Financial Times 14,897 – Dante

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Just as I thought the FT doesn’t see daylight on Easter Monday, there was a Monday Prize Crossword which only appeared at the very end of the day on the newspaper’s website. I don’t like stereotyping but this Dante puzzle was indeed full of cryptic and double definitions – no less than 8 of the latter!

Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.

Across
1 CIRCLE
The never ending round (6)

Cryptic definition
4 ADVANCED
Given credit for having made headway (8)

Double definition
9 NEVADA
Retired chap in an American state (6)

Reversal (‘retired’) of:   DAVE (chap) inside AN
10 KEEP AT IT
Continue to look after a small bird (4,2,2)

KEEP (look after) A TIT (a small bird)
12 ROLL
Register the sound of a drum (4)

Double definition
13 BOAST
Brag about a squash shot (5)

Double definition

In squash: a stroke in which the ball is made to hit one of the side walls before hitting the front wall.
14 ALTO
A singer the French turn to (4)

AL (reversal of LA (the, French)) TO
17 CLEAR WARNING
Yet a fog-horn may give it (5,7)

Cryptic definition
20 KALEIDOSCOPE
I’d please cook with creation of multi-coloured trifles (12)

(I’D PLEASE COOK)*    [* = with creation of …]
23 OARS
They move a boat across water or round a point (4)

{OR around A} S (point, South)
24 CLAWS
Many acts are beastly offensive (5)

C (many, 100) LAWS (acts)
25 EDGE
Side having the advantage (4)

Double definition
28 SEASCAPE
Main work of an artist (8)

Cryptic definition

‘Main’ as in ‘the sea’.

29 HAIR-DO
Bob all set for musical party? (4-2)

HAIR (musical) DO (party)
30 SCHOONER
Drinking vessel (8)

Double definition

One definition is underlined, the other is just ‘vessel’ (a ship).
31 HORDES
When speaking, gathers crowds (6)

Homophone (‘when speaking’) of:   HOARDS (gathers)
Down
1 CONTRACT
Make a reduction and it’s a bargain (8)

Double definition
2 REVOLVER
Top Gun (8)

Double definition

This is my favourite clue today, despite being a double definition. What a great find!
3 LUDO
Number taking turn at party game (4)

L (number, 50) U (turn) DO (party, again!)
5 DRESSING DOWN
Mayonnaise gets lower rating (8,4)

DRESSING (mayonnaise) DOWN (lower, as a verb perhaps?)

I feel a bit uncomfy with this clue because ‘lower’ must do double duty to let this clue sort of work.   I saw ‘rating’ as something more positive than ‘a sharp scolding’ (Chambers) or ‘an angry reprimand’ (ODE). The latter calls the use of it ’dated’. Thanks Bruce @3 for putting me right.
6 ALPS
Lake in rising resort in the mountains (4)

L (lake) inside APS (reversal (‘rising’) of SPA (resort))
7 CATTLE
Tom let loose on the ranch (6)

CAT (Tom) (LET)*    [* = out]
8 DE TROP
Pot red by mistake – it’s too much! (2,4)

(POT RED)*    [* = by mistake]

‘Too much’ in a sense of ‘unwelcome’ or ‘superfluous’.
11 TOTAL ECLIPSE
For a time, it naturally puts us completely in the dark (5,7)

Cryptic definition

As a coincidence Punk (aka Paul, Mudd) had on the same day the same solution in his Indy puzzle: ‘Top celestial realignment?’ – a real gem.
15 DREAD
Late entry by monarch causes great apprehension (5)

DEAD (late) with R (monarch, King or Queen) inside
16 IN USE
Employed during practice (2,3)

IN (during) USE (practice)
18 POWDERED
Made up ground (8)

Double definition
19 GENEROUS
Abuse one’s urge to be magnamimous (8)

(ONE’S URGE)*    [* = abuse]
21 NOISES
Is included among those who are against rackets (6)

IS inside NOES (those who are against, plural of ‘no’)
22 BROACH
Bring up fish on front of boat (6)

B[oat] ROACH (fish)
26 ECHO
An encore from the male chorus (4)

Hidden solution (‘from the’):   [mal]E CHO[rus]
27 HALO
An overhead light (4)

Cryptic definition
*anagram

5 comments on “Financial Times 14,897 – Dante”

  2. Yes, scchua, you’re right.
    However, Dante’s use of ‘completely’ made me go for ‘Total eclipse’.
    We’ll see on Monday – the day the solution appears – what Dante meant.

  3. Thanks Dante and Sil
    Very straightforward puzzle with no real hold ups at all.
    Sil, doesn’t ‘rating’ by itself constitute a DRESSING DOWN at 5? From freedictionary.com:

    rating
    n.
    A harsh scolding.

    I opted for TOTAL ECLIPSE – but agree that either answer could hold up – which to me makes it a bad clue!

  4. I had cutprice for 1d thinking it was one word which made 9a ungettable but 1a,12a and 17a still worked making me convinced it was right.
    Couldn’t get 18d,29a or 31a not helped by having 27d as star which seems plausible
    I’m in the solar eclipse camp

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