Financial Times 14,041 by Gozo

Quite an easy one today. Enjoyable, but I would have liked something more to get my teeth into. Thanks Gozo ;)

Hold the mouse pointer over any clue number to read the clue.

Across
1	SPONGE	triple definition
4	ALLSPICE	Posh et al are all Spice Girls
10	EASTER EGG	SEGREGATE*
11	MEDOC	ME DOC (I am a doctor)
12	BRIE	BRIEf (short) shortened
13	JELLIED EEL	EEL (slippery character) taking JELLIED sounds like (we hear) “gelid” (ice-cold)
15	TEACAKE	TAKE (catch) outside (out) EACh (everyone, almost)
16	PICKLE	PICK (best) LEmon (two bits of)
19	CELERY	CELER sounds like (heard on the telephone) “seller”(vendor) Youth (leader of)
21	PIKELET	double definition
23	SPATCHCOCK	SPAT (argument) with CH (church) COCK (chief)
25	KALE	an anagram (minced) of KALE N (first bit of neep) gives ANKLE (24 down)
27	PEKOE	O (nothing) in PEKE (dog) – a type of tea
28	TANGERINE	double definition – mandarin orange and person from Tangiers
29	DRESSING	cryptic definition
30	CASSIS	BRASSICAS* with BRA (supporter) removed
Down
1	SHERBETS	HERB (thyme say) in SETS (lays the table)
2	OBSTINATE	(IBSEN TO A T)*
3	GHEE	BattenburG HE Eats – clarified butter
5	LEG SLIP	LEGS (members) LIP (cheek) – fielding position in cricket. I mistakenly had LEG SIDE at first, which held me up for a while.
6	SIMNEL CAKE	(MINCES KALE)* anagram=minces
7	INDIE	found inside West INDIEs – slang for ‘independent film company’
8	EXCELS	EX (without) CELS sounds like “sells” (deceptions)
9	RED EYE	double definition
14	WATERCRESS	(SECRET WARS)*
17	LULLABIES	LULL (quiet) and bABIES (infants) missing B (bass)
18	ST HELENS	Time in SHE (the woman) with LENS (a glass)
20	YUCATAN	CAT (jazz fan) in YUAN (Chinese money)
21	PECANS	CANaPES* missing A, a hint (first letter only) of Almond
22	ISOPOD	I’S (one’s) O (round) POD (school) – the order containing woodlice
24	ANKLE	can be got out of shANK LEan
26	FETA	found in caFE TAsting

*anagram

7 comments on “Financial Times 14,041 by Gozo”

Bamberger

#1 - Wed 27th Jun 12, 10:31

I didn’t find it easy and had gaps all over. As ever with crosswords, if I’d had somemore crossing letters some of the missing answers might have been gettable.

5d I also had leg side.
22d Very hard in my book

Anyone know what happened to yesterday’s blog of 14040 Phssthpok, please?

Richard

#2 - Wed 27th Jun 12, 12:19

Thanks for the blog, PeeDee. Attempted this in a 40 minute lunchbreak with no access to dictionary or google.

Like Bamberger I found 22d very hard and I’d never heard of Pekoe (in 27).

I was also hampered by not knowing that Pimento = allspice. I should (cheekily) point out that Poss et al are not all spices – only Ginger is a spice!

My favourite clues were 6 & 21.

crypticsue

#3 - Wed 27th Jun 12, 12:23

Not that difficult once I got into my stride. I had heard of both the tea and the woodlouse so they didn’t hold me up. However, I might dispute whether a 21a is really a 15a, although I suppose you can eat both at teatime. Thanks to Gozo and PeeDee too.

Do tell, was there no blog for yesterday’s FT because, like me, no-one could finish it!!

Bamberger

#4 - Wed 27th Jun 12, 13:10

Re 3 I’d assumed I was the only 20a from yesterday who couldn’t finish it.
20a “Bungler becomes a spy in Panama”. Answer p a look a. Now I’ve heard some expressions for bunglers but never that one (used several solvers on p?l?o?a)