Financial Times 13,607 by Aardvark – ‘a tale of two cities’
Posted by PeeDee on February 2nd, 2011
Easier than the last AARDVARK puzzle I blogged, but no less enjoyable. My favourite was 29 across which made me smile, 13 across is good too. Also, I got throught he whole thing without having to resort to the dictionary once, which makes a nice change!
*anagram
hover mouse over clue number to see clue
click on solution to see definition
| Across | ||
| 1 | SIPHON | P inside HIS reversed with ON (the on side = the side of the cricket field behind the batsman’s legs) |
| 4 | TOM BAKER | TOMB and RAKE* (actor played Dr Who in TV series) |
| 10 | BITTERN | BIT (part) TERN (gull) |
| 11 | FUCHSIA | SUCH* inside FIAt |
| 12 | LUNE | Like UNE (‘one’ in French) gives river in Cumbria |
| 13 | AVANT GARDE | sAVANT (accomplished) with GARDEn (area for flowers) losing the bordering letters |
| 16 | UNFAIR | fUNFAIR (f=fellow) |
| 17 | BERMUDA | Double definition |
| 20 | POLLOCK | LOP reversed and LOCK (artist Jackson Pollock) |
| 21 | POTEEN | OP (opus=work) reversed and TEEN |
| 24 | WATERMELON | European MERLOT* inside WAN |
| 25 | ESAU | thESAUrus |
| 27 | TRANSIT | departmenT (RATS IN)* |
| 29 | PIANOLA | sounds like “P&O” plus LA (‘the’ in French) |
| 30 | POLO NECK | Marco POLO and Notice Knocking around EC (City of London postal code) |
| 31 | WESTIE | ITS reversed inside WEE (minute=small) gives West Highland Terrier |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SIBELIUS | IS reversed (opposing=the other way round) 1 inside BLUES |
| 2 | PUT ON A FRONT | TON with AFRO inside PUNT |
| 3 | OVEN | prOVEN (dropping pr=price) |
| 5 | OFFENDER | whO F FENDER (wing of a car in N. America) |
| 6 | BACKGAMMON | BACK (second) MAG (fanzine perhaps) reversed and MONday |
| 7 | KES | maKES losing m (millions) and a (before=ante) |
| 8 | READER | tRADER around European |
| 9 | KNAVE | VAN reversed inside KatE |
| 14 | RIDLEY SCOTT | RID (deliver from) LEY (ley line) SCOTT (sounds like Scot) |
| 15 | BILL BRYSON | BILL (police=’the old bill’) BRanch NOSY reversed |
| 18 | ECLECTIC | L (learner driver) inside EC EC (City of London postal code) and TIC. I would complain about EC for City also being used in 30 across, but the clue clearly states it is used repeatedly. |
| 19 | INCUBATE | CUBA inside wINTEr |
| 22 | SWOT UP | TWO inside SUP (hampered = either ‘constrained’ or ‘put in a hamper’) |
| 23 | COUPE | O (love=zero tennis score) inside CUP and prizE |
| 26 | HARE | HAREm (without male). The hare is an atificial lure in dog racing. |
| 28 | AIL | Sounds like “ale” |
February 2nd, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Took a moment or two to get going, but enjoyed the solve when I did. 11a is FUCHSIA and not as you have it above – I know from blogging experience how easy it is to go from the right word on the grid to entirely the wrong word in the review!
February 2nd, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Fuchsia typo fixed, thanks.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Thanks PeeDee. An amusing puzzle, with a tone that was right up my street (or should that be bookcase, on which both Messrs Baker and Bryson enjoyed preferred status). I did wonder whether Kes was a ’70s rather than ’60s film, but turns out that it was released in 1969.
A couple of laugh-inducing moments at 20A and (like you) 29A. Your subtitle for this blog also raised a smile – best one I’ve seen in a while!
One small edit: you have ‘magazine’ for ‘fanzine’ at 6D.
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Nice Aardvark production! Plenty to break my teeth on.
Thanks to Aardvark & PeeDee for their work!
PeeDee, a minute point: in 24a you are not including the E(uropean)
My favourites today are 17a, 2d and the absolute top 11a with a very smooth surface.
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Thanks Nestorius, fixed now.
February 2nd, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Thanks PeeDee,
5d – isn’t a fender what we call a car’s bumper & not its wing?
February 2nd, 2011 at 5:16 pm
5d – just Googled “fender” apparently it’s either, but usually refers to the wing, so apologies to Aardvark for doubting his superior knowledge. Something new every day.
February 2nd, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Only had 9 solved when my hour was up -but can’t complain having seen the answers.
Surprised I had never heard of the Lune river
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Thanks PeeDee.
Super puzzle from Aardvark,with a good few smiles during the solve.
Outrageous homophone used in 29 across – I thought it was brilliant!
14 and 15 down were harder to parse than solve,thought 15 was very good.
Strictly speaking gulls and terns are from different families,but I think they are similar enough for the purpose of the wordplay in 10 across.