Financial Times 13,702 by Mudd

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A pleasant and not too difficult crossword today.  Yet another crossword I have solved recently from Mudd/Paul/Punk with references to ‘arses/bottoms/bums’ (17 across).  This seems to be becoming something of a signature from him, make of that whatever you will.  My favourite clue was 4 across, though there were many other good clues today, 11, 18 and 20 also deserve a special mention.

Across
1 TAVERN REV (clergyman) reversed (reclines=lies back) inside TAN (shade of brown)
4 ELEPHANT EP (extended play record) Holder (first letter of) inside ELAN (dash) and then Time – ‘an elephant never forgets’
9 ARCANE CAN (vessel) inside AREa (region short)
10 SUNLIGHT United Nations inside SLIGHT (snub)
12 SPOT Double definition
13 WHIST West going in front of (leading) THIS*
14 URGE sURGE (rush, missing first letter) – to advise = to urge someone to do something
17 PRIVATE PARTS (A TV STRIPPER and A)* bum = anagram
20 SIX OF THE BEST FOX (sexy woman) reversed inside (TIBET SHE’S)*
23 HEEL Double definition – ‘to bring to heel’ is ‘to cause to obey’, a bit a tenuous defintion here methinks
24 CAMUS SUMAC (tree) reversed
25 BEAR Double definition – ‘to shoulder’ = ‘to bear a burden’
28 SLOVENIA LOVE (treasure, as a verb) inside (IS AN)* anagram = ‘insecure’. Doesn’t quite read properly to me this clue, I struggle to make ‘is an’ the subject of the sentence and ‘treasure’ the object being buried.
29 DIVINE IN (batting, cricket) inside (braking) DIVE (duck)
30 LEMONADE reversed inside feED AN OMELette
31 KOREAN scripturE (last letter of) inside the KORAN – asian = a person from Asia
Down
1 TRANSEPT PATTERNS*
2 VICTORIA Double definition – type of plum and London Underground Railway line
3 RUNT RUN (was run by = namaged by) on Treats (first letter of)
5 LOUIS PASTEUR (SPURIOUS TALE)*
6 POLO Double definition – A Polo is a popular UK mint, 150 Polo mints are consumed in the UK every second.
7 ANGERS Double definition
8 TOTTER Definition and cryptic definition
11 THREE OF A KIND Anagram of KID with FATHER ONE – poker hand
15 FAKIR FAIR (just) going about King
16 AT SEA Double definition
18 TELEVISE LEVIS (jeans) inside TEE (peg) – definition is ‘put on’
19 STURGEON SURGEON (someone with a kinife in their hand) containing (gobbling) Turbot (starter = first letter of)
21 CHISEL torCH IS ELectrified
22 REFORM RE (religious education = theology) FORM (class)
26 LEAN Double definition
27 LIDO LID (cover) Off (first letter of)

*anagram

Hold mouse over clue number to see clue, click a solution to see its definition.

4 comments on “Financial Times 13,702 by Mudd”

  1. Thanks PeeDee and Mudd. An enjoyable puzzle. Was anyone else seduced for a while by “bit on the side” for 20a? Oh dear, all this suggestiveness seems to be getting to me as well!

  2. Many thanks PeeDee

    This was very enjoyable and such a relief after an earlier struggle with Araucaria which ended in floods of tears.

    I liked 18d TELEVISE which I recall was similarly clued by Mudd in 13,640 on 24 March 2011.

    Clues really do get easier when you’ve seen ’em before. Here’s to the next time!

    Thanks Mudd you’ve now put a smile back on my face.

  3. Thanks to Mudd for an enjoyable, and gentle puzzle, and to PeeDee for the notes.
    I liked 4a, but not keen on 28a.

  4. Bryan-
    At least he’s plagiarising himself(18d)! Actually I remember finding it very hard the first time. As you say, much easier this time around.

    MikeC-
    Yes, for quite a while. Fortunately I didn’t get as far as putting it in and 18d (see above) forced me to think again.

    PeeDee
    Thanks for the blog. Re 28a – I actually imagined love as a noun, as in “my love”/”my treasure”/”mio tesoro” etc.

    I loved the Elephant too. I also liked 10a and 19d – both from the “easier than they look” drawer.

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