Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 24, 2015
I found this to be another challenging puzzle although not as difficult as that recent Redshank. Notably hard clues are 4a, 24a, 2d and 16d. My clue of the week is 13a (INTERSTATE) (in spite of the answer’s being a very American term) and I also like 5d (SHOVE-HAPENNY) and 1a (STREET ARTIST).
ACROSS
1, 9 St Raphael may be a public performer (6,6)
STREET ARTIST – STREET (st) + ARTIST (Raphael may be)
4 I should have said yes, it’s stylish for eastern “media” (8)
PSYCHICS – PS (I should have said) + Y[e]S with CHIC (stylish) replacing the ‘E’ (eastern)
9 See 1
10 No institute of higher education chases instant control (8)
MONOPOLY – MO (instant) + NO (no) + POLY (institute of higher education)
12 Implement as welll (4)
TOOL – TOO (as well) + L (l)
13 Not willing to take right road (10)
INTERSTATE – R (right) in INTESTATE (not willing)
15 Pack signs covering the feminine legend (7,5)
PLAYING CARDS – YING (the feminine legend) in PLACARDS (signs)
18 See 21
21, 18 “Life’s OK” – the FT perhaps means something else (1,9,6,2,4)
A DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH – reverse anagram (LIFE’S OK THE FT is an anagram of KETTLE OF FISH)
22 See 23
24 Cameron’s economic policy against migration leads to something alleviating general anxiety (8)
DIAZEPAM – DIAZ (Cameron!!) + E[conomic] P[olicy] A[gainst] M[igration]. Diazepam is more commonly known as Valium.
25 See 3
26 Volume of tint swirling in dock (8)
QUANTITY – anagram of TINT in QUAY (dock)
27 The aristocracy’s kindly in Japan? (6)
GENTRY – Japanese’s homophone (“gently”)!
DOWN
1 Lead sheep to new trade (8)
STARTUPS – STAR (lead) + TUPS (sheep)
2 Laptop on desert island would be sensible (8)
RATIONAL – RAT (desert) + IONA (island) + L[aptop]. To desert is a not-so-well-known meaning for ‘rat’.
3, 25 Trouble flier with envelope to return to the old kingdom (4,6)
EAST ANGLIA – AIL (trouble) + GNAT (flier) + SAE (envelope) all backwards
5 Mobile phone envy has produced a game (5-7)
SHOVE-HAPENNY – anagram of PHONE ENVY HAS
6 Scores to modify and remove will be deleted (7,3)
CROSSED OFF – anagram of SCORES + DOFF (remove)
7 Big shot Blair regularly appears on line (6)
ISOBAR – [b]I[g]S[h]O[t]B[l]A[i]R
8 Probe filthy accommodation rented out (6)
STYLET – STY (filthy accommodation) + LET (rented out)
11 Adventurer and philosopher admitting sin after dark (6-6)
KNIGHT-ERRANT – NIGHT (dark) + ERR (sin) together in KANT (philosopher)
14 Unwanted consequence if sect reforms having accepted feedback (4,6)
SIDE EFFECT – DEEF (feedback) in anagram of IF SECT
16 TV broadcast with Sheila, to whom no man’s a hero (3,5)
HIS VALET – anagram of TV SHEILA. “No man is a hero to his valet”, is a famous quote attributed (in an original French version) to Anne-Marie Bigot de Cornuel who was once the mistress of King Louis XIV. This was difficult for me as I was unaware of this quote.
17 Fast harmful drugs here (8)
PHARMACY – HARM in PACY (fast)
19 Q and A session, primarily about the market (6)
NASDAQ – anagram of Q AND A S[ession]
20 Bug spies infiltrated by scoundrel (6)
CICADA – CAD (scoundrel) in CIA (spies)
23, 22 Examination previously completed (4,4)
ONCE OVER – double definition
This was, in my opinion, another brilliant Goliath puzzle.
So inventive, with 12ac (TOOL) as a (not: the) highlight [even if purists might not like it].
The R/L exchange, as used in 27ac (GENTRY), was familiar to me but not from my years in the UK. Apparently, the Brits link it to Japan, in Holland it’s China that’s the ‘victim’ of this rather silly thing. I prefer Michael Palin in The Life of Brian with his R/W exchange of letters.
Thanks Pete, I can help you with 4ac.
It is indeed PS, but then it’s YES with CHIC replacing the E (‘stylish for eastern’).
Clever clue.
Thanks, Pete.
Yes, another brilliant Goliath puzzle.
Lovely cluing throughout but special ticks for 1,9, 4, 21,18, 24 [wonderful misdirection and surface!] ac and 2 and 19dn.
Many thanks, as ever, to Goliath for a very satisfying challenge,
Thanks Pete and Goliath. Good, varied puzzle. Needed your help with parsing 24a – but I did “get” 4a, as Sil@1.
I think I am not as big a Goliath fan as you folks are although (who knows?) I may become so. I did like 12a (TOOL). And thanks, Sil, for the explanation of 4a.
Thanks Goliath and Pete
Found this to be a pretty tough encounter with not too many ‘free hits’! A lot of really inventive thinking with the clues that made the challenge all the more interesting.
A few new terms for me – including DIAZEPAM (which was very cleverly and deceptively clued), HIS VALET (previously unaware of the proverb) and the SHOVE HA’PENNY game.
Many excellent clues with PSYCHICS (one of which I went to see today 🙂 ) and NASDAQ as my standouts.
I’m with Pete on this. Not a Goliath fan. Too challenging and obscure
I groaned when I saw Goliath’s name but to my amazement I slowly got all but 24a , failing only to parse 3d.
I knew the quote which I also know as “no man is a hero to his sucessor”