Financial Times 15,917 by CRUX

by

This took us slightly longer than it normally would for a Monday FT, but a great puzzle!

We aren’t convinced entirely on some of these clues – 6d and 8d weren’t favourites of ours but there’s a chance we’ve missed something. Otherwise though, a good mix of clue types and a very enjoyable puzzle so thanks to Crux!

completed grid

Across

1, 17 Oral health specialist employing intense daylight (6,9)
DENTAL HYGIENIST
(INTENSE DAYLIGHT)* (*employing)

4 Therapeutic waterworks? (1,4,3)
A GOOD CRY
Cryptic definition

10, 30 Spirited defence clinches English striker’s ultimate triumph (4,3,3,5)
GAME SET AND MATCH
GAME (spirited) + STAND (defence) around E (English) + MATCH (striker)

11 Some large flowers, maybe, or little ones mentioned (7)
ORCHIDS
“OR KIDS”, (little ones mentioned)

12 Heads lose carbon copies (4)
APES
[c]APES (heads, lose Carbon)

13 Its sharp points are essential in fencing (6,4)
BARBED WIRE
Cryptic definition

15 On reflection, it’s at the heart of sexual love (6)
EROTIC
(IT inside (at the?) CORE (heart))< (<on reflection)

16 Al dente meal (no starter) is within call (7)
CRUNCHY
[l]UNCH (meal, no beginning) within CRY (call)

20 The council finally close such libraries (7)
LENDING
[counci]L (finally) ENDING (close)

21 Harry displays logo on back of jumper (6)
BADGER
BADGE (logo) on [jumpe]R (back of)

24 A grandma (me!) appropriately mixed up letters (10)
ANAGRAMMED
(A GRANDMA ME)* (*appropriately)

26 Possibly a hairy creature still needs one (4)
YETI
YET (still) needs I (one)

28 With a surfeit of pride, perhaps (7)
SWOLLEN
Cryptic definition

29 Brief record a member makes to scale – again (7)
RECLIMB
REC[ord] (brief) + LIMB (member)

30 See 10

31 What the rich were liable to with French on duty (6)
SURTAX
SUR (French on) + TAX (duty)

Down

1 Rather shabby, like your setter, naturally! (3-5)
DOG-EARED
Double definition

2 Leading painkiller, you might say (6,3)
NUMBER ONE
In the sense of being the thing that numbs most well

3 Too partial in a trial sometimes (4)
ALSO
[tri]AL SO[metimes] (partial)

5 Prisoner’s possible goal – to take a hobby, say (8)
GAOLBIRD
(GOAL)* (*possible) + BIRD (hobby, say)

6 Chance features very largely in western (10)
OCCIDENTAL
Largely [a]CCIDENTAL

7 Cold country, we’re told repeatedly, for hot food (5)
CHILI
“chilly”, “Chile” (told, repeatedly)

8 Most agreeable chaps, you’d think, but real creeps (6)
YESMEN
Cryptic definition

9 Finally out of time for a Greek god (5)
ATLAS
AT LAS[t] (finally, out of time)

14 Doctor recalled in fairy tale (10)
CINDERELLA
(RECALLED IN)* (*doctor)

17 See 1 across

18 Careless men with woman who wants a reminder (8)
MNEMONIC
(MEN)* (*careless) + MONIC[a] (woman who wants A)

19 Smart Alec’s packaged underwear? (8)
BRAINBOX
BRA IN BOX (packaged underwear)

22 Gold found in North Sea causes upset (6)
NAUSEA
AU (gold) found in N (north) SEA

23 Shows derision, or its opposite when church opens (5)
JEERS
opposite is CHeers

25 It’s accepted, say, for all to hear (5)
ALOUD
“ALLOWED” (accepted, say)

27 Recruit wearing a light beige (4)
ECRU
[r]ECRU[it] (wearing)

 

6 comments on “Financial Times 15,917 by CRUX”

  1. Some lovely surfaces and what a great anagram to start things off – even though the definition made it a giveaway.

    Some non-standard and slightly iffy clues such as 6d and 23d but, overall, a good start to the week.

    Thanks to Crux and Teacow.

  2. Crux’s crosswords are seldomly run-of-the-mill.

    One almost smells the effort the setter puts in to make things work.

    I agree with both Teacow and Hovis that 6d and 23d are a bit iffy, though.

    For example, “Shows derision, or its opposite when church opens (6)” would also work.

    I also find 2d (NUMBER ONE) less than satisfactory. If there is a definition, then surely ‘leading’ does kind of double duty.

    And 15ac? Well, IT is ‘at the heart’ of ‘heart’ – that’s what Crux probably wanted us to see (but what the clue doesn’t tell us). BTW, I think the definition is ‘of sexual love’.

    Quite original to use two homophones in 7d.

    I think I would have done without ‘the’ in 20ac, it has no meaning in the cryptic reading of the clue.

    But, all in all, a nice start to the FT with plenty of fine clues.

    Many thanks to Teacow & Crux.

     

  3. Thanks Crux and Teacow

    Another Crux with a bit of spice in it to start off the FT week.  Did manage to get through it in a single sitting – but a longer one than usual.

    DENTAL HYGIENE, with it’s neat anagram and giveaway definition, was one of my early entries as well.  There did seem to be a few somewhat loose-ish definitions throughout the crossword … I was most held out with ‘al-dente’ being synonymous with CRUNCHY – in the sense of pasta, it just didn’t really equate for me.

    Liked the GAME SET AND MATCH clue.

    Finished in the SE corner where SURTAX (with help from my schoolboy French), BRAINBOX (another stretch for it to be equivalent to ‘smart alec’) and YETI (although I’ve seen close variations of this clue, it took longer than it should have) were the last few in.

  4. Bruce@3. CRUNCHY was my last one in. I didn’t list all the ‘iffy’ clues @1 but this was another in my list. There seems to be a world of difference between ‘firm’ and ‘crunchy’ to me. Nevertheless, not as iffy as other clues imho. Despite these, it was still fun.

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