Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 9, 2013
This was another moderately easy and very satisfying Mudd. My top clues here are 13A (SWORD), 19A (ROAST) and 4D (LIFE STORY).
ACROSS
1 Means to be first (7)
CAPITAL – double definition
5 Company only pocketing grand in European city (7)
COLOGNE – CO (company) + G (grand) in LONE (only)
9 Macho Labour leader punching a lot (5)
MANLY – L[abour] in MANY (a lot)
10 “Scotch pine”, a tree that’s wrong, woodsman initially claimed (4-5)
FIRE-WATER – FIR (pine) + W[oodsman] in anagram of A TREE. Is it okay to use ‘pine’ to clue FIR? Surely pines and firs are distinct types of conifer?
11 The variable written in test, it’s generally understood (2,4,3)
AS THEY SAY – THE (the) + Y (variable) together in ASSAY (test)
12 Champ as artist (5)
MUNCH – double definition
13 Less than half this puzzle knocked off, a killer? (5)
SWORD – [cros]SWORD
15 Rower rows a way out, reaching the country (9)
OARSWOMAN – anagram of ROWS A + OMAN (the country)
18 Imitation beam blocking door (9)
PORTRAYAL – RAY (beam) in PORTAL (door). Some might claim that a ray and a beam are different but I think they are close enough for our purposes here.
19 Something to baste – or lambaste? (5)
ROAST – double definition
21 Kind of nerve shown by barman’s assistant? (5)
OPTIC – double definition. The second definition refers to the trademarked name of an instrument that measures exact amounts or shots of alcoholic spirits.
23 Drier that’s twisted passing through lower area (4,5)
BATH TOWEL – anagram of THAT in BOWEL (lower area)
25 Awkward matter seeing sexy Charlotte, perhaps (3,6)
HOT POTATO – HOT (sexy) + POTATO (Charlotte perhaps). I had not known that Charlotte was a kind of potato!
26 Fragile friend? (5)
CHINA – double definition
27 Cry on sighting prey, but trapping colleague (5-2)
TALLY-HO – ALLY (colleague) in THO’ (but)
28 Lush at 28 across? That’ll teach you! (2,5)
SO THERE – SOT (lush) + HERE (at 28 across)
DOWN
1 Having arrived shortly, I don’t know the range (7)
COMPASS – COM[e] (having arrived shortly) + PASS (I don’t know)
2 Rent that’s put up inspiring one “yes” then, for wine (5,4)
PINOT NOIR – I (one) + NOT NO (one “yes” then) together in RIP (rent) backwards. I had a tough time figuring out the wordplay here!
3 Herb a great healer, they say? (5)
THYME – homophone (“time”)
4 More than one fib encapsulating fine autobiography (4,5)
LIFE STORY – F (fine) in LIE STORY (more than one fib)
5 Indian groom (5)
CURRY – double definition
6 Cutter appearing normal, we gathered, catching first of waves (9)
LAWNMOWER – W[aves] in anagram of NORMAL WE
7 Good school required to make progress (3,2)
GET ON – G (good) + ETON (school)
8 Merit tackling article made of clay (7)
EARTHEN – THE (article) in EARN (merit)
14 Reference that’s ecclesiastic in homework (9)
DIRECTORY – RECTOR (ecclesiastic) in DIY (homework)
16 Sex for granny and grandad, perhaps? (9)
RELATIONS – double definition
17 When a crook is seen in the distance, simultaneously (9)
MEANWHILE – anagram of WHEN A in MILE (the distance)
18 Support the poor reader (7)
PROPHET – PROP (support) + anagram of THE
20 Convict wearing hat, digging (7)
TILLAGE – LAG (convict) in TILE (hat)
22 Ruin everything (5)
TOTAL – double definition. Use of ‘total’ as a verb to mean to ruin is, I believe, very American usage.
23 Vegetable and duck as feast (5)
BEANO – BEAN (vegetable) + O (duck). I know Beano better as the name of a comic but its dictionary meaning is a bean feast.
24 Silent individual’s parting judgment (5)
TACIT – I (individual) in TACT (judgment)