Financial Times No. 12,852 Set by FLIMSY, August 21, 2008
Posted by Octofem on August 21st, 2008
I have to say I found this a boring puzzle with some clues so obvious that I yawned. 6d made me think for
a while, and 13a held me up until I remembered that setters do love cricket!
ACROSS
1. OLDEST - ( *led-to- s)
4. CONFUSED -(dd)
9. PISTOL -(hidden in chaP-IS-TOLd)
10. INJURIES -(in -juries)
11. SHRUBS - (*s-bush -r)
12. SNIFFING -(s-niff-ing - ‘to sing’ as in ‘inform’)
13. LEG - ( dd - ‘leg’ of a race, and cricket position)
14. TICKLE - (*lick- toe without ‘o’)
17. LANTERN - (*l tanner)
21. MEDIUM - ( dd)
25. TOE -( t- one without ‘n’)
26. CHAMPION - ( c-h-ampion - campion, white or red, wild flower of hedgerows .)
27. SKETCH - (s-ketch)
28. ORIGINAL -(dd)
29. PAINTS - (pa-i-nts)
30. SKELETON - (skeleton - universal key and ’skeleton in the cupboard’, phrase denoting
a family’s shameful secret)
31. DEPTHS - ( pt in *shed)
DOWN
1. OPPOSITE - (*soot pipe)
2. DISTRICT - ( di-strict - belt as in ‘commuter belt, green belt etc.)
3. SNOWBALL - (dd. term for various puddings, mainly made of meringue, but sometimes more
like egg custard.)
5. OWNING -(hidden in thr-OWN-IN-G-aol)
6. FLUFFY - (fluff-y- two slang terms for the desirable female - crumpet, or a piece of fluff)
7. SPIRIT - (dd)
8. DESIGN - (*dines-g)
12. SECTION - (dd. - to section someone is to put him or her into a mental hospital)
15. EAR -( hidden in h-EAR-d)
16. ARM - what can I say?
18. NECKLACE - ( ditto)
19. DISTINCT - (di-*sint-ct)
20. EMPHASIS - ( *shame about p - i-s)
22. ACROSS - (a-cross)
23. MARINE - (* in armed without ‘d’)
24. UPSIDE -( up-side)
25. TOMATO - (tom- at(E)-o - as someone said recently, a fruit not a veg. but do not serve with custard!)
August 21st, 2008 at 10:44 am
Sorry to disagree with you Octofem but I think the interpretation of 15d is *(ARE) with ‘blasts’ being the anagrind.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:57 am
Please don’t apologise, Geoff - I am always glad to be set straight. I must admit I was not paying a lot of attention by that stage of the puzzle!
August 21st, 2008 at 11:48 am
I know what you mean. My sentiments entirely!