Factfinder crossword - The Scotsman 29/12/2012

Published on 29/12/2012 03:10

Saturday’s puzzle...

This week’s prize: a copy of Selected Poems by Robert Burns courtesy of Blackwell’s, plus a Collins English Dictionary Concise Edition, to the first correct entry opened at random. Entries must be received by Thursday 10 January. Cut out the crossword panel and send to: Factfinder’s Crossword, Promotions Department, The Scotsman, PO Box 105, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.

Across

1 Ayrshire village, created a burgh of barony in 1527, once noted for its fine cutlery (8)

5 A squared stone used in building or facing a wall (6)

9 Grind to a fine powder, especially with liquid (8)

10 A criminal conspiracy of silence (6)

12 A chimney-corner (9)

13 Cuts into ornamental devices (5)

14 The body of officials at an Indian court (6)

17 A brownish-grey colour (5)

20 A natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1851 (5)

21 South American country (83,000 sq miles; pop about 750,000), independent since 1966 (6)

24 Small mouselike animal of the Insectivora (5)

25 US state (42,144 sq miles; pop about 6.5 million), also known as the Volunteer State (9)

28 To nod, or droop (6)

29 Small headless nail used by shoemakers (8)

30 The first month of the Jewish civil year (6)

31 Highland village, once a royal burgh, the birthplace of Hugh Miller (8)

DOWN

1 Malignant water-sprite in the form of a horse (6)

2 A salad plant akin to Angelica (6)

3 A great group of Thallophytes, the seaweeds and related forms (5)

4 Old-fashioned, or relating to the past (5)

6 A charitable or helpful person (Luke X, 33) (9)

7 Any plant of the genus Delphinium (8)

8 An open-top, two-seater car (8)

11 A reef of rock (6)

15 Second-largest lake in England (7.5 miles long) (9)

16 South American capital city (pop about 9 million), situated at 8,560 feet (6)

18 Jules __ (1842-1912), French composer who created the opera El Cid (1885) (8)

19 Oscillates, or is poised (8)

22 Curve running through places of equal pressure (6)

23 A compartment of vaulting (archit) (6)

26 Unit for expressing the ratio of two currents, two voltages, etc (5)

27 Small village in Berwickshire near Duns, on the Whiteadder Water (5)

Hugh Johnson