Posted by smiffy on 3rd July 2008
A rare visit to the FT from the intriguingly-named Phssthpok. A well-balanced offering with some nice touches and a gentle smattering of intra-grid cross references. Feels like just the kind of puzzle that could lure the more casual solver into a deeper appreciation of the setter’s art.
Across
1 POP, THE QUESTION - A Shakespearean reference that that even the less Bard-savvy amongst us can figure pretty readily.
10 A(PA)RT
11A,DUMB,RATE - a bit chestnutty, but fair enough.
12 EL GRECO - hidden rev.
13 A,X,O,LOT,L -
16 AUTOFOCUS
19 CENTIPEDE - (c in the deep)*-[h]. “Hundred-foot long predator” is a great definition, especially with the subtly redicrected hyphen. I do wonder what constitutes “prey” in the food chain below centipedes though!
22 ANTIGEN - (in agent)*
25 EX,CRETE
29 CINEMATOGRAPHY - (theory, campaign)*
Down
2 ORANG[-e] UTAN - (tuna)*
3 TI(T)LE - Straightforward, but at least I now know that the chemical symbol for Tritium is T (until today I’d have guessed Tr).
4 E,LAB,ORATE
5 UVULA - initial letters. The dangly thing in ones throat - much referred to by Sid James in Carry on Doctor, as I recall.
6 SUB,WOOFER - For once “for speaker” isn’t a homophone indicator!
7 I(DAH)O - (had)<
8 NEEDLES[-s]
9 CAMERA - ref the legal term in camera.
15 C,LING,FILM
17 THEME SONG - (h gemstone)*
18 CY(CLE PA)TH[-e] - a bit of a contorted structure, but the silky smooth surface reading more than compensates for that.
21 P,REFER - “attribute” as a verb.
26 COBRA - (boa c[....]r)* A well-spotted opportunity, I thought.
Posted in FT | 3 Comments »
Posted by neildubya on 3rd July 2008
A bit of a mixed bag this: very tough in places, very easy elsewhere. Still don’t understand 10, 11 and 19 though.
| Across |
| 1 |
ERA,SPOT< in TRICES - TRICERATOPSES. I found this very tough and only got it once I had all the checking letters in place. |
| 10 |
EN,GROSS - don’t really understand this one. The definition seems to be “Largely copy” (assuming “French in” is EN and “bulk” is GROSS) but that doesn’t mean ENGROSS does it? |
| 11 |
ALL-TIME - don’t understand this one either: “To date compiler, in advance it will win one over”. |
| 14 |
(ID EXTRACT)* - DIRECT TAX. |
| 16 |
ROTTER,DAM |
| 22 |
CHANCRE -”chancer” with the last two letters swapped. |
| 23 |
ARBUTUS - an identical piece of wordplay to 22 is used here: A,BRUTUS with the BR swapped. |
| 24 |
ON,SENSE in (NERVES)* - NONSENSE VERSE. Lear being Edward rather than the King. |
| |
| Down |
| 2 |
RE,GENTS |
| 4 |
(SCREEN DID)* - RESCINDED. “Off” is the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it anagrind. |
| 5 |
hidden in “FurTWANGler” |
| 6 |
ABL[-e] in (COP SELECTION)* - POLICE CONSTABLE. |
| 7 |
ED,I,TOUT |
| 8 |
(FREE IF CLASSIC)* - SELF-SACRIFICE. |
| 9 |
(IT GOES FOR LEX L)* - REFLEXOLOGIST |
| 15 |
R.E.M,I,GRATE |
| 19 |
SHIITES - don’t understand this one: “Chap’s position affected when Nazis circle sect members”. The last two words must be the definition but that’s all I can work out. |
| 21 |
LIE-IN - this one puzzled me too but looking at it now I can see that LIE appears IN “client”, “suppliers” and “believe”. |
Posted in Independent | 9 Comments »
Posted by nmsindy on 3rd July 2008
I found this quite easy, solving time 14 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
8 AT HEIST
9 EP I ZO (Oz<) A Oz = country down under (Australia)
10 OILC A N The Muse Clio<
11 LEG (AT) ION TA< definition and wordplay split at that/diplomatic
12 INDELICATE (nice detail)*
13 ROAD “Rowed”
14 TO(w)NS
16 MIDAS Hidden reversal
18 V (I) AL lav<
19 A T O P
21 CREDIT NOTE Cryptic definition
23 LUST ROUS(e)
24 FIASCO (C is oaf)*
25 USA NCE (final letters = “ends”)
26 N (AIR) OB I
DOWN
1 NAT I ON (No 1 tan)< Even-handed puzzle with surfaces in this and 24 across hammering (in jest) both main party leaders.
2 S (HOCK ER) S
3 GIANTISM (a smiting)*
4 ITALIAN DRESSING (daintiness a girl)*
5 LEAGUE Hidden
6 (g)LITTER
7 YOKO (Ono) HAM A
15 OUT BU (R) ST
17 SAINFOIN (sinfonia)*
18 VIN (DAL) O O lad<
20 PATINA (a paint)*
21 CLOVE R
22 TAC TIC “Tack Tick”
Posted in Independent | 3 Comments »
Posted by Andrew on 3rd July 2008
Today it was the bottom right-hand corner that gave me the most trouble, but apart from that I found this one mostly quite easy. A couple of explanations I’m not totally happy with - confirmation or alternatives welcome!
dd = double definition
* = anagram
< = reverse
| Across |
| 1 |
ISOLATE |
I SO LATE |
|
| 9 |
PIPIT |
PI in PIT |
Not sure if I’ve got this right - presumably it’s because pi is the ‘relationship’ between the circumference and diameter of a circle. Any better ideas? |
| 10 |
GANGPLANK |
GANG P LANK |
|
| 11 |
SIAMESE CAT |
(MEET CASSIE)* |
|
| 14 |
HISTRIONICS |
(INSIST CHOIR)* |
|
| 18 |
BITTER LEMON |
(BOTTLE MINER)* |
|
| 21 |
TAIL |
T + AIL |
‘Pain’ is a verb in the wordplay |
| 22 |
ESPADRILLE |
E + RILL in SPADE |
Using the crosswordism of Rill = stream = thing with banks = banker |
| 25 |
ISINGLASS |
I SING LASS |
|
| 26 |
ARROW |
AR ROW |
A quarrel is an arrow used in a crossbow |
| 27 |
GIMMICK |
I in GM + MICK |
|
| 28 |
TEST ACT |
SET< + TACT |
The Test Acts of 1673 and 1678 were ‘for preventing dangers which may happen from popish recusants’. |
| Down |
| 1 |
IMPOSE |
IMP + (h)OSE |
|
| 2 |
ORPHAN |
PH in ORAN |
A port in Algeria |
| 3 |
AT THE WHEEL |
A TT HEW HEEL |
|
| 4 |
EAGLE |
BEAGLE minus its ”head” |
In golf, an Eagle is one better than a Birdie, i.e. 2 under par |
| 5 |
PENTAGRAM |
TAG in PEN RAM |
Again, we need to read “crowd” as a verb to interpret it as RAM. |
| 7 |
SPARE RIB |
S PARER I B(ought) |
|
| 13 |
CORNERWAYS |
CORNER WAYS |
I presume the word means “diagonally” - if so, it’s a new one on me. |
| 15 |
SALES TALK |
ALES in STALK |
|
| 17 |
STOICISM |
IS in SITCOM* |
|
| 19 |
GLORIA |
dd |
It took me ages to realise the explanation of this: the Gloria is part of the “Ordinary” of the Catholic Mass |
| 20 |
PEEWIT |
WEEP< + IT |
Almost opposite its fellow bird PIPIT in the grid |
Posted in Guardian | 17 Comments »
Posted by Pete Maclean on 3rd July 2008
The top right corner of this puzzle was hard going for me. I particularly found 11A, 13A and 5D challenging and I do not understand how 8D works. Then I was totally stumped by 20A.
I greatly like 24A and 14D.
Across
1. FLINCH - L (lake) in FINCH (bird)
4. SCRIPTED - anagram of PREDICTS
10. GUESSED - homophone (”guest”)
11. THISTLE - WHISTLE (holder of pea) with W change to T
12. RATE - double definition
13. QUAD-BIKING - anagram of BID in QUAKING (obviously nervous)
15. NECTAR - NEC (Centre of Birmingham) + TAR (sticky thing)
16. ULULATE - LULU (singer) backwards + ATE (consumed)
20. ?L?E?E? - ???. I assume this clue has to be a cryptic definition but it is beyond me. Could the answer be SLEEPER? A sleeper is certainly out in a sense but where does “one’s ear” come in?
21. TSETSE - T[ourist] + SETS (lays) + E[ggs]
24. DUNG BEETLE - anagram of NUDGE and BETEL
26. CLUB - double definition
28. TERRACE - anagram of CATERER
29. MOONSET - MO (doctor) + ONSET (beginning)
20. RHAPSODY - HAPS (chances) in ROD (bar) + Y (Yankee)
31. BARREN - homophone (”baron”)
Down
1. FIGURINE - FIG (fruit) + URINE (wee)
2. IDENTICAL - I (single) + DENT (impression) + I (I) + CAL (state)
3. CASE - double definition
5. CITADELS - SLED (winter vehicle) + TIC (jerk) backwards
6. INITIALISE - anagram of III (three ones) and ENTAILS
7. TUTTI - TUTTI[ng]
8. DREDGE - ???. I cannot figure out the wordplay here.
9. ODIUM - [p]ODIUM
14. BAKED BEANS - anagram of BABES NAKED
17. TOTALISER - TO (to) + TALIS[man] (charm with no man) + ER (the Queen)
18. REVEREND - RE (subject) + RE (again) in VEND (sell)
19. VERBOTEN - VERB (type of word) + O (old) + TEN (number)
22. EDITOR - TO (to) in RIDE (trip) backwards
23. PLUMP - double definition
25. NORMA - “nor ma”. I have come across people who consider clues of this form, with a missing word, to be illegitimate. Certainly they are uncommon but I have no objection them. This is the second I have come across recently and I think it is an okay clue.
27. COLA - COL (pass) + A (a)
Posted in FT | 3 Comments »