedia assures me that it can mean a small organ too. |
||
| 21 | EVEN SO | Betting chance zero, still (4,2) |
| EVENS (betting chance) + O (zero) | ||
| 23 | ROWER | One in eight, perhaps, one in dispute? (5) |
| Double definition | ||
SALSA = SA (it, sexual appeal) + L[atin] + SA (it, again)
Thanks, Sil. I am plenty familiar with ‘it’ cluing sex appeal but still completely missed it in this case.
Bless you Pete.
6dn is Cockney rhyming slang – “syrup of fig(s)” = Wig(s)! – which made it my favourite clue.
Thanks to Mudd as well for whatcI found to be a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle.
I’m a great Mudd fan, but found some of his clueing unusually obscure today. By the way, I’m pretty sure that the Dandie Dinmont was first bred by Sir Walter Scott.
I’m with you on this one Pete. First Mudd I haven’t finished in a while. Couldn’t get 13 eddy or 19 swan, got the Port of portico 22 but for the life of me couldn’t finish it. Also got the ado in 15 stifado but never heard the word before. Got the over,16, but couldn’t get the once. 15 Downright I thought of but even with your explanation I still don’t get it.(claim doesn’t need underlining) 5 I have heard of Dandie Dinmont before though so got that one.
Ah, no wonder I was so puzzled about the “syrup of figs” thing. It’s that rhyming slang that often trips me up. Thanks, Hamish.
Malcolm, Thanks for noticing that infelicity in 15dn. I have corrected it.
Solved all bar 19a and 5d.
I think it is generally acknowledged that if the answer is obscure, then the cluing should be easy and having died for run out doesn’t cut it for me.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Going against the flow here … thought that this was a great puzzle, especially as a weekend one.
It was my third JH crossword in as many days, (a couple of Guardian Paul’s), so maybe I was in the groove with them. I think that his Friday Guardian was a little tougher and coincidently (or not) it also featured an unusual dog !
I don’t restrict myself to the ‘no references philosophy’ unless I’m locked away in a plane or somewhere that has no internet access and also used a word finder to get the unknown dog. There are greater sins !! Conversely, I have solved a tough Io on a 2 hour flight from Brisbane to Melbourne, so it can be done if necessary 🙂
Actually thought that the dog clue here was excellent once discovered – ‘ran out of woofs’ = DIED is a classic JH type word play – humorous and fitting so well into the surface reading – brilliant ! MAMBO was the other that stood out – great surface misdirection and so well constructed.
Didn’t know the Greek dish nor the long description of God but both readily worked out from the clue – and then a follow up check.
Finished in the NE corner with LAPWING (hadn’t heard of the rhyming slang word for wig either) and BANDAGED (probably one of the easiest clues in retrospect but I needed all of the crossers).
I knew the Greek dish I’ve eaten it here in Cyprus, but I could not finish this at all. Much too muddy for me. Thanks for all the explanations.