Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 27, 2018
I fancied that the FT would do something special to mark crossword number 16,000 and here we are with a two-step puzzle by a setter we have not seen in this space before.
Let’s start with the completed grid:
Filling a grid so that it works for a jigsaw-type puzzle like this is difficult enough that it must often lead to some obscure words being used. For this reason, I felt more okay than usual about using pattern-matching tools and needed them for ANTI-NOVEL, KIANG, XENOPUS and ZIP NECK.
And now the clues, in the published (alphabetical) order:
North American revolting, violent shocking work of fiction (4-5)
ANTI-NOVEL – NA (North American) reversed (revolting) + anagram (shocking) of VIOLENT
My personal ingredient in cheese cake (7)
BROWNIE – OWN (my personal) in (ingredient in) BRIE (cheese)
Comic singers at La Scala declaim vampire killer (5)
BUFFI – homophone (declaim) of Buffy [The Vampire Killer]
I join crowd, excited to take in debut of Baltimore Oriole (7)
COWBIRD – B[altimore] in anagram (excited) of I CROWD
Iberian governesses expected new overhaul for hospital (7)
DUENNAS – DUE (expected) + N (new) + SAN (hospital) backwards (overhaul for)
Earth reportedly less fertile in Baltic land (7)
ESTONIA – E (Earth) + homophone (reportedly) of STONIER (less fertile)
France bullying Italy? It’s a sign of weakness (7)
FRAILTY – FR (France) + anagram (bullying) of ITALY
One from Jutland climbing south of Greek island (7)
GRENADA – GR (Greek) + A DANE (one from Jutland) backwards (climbing)
Clue mix of fog, wind, water off LA (4,2,6)
GULF OF MEXICO – . In the definition, LA refers to Louisiana.
Dad’s back in hotel by the jetty, in a better frame of mind (7)
HAPPIER – H (hotel) + PA (dad) backwards (back) + PIER (jetty)
In Eastern Rhode Island eating up time; a state where nothing happens (7)
INERTIA – IN (in) + E (eastern) + T (time) in (eating up) RI (Rhode Island) + A (a)
A peaceful-sounding picture, rather like this? (6,6)
JIGSAW PUZZLE – double definition
Scotsman’s putting on weight; that’s a big ass! (5)
KIANG – IAN (Scotsman) in (putting on) KG (weight). A kiang is a wild Mongolian ass.
“Barista’s milk” I clue for starters in grid (7)
LATTICE – I (I) + C[lue] together in LATTE (Barista’s milk). ‘Latte’ is the standard milky coffee to a barista but, more important, ‘latte’ is the Italian word for milk.
Mike upset Harry, forgetting a Christmas present (5)
MYRRH – M (mike) + anagram (upset) of H[a]RRY
One on a team transporting a bundle of joy (7)
NEONATE – hidden word
Old Salvador’s question for Spain’s concubine (9)
ODALISQUE – O (old) + DALIS (Salvador’s) + QUE (question for Spain)
Media accommodation right at the front on board iron ship (5,7)
PRESS GALLERY – R[ight] in (on board) PRESS (iron) GALLEY (ship)
So-called important teams Southampton and Portsmouth have them (9)
QUAYSIDES – homophone (so-called) of KEY (important) SIDES (teams)
Loose aircraft’s nose found in the middle of landing strip (7)
RUNAWAY – A[ircraft] in (found in the middle of) RUNWAY (landing strip)
I saw each villain regularly cut out tongue (7)
SWAHILI – [i] S[a]W [e]A[c]H [v]I[l]L[a]I[n]
Form student sportiest (not so refined) (7)
TIPSTER – anagram (refined) of [s]P[0]RTIEST
Most slatternly lingerie model with titanium piercing (9)
UNTIDIEST – TI (titanium) in (piercing) UNDIES (lingerie) + T (model)
Getting stripped, gallivant off for an ice cream! (7)
VANILLA – anagram (off) of [g]ALLIVAN[t]
New hairdo to avoid being seen with Bob? (5)
WEAVE – double/cryptic definition, the second referring to the expression “to bob and weave”
Relies upon expert to surface having netted amphibian (7)
XENOPUS – reverse hidden word. A xenopus is an African clawed frog.
Ron Kray? Meh . . . is possibly a strong-armed character, but thickheaded! (12)
YORKSHIREMAN – anagram (possibly) of RON KRAY MEH IS
Nothing for Americans to kiss to get closure in Jersey (3,4)
ZIP NECK – ZIP (nothing for Americans) + NECK (kiss, also for Americans)
Thanks Julius and Pete
Always love to see an alphabetical jigsaw crossword. This one was made a little easier by having the clues listed in alphabetical order that made it quicker to find the key initial crossing pair – the G words and the B words and hence I was able to write in GULF OF MEXICO quite early on in the piece. this in turn enabled me to locate all of the leading letters of the down clues – i.e. – L, O , M , X and I.
Some really neat clues used and a good variety of devices with my favourite being ODALISQUE.
Some new terms including ZIP NECK, KIANG, ANTI-NOVEL and COWBIRD (found it difficult to find a reference that linked it to an oriole though). Was amused when I found the rhyme “Yorkshire born and bred, Strong in arm and weak in head.”
Finished with ESTONIA, KIANG and that ZIP LOCK. Enjoyed it a lot and it was a fitting puzzle for the landmark 16000 one.
A very enjoyable challenge – much easier once I guessed that all of the first letters would be used, and GULF OF MEXICO made the jigsaw part pretty straightforward.
Thanks to Julius and Pete
Thanks to Julius and Pete. I had printed out a previous alphabetical jigsaw from this setter but made little progress and quit. This time I chose to persist. As expected, a number of items were new to me (and the only link I found between COWBIRD and oriole is that the former often place their eggs in nests of the latter), but with help from Google I did finish.
Thanks for the comments. Like you, Bruce and ACD, I was not able to satisfy myself that a cowbird is a type of oriole.
Pete @4
From Collins:
cowbird noun
Any of various American orioles of the genera Molothrus, Tangavius, etc, esp M. ater (common or brown-headed cowbird). They have a dark plumage and short bill.
Thank you Bruce@aus for the Yorkshire poem reference, I was thinking the clue was a little harsh on Yorkshiremen, but now appreciate it. Very enjoyable.
Thanks Pete for the blog and to those who have commented.
@Katy
The original (unsoftened) version reads:
Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bred
Strong in t’arm, thick in t’head
I feel I should point out, before the FT gets green-ink letters from Boycs and Parky, that I am a native Yorkshireman myself
That settles the matter about cowbirds. Thank you, Gaufrid!
Katy, thanks for commenting. I too did not know about that poem until Bruce posted it.
Julius! Thank you for making an appearance and for the puzzle which, I feel sure, took a lot of work.
And the blogging too no doubt, Pete!
Well, yes, fair enough. It does take more effort than usual to construct the completed grid and blog a puzzle of this type. So, thank you, psmith.
A lovely puzzle to celebrate the 16000th cryptic. This grid provides a real challenge to compilers when used as an Alphabetical. So many letters are locked in place with the solutions at 1A and 7D and if Q, X and Z do not appear in either of these two solutions, a further limiting choice of positions for these letters comes into place.
I always admired Cinephile or Araucaria’s alphabeticals on this grid and particularly remember one which offered Huddersfield and Halifax at 1A/1D.
Great work, Julius!
Gozo
Tom
This comment means a lot.
Thanks for posting it.
Best wishes Rob/Julius
Rob, Thanks for emailing this puzzle to me. I managed to get it sent to the ship’s printer and completed it one afternoon in Lyon when “il pleut les chats et les chiens”, using my schoolday’s French.
Odalisque and Buffi were knew to me but got them from the parsing.
NN.