Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 18, 2015
What a fine puzzle! I enjoyed this playful crossword very much. Many thanks to Dogberry.
My clue of the week is 1d (MEA CULPA) and I also especially like 5d (CAPSTONE) and 6d (RHINOCEROS). There was only one word that gave me much trouble, 18d (PARLANDO), which I knew as an Italian word but not as an English one.
ACROSS
1 Phone somewhere in Alabama (6)
MOBILE – double definition
4 Derisive, giving foul name to RSC production (8)
SCORNFUL – anagram of FOUL N (name) RSC
10 Emergency operation for learner in first-rate division (7)
AIRLIFT – L (learner) in AI (first-rate) + RIFT division)
11 Irritate Romeo in tricky situation (7)
PRICKLE – R (Romeo, as in the phonetic alphabet) in PICKLE (tricky situation)
12 Party putting 20 to sleep (4)
UKIP – U (Uruguay, from 20 across) + KIP (sleep)
13 Sneer about crumbling coastal resort (10)
EASTBOURNE – anagram of SNEER ABOUT
15 Root for rubbish amid waste matter (6)
POTATO – TAT (rubbish) in POO (waste matter)
16 Scotsman receiving the Spanish orison (7)
ANGELUS – EL (the Spanish) in ANGUS (Scotsman)
20 Retiring mentor starts to unite a young country (7)
URUGUAY – GURU (mentor) backwards + U[nite] A Y[oung]
21 One speaking uninspiringly about silver herb (6)
BORAGE – AG (silver) in BORE (one speaking uninspiringly)
24 Having joints, is able to speak clearly (10)
ARTICULATE – double definition
26 Fail to score with young lady (4)
MISS – double definition
28 Keep bearing right and acquire new skills (7)
RETRAIN – R (right) in RETAIN (keep)
29 Longing to penetrate knowledge of grub’s place of origin (7)
KITCHEN – ITCH (longing) in KEN (knowledge)
30 Meal in which pound’s replaced by penny stamp (8)
PUNCHEON – LUNCHEON (meal) with ‘L’ (pound) replaced by P (penny)
31 Reported curb applicable to wreath or suite (6)
BRIDAL – homophone (“bridle”)
DOWN
1 My bad clue Pam Ayres initially revised (3,5)
MEA CULPA – anagram of CLUE PAM A[yres]. How clever to work Pam Ayres into a clue! I hope she knows.
2 Counsel virtuous soul to breach dam (9)
BARRISTER – ST (virtuous soul, i.e. saint) in BARRIER (dam)
3 Cut nothing, cutting nothing up (4)
LOIN – O (nothing) in NIL (nothing) reversed
5 Act opens, surprisingly, with finishing touch (8)
CAPSTONE – anagram of ACT OPENS
6 Northern choir mad on sex god, horny beast! (10)
RHINOCEROS -anagram of N CHOIR + EROS (sex god)
7 Mendicant just about 1,000 (5)
FAKIR – K (1,000) in FAIR (just)
8 Tale about revolutionary songs (6)
LIEDER – LIE (tale) + RED (revolutionary) backwards
9 Sound of 23’s meat (5)
STEAK – homophone (“stake” from 23 down)
14 Drama teacher’s conveyance? (10)
STAGECOACH – STAGE (drama) + COACH (teacher)
17 Universal god is deceived by religious tract (9)
UPANISHAD – U (universal) + PAN (god) + IS (is) + HAD (deceived)
18 Standard look also included, musically speaking (8)
PARLANDO – PAR (standard) + AND (also) in LO (look)
19 Intimate of topless crime ring put outside (8)
PERSONAL – [a]RSON (topless crime) in PEAL (ring)
22 Sound pleased with a bell’s last upbeat? (6)
LARRUP – PURR (sound pleased) + A (a) + [bel]L all backwards
23 Second attempt at filming vampire-slayer (5)
STAKE – S (second) + TAKE (attempt at filming)
25 Giant artist I ignored (5)
TITAN – TIT[i]AN (artist I ignored)
27 Newspaper headline (4)
STAR – double definition
Thanks Pete.
Yes, a fine crossword, albeit (in my opinion) rather straightforward for Dogberry.
[btw, very much appreciated that you came to the Cambridge S&B, even by bus – I wouldn’t have done that, I fear]
8d needs tweaking: it’s LIE (tale) plus a reversal (‘about’) of RED (revolutionary).
Ah, thanks for the tip about 8d. It is now corrected.
Failed on 22d and 16d which to me are highly obscure musical terms but no doubt incredibly well known to anyone with the slightest knowledge of music .Quite a challenge overall.
Actually, 22d (LARRUP) is not a musical term. It means ‘beat’ in the sense of to whip someone. It is not a word I know at all well and one I may never have used myself but I have come across it a few times.
Thanks Dogberry and Pete
A bit late to this one – only starting it today … and got caught out with the local knowledge required for UKIP … had an unsatisfactory UNIT in there instead !!!
The rest of the puzzle was quite enjoyable and also thought that MEA CULPA was very clever. RHINOCEROS was also quite witty.
Hadn’t heard of UPANISHAD before and PARLANDO was also new.