Financial Times 14,511 by Falcon

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Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of January 4, 2014

I found this a quick and easy puzzle although two clues gave me a little trouble. They were the last two: 23dn (INCUS), the name of a bone I was unfamiliar with, and 25dn (SKI) where I was unable to interpret the wordplay correctly. My favourites are 3dn (TRACK RECORD) and 4dn (NO PICNIC).

ACROSS
1 Quirky caption about leader of Lords Spiritual? (8)
PLATONIC – L[ords] in anagram of CAPTION
6 Extremely inexpensive pile acquired by company (6)
CHEAPO – HEAP (pile) in CO (company)
9 Leave suddenly, half of Deal affected (6)
DECAMP – DE[al] + CAMP (affected)
10 Unorthodox type, male, to declare decision when heading off (8)
MAVERICK – M (mail) + AVER (declare) + [p]ICK (decision when heading of)
11 Useless person’s short jacket, not trendy (4)
JERK – JERK[in] (short jacket, not trendy)
12 City not backing London-born writer (10)
CHESTERTON – CHESTER (city) + NOT (not) reversed
14 I can’t remember new names before first clue given (8)
AMNESIAC – anagram of NAMES + I AC (first clue given, meaning ‘1 across’)
16 No end of prime French cheese (4)
BRIE – BRIE[f] (no end of prime)
18 Group of musicians, patriots at heart (4)
TRIO – hidden word
19 What Everest is, most importantly (5,3)
ABOVE ALL – double definition
21 Chardonnay, perhaps foul? Bad, ten poured out inside (3,2,5)
VIN DE TABLE – anagram of BAD TEN in VILE (perhaps foul)
22 Runs into large two-masted ship (4)
BRIG – R (runs) in BIG (large)
24 Jam found in pupil’s first book! (8)
PRESERVE – P[upil] + RESERVE (book)
26 Outspoken, shocking court (6)
DIRECT – DIRE (shocking) + CT (court)
27 Prophet is excellent, a leader of Hebrews (6)
ISAIAH – IS (is) + AI (excellent, i.e. A1) + A (a) + H[ebrews]
28 Head after type showing benevolence (8)
KINDNESS – KIND (type) + NESS (head)

DOWN
2 Subject, for example, in piece of fiction (5)
LIEGE – EG (for example) in LIE (piece of fiction)
3 History of song on disc? (5,6)
TRACK RECORD – double/cryptic definition
4 It’s not easy providing a spread indoors? (2,6)
NO PICNIC – double definition
5 Series of adverts showing business opportunity (10,5)
COMMERCIAL BREAK – COMMERCIAL (business) + BREAK (opportunity)
6 Rodent circling it, a hole (6)
CAVITY – IT (it) in CAVY (rodent)
7 Part of cereal plant to get cut (3)
EAR – double definition. ‘Ear’ can mean a cut in the sense of a furrow.
8 Striking place around London station? Not very (9)
PICTORIAL – [v]ICTORIA (London station…not very) in PL (place)
13 Ruthless plutocrat and peer going after thief (6,5)
ROBBER BARON – ROBBER (thief) + BARON (peer)
15 Get artist to enter The Red Planet in carnival (5,4)
MARDI GRAS – DIG (get) + RA (artist) together in MARS (The Red Planet)
17 Act I put on for Greek god (8)
POSEIDON – POSE (act) + I (I) + DON (put on)
20 Stiffness shown by sailor in school (6)
STARCH – TAR (sailor) in SCH (school)
23 Bone in shin, cushioned (5)
INCUS – hidden word
25 Runner fell? Almost (3)
SKI – SKI[n] (fell almost). I did not originally understand the wordplay here but someone kindly brought my attention (see Comment #1 below) to the fact that ‘fell’ has a meaning of the dressed skin of an animal.

6 comments on “Financial Times 14,511 by Falcon”

  1. Thanks Pete and Falcon,

    I think SKI is ski(n), since “fell” is a fairly obscure word for skin or hide.

  3. 12ac I found rather odd. How on earth can anyone be expected to know that Chesterton was London-born? Or is there something in ‘London-born’ that I’m missing?

  4. My sense, for what it’s worth, is that including ‘London-born’ is neither necessary nor more helpful to the typical solver but does make the clue more readable by presenting a context in which to understand “City” (i.e. as the City of London).

  5. Got 8dn but couldn’t understand it. Thanks for the explanation. I think 14 is fine. The first clue given is 1 ac, usual abbreviation for one across is it not? First clue given has to be read together not separately. Your two favourites were the ones I did not get!

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