Factfinder’s crossword - The Scotsman 23/06/2012

Published on 23/06/2012 00:00

Saturday’s puzzle...

ACROSS

1 A Paisley-born songwriter (1774-1810) who composed the Braes o’ Gleniffer (6,9)

9 Automatic devices for regulating pressure, especially in planes (9)

10 A tree of the custard apple family, or its fruit (5)

11 Regional capital in northern France (pop about 500,000) where Joan of Arc was executed (5)

12 Separateness, or individual ownership (9)

13 In heraldry, a diminutive of the bend sinister, half its width (5)

15 Relating to a city in northern Italy (pop about 400,000), with a university dating to the 11th century (9)

17 A rock-forming mineral, silicate of sodium, potassium and aluminium (9)

19 An inferior species of wheat grown in mountainous parts of Europe (5)

21 Light scarves worn round hats to keep off the sun (9)

23 The hemlock spruce genus (5)

24 A cattle track, or drove road (5)

25 The spurge genus of plants (9)

26 A tall grey wading bird, native to Oceania (10,5)

DOWN

1 Jeannie __ (1908-75), Aberdeen ballad singer (9)

2 British overseas territory (20.6 sq miles; pop about 65,000), comprising a group of about 150 islands (7)

3 Resin obtained, eg when turpentine is prepared from dead pine wood (5)

4 An earthy volcanic tuff used as a hydraulic cement (5)

5 US state capital (pop about 600,000), founded in 1779 (9)

6 Tall plant of the lily family, cultivated for its edible shoots (9)

7 Disturbance travelling along a nerve or a muscle (7)

8 Malcolm __ (1909-57), English novelist who wrote Under the Volcano (1947) (5)

14 A writer of contemptible verse (9)

15 House of correction, or gaol (9)

16 A horse’s attempt to throw its rider (9)

18 Small pails or bowls of staves and hoops (7)

20 Residential areas, especially prosperous ones, outside a town or city (originally in the US) (7)

21 City in northern Italy (pop about 215,000), the birthplace of the historian Livy (59BC-17AD), (5)

22 Deep, reddish-brown pigment (5)

23 A collection of tips in a restaurant to be divided later (5)

Last week’s solution:

Across: 1 Castle Douglas, 10 Insensate, 11 Table, 12 Limoges, 13 Nail-rod, 14 Assart, 16 Budgerow, 18 Sing-sing, 20 Odessa, 23 Uppsala, 24 Reel off, 26 Aspen, 27 Inamorato, 28 Transgression.

Down: 2 Adsum, 3 Tanager, 4 Elapse, 5 Oceanaut, 6 Gatling, 7 Ambergris, 8 William Soutar, 9 Meadow-saffron, 15 Sandpiper, 17 Engaging, 19 Shannon, 21 Daemons, 22 Triage, 25 Otago.