Financial Times 14,268 by Alberich

9 comments on “Financial Times 14,268 by Alberich”

1. 6 down is BO(x)ER.

   The other East London

2. Oh, and I decided the “service” in CARAFE was better as RA(f), not that it matters.

3. Very enjoyable thankyou Alberich and Jed too.

   I agree with both of Muffword’s explanations.

4. Actually, 6d is a solecism. There are people in London who self-identify as Scots, but clueing SCOT as “from London perhaps” would be a bit unfair. The Eastern Cape was always British territory, so the only self-identifying Boers there are immigrants (or descendants of same) from other parts of South Africa.

5. Nice one Alberich! Some excellent misdirection and tight clueing here, thanks. An interesting question is raised by 23ac and 3dn, to wit: is the link-word “in” OK in a double-definition clue? One could argue that, in such a clue, the tref-to-some (qv recent blog on syntax in another place) [wordplay in definition] (cf 21ac ;)) is equivalent to the kosher-to-all [definition in wordplay], both being equal to [definition in definition].

6. Thanks Alberich for an enjoyable puzzle and Jed for the blog.

   Monk @5: I am a good deal happier with “in” as a link word either way round than the double definition at 17ac requiring us to split a clue word without a much stronger signal than a question mark. (But maybe I have misunderstood Alberich’s intentions.)

   7dn: This one made me smile because it was a clue I thought of myself some months ago, and too late to contribute to a discussion of anagram leads when someone tried out “suited”. It was, I think, generally agreed at the time that “suited” does not really work as an anagram lead. The clue at 7dn is a good one (to me, anyway) precisely because it relates to two genuinely different meanings of the answer, which is exactly why “suit” does not mean “change into”.

7. Good puzzle; thanks Albereich and Jed.

   I managed to get GALOP although I did have to check in Chambers. I failed to remember PAWNBROKER=uncle yet again – maybe next time.

   I particularly liked the SUPERGRASS.

8. It could perhaps be argued that 17a is a triple definition as it could also be read as CAP (head) + E (gear as in drugs)?

9. As we (apparently) all agree, a nice crossword.
   Interesting point that Monk is making @5.
   The more I think about it, the more I dislike “in”.
   But, perhaps, after a good night’s sleep I feel different.

   17ac (CAPE) is a bit un-Alberich who usually keeps far away from ‘these things that we see all so very often nowadays’.
   Which, btw, doesn’t mean I reject them.

   My Clue of the Day was surely 27ac (KEEL), another one of these Lift & Separate devices that are typical of this great setter. 18ac is another fine example of it.

   I couldn’t get BOER (6d), but it didn’t spoil my day.

   Thanks to Jed for blogging.

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