Artexlen provides this morning’s FT challenge.
At first, I thought this was going to be a write-in as the first two across answers slotted in without a thought, but gradually the puzzle started to present some more challenging clues, and in the end I have not quite managed to complete it, as I have three possible answers to 8dn, TANDEMS, TENDERS and TANKERS none of which work properly for me (I plumped for TENDERS as a loose definition of “volunteers”). I know I’m going to have a facepalm moment when someone points out what the answer is and how it’s parsed, so I’ll have my palm ready…
The rest of the puzzle was entertaining with some nice misdirections.
Thans, Artexlen.
| Across | ||
| 1 | EXPENSE ACCOUNT | Former lover writes story about European businessman’s fund (7,7) |
| EX (“former lover”) + PENS (“writes”) + ACCOUNT (“story”) about E (European) | ||
| 10 | ALLOT | Assign everyone with books (5) |
| ALL (“everyone”) with OT (Old Testament, so “books”) | ||
| 11 | OPERATION | Couples regularly share control (9) |
| (c)O(u)P(l)E(s) [regularly] + RATION (“share”) | ||
| 12 | PEP TALK | Encouraging chat kept pal excited (3,4) |
| *(kept pal) | ||
| 13 | ACHIEVE | Without cases, pack this? Never manage (7) |
| [without cases] (p)AC(k) (t)HI(s) (n)EVE(r) | ||
| 14 | PROUD | Expert university head in Durham standing out (5) |
| PRO (“expert”) + U (university) + [head in] D(urham) | ||
| 16 | AS IT COMES | In usual way, sitting in sofa, sitcom essential (2,2,5) |
| Hidden in [sitting in] “sofA SITCOM ESsential” | ||
| 19 | SWEETMEAL | Crackers we see, and malt type of biscuits (9) |
| *(we see malt) | ||
| 20 | AGNES | Woman turned no good, in the main (5) |
| [turned] <=NG (no good) in <=SEA (“the main”) | ||
| 22 | AWKWARD | Week in a hospital room is not comfortable (7) |
| WK (week) in A WARD (“hospital room”) | ||
| 25 | NO SWEAT | Relative rejected whiskey to consume a piece of cake (2,5) |
| <=SON (“relative”) [rejected] + W (whiskey, in the phonetic alphabet) + EAT (“to consume”) | ||
| 27 | TREATMENT | Use cashpoint in plane, perhaps, not empty (9) |
| ATM (automated teller machine, or “cashpoint”) in TREE (“plane, perhaps”) + N(o)T [empty] | ||
| 28 | ASIDE | Privately like one editor to return (5) |
| AS (“like”) + I (one) + <=ED (editor) [to return] | ||
| 29 | RETIREMENT HOME | Residence for elderly with space to occupy roughly thirteen more (10,4) |
| EM (“space” in printing) to occupy *(thirteen more) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | XYLOPHONE | Instrument to sharpen provided after axes cut (9) |
| HONE (“to sharpen”) after XY (mathematical “axes”) + LOP (“cut”) | ||
| 3 | EXTRA | More is unknown locked into variable rate (5) |
| X (“unknown” in algebra) locked into *(rate) | ||
| 4 | STOCKTAKE | Count firm implements periodically (9) |
| (Mildly) cryptic definition | ||
| 5 | ARENA | Venue taking a period of time to erect (5) |
| <=AN ERA (“a period of time” to erect (i.e. to put up)) | ||
| 6 | CHA-CHA-CHA | Three short men dance (3-3-3) |
| CHA(p) (short “man” three times, hence “three short men”) | ||
| 7 | UNITE | Join male leaving in minute, hurriedly (5) |
| *(inute), being (m)INUTE without M (male) | ||
| 8 | TENDERS | Volunteers to receive new vehicles (7) |
| 9 | RAMP UP | Sheep and dog quickly advance (4,2) |
| RAM (“sheep”) + PUP (“dog”) | ||
| 15 | DETRACTOR | Muck-raker’s rubbish transported to the north (9) |
| <=ROT (“rubbish”) + <=CARTED (“transported) [to the north, i.e. up] | ||
| 17 | ISLINGTON | Area of London containing heath – no it’s Barking (9) |
| *(no its) containing LING (“heath”)
Barking here is used as an anagram indicator as in “barking mad”. Heath and ling are both other names for heather. |
||
| 18 | MANNERISM | Peculiarity of chap raised alarm with maiden (9) |
| MAN (“chap”) + [raised] <=SIREN (“alarm”) with M (maiden) | ||
| 19 | SHATTER | Scaffolder at top, one making tiles break (7) |
| S(caffolder) [at top] + HATTER (“one making tiles” i.e. hats} | ||
| 21 | SETTER | Dog beginning to show character with lead removed (6) |
| [beginning to] S(etter) + (l)ETTER (“characcter” with lead removed) | ||
| 23 | KNELT | Adopted lower position untangling anklet, releasing article (5) |
| *(nklet) being (a)NKLET with A (article) released | ||
| 24 | DREAM | Perfect daughter about in the morning (5) |
| D (daughter) + RE (“about”) + A.M. (“in the morning”) | ||
| 26 | STASH | Hoard stone and timber (5) |
| ST (stone) + ASH (“timber”) | ||
*anagram
8d. Your solution does not account for “receives new”. Perhaps TAKERS is used in the sense of “takes the initiative” or “volunteers”.
Thak you both.
I had the same reasoning as trenodia for 8d being TANKERS.
Well, after a couple of recent examples of how to write cryptic definitions, we are back to the norm with the dire clue for 4d. Apart from this, a lot to like. TREATMENT was my favourite.
Thanks to Artexlen and loonapick.
Trenodia – if that is the rationale, the clue is terrible. Volunteers are most certainly givers rather than takers!
Not sure I agree. “Have we any takers/volunteers”?
The defence for 4d is presumably that each of the four words could direct you down all sorts of blind alleys, each being common clue words?
(I had tankers, but admit a struggle with takers = volunteers.)
TA(N)KERS is fine – Hovis @4 has it spot on, I think.
I thought ACHIEVE was the best among a lot of good clues. (Was ASIDE a reference to the absence of crossword editors in certain papers?!)
Thanks to Loonapick and Artexlen.
Thanks to Artexlen ad loonapick. I’m another who opted for TANKERS – and I also had trouble with STOCKTAKE.
Have TANKERS at 8d but can’t parse it for the life of me. LOI 9d.
A mix of straightforward and decidedly tricky clues for me. I bunged in TANKERS without any conviction. I thought TREATMENT was the best clue, along with ACHIEVE which was my loi. Thanks to Artelexen and loonapick.
I also had TANKERS (volunteers as in “any takers”) and I see that the official solution has it too. (Thanks for the blog.)
Relative newbie here.. could someone please explain why “tiles”=hats ?
thanks to setter and blogger
Mike, it’s old slang. Turns up in crosswords now and then. See item 5 in section 2 here: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/tile
Thanks Artexelen and loonapick
This didn’t feel like a typical puzzle from this setter and whilst not a total write-in, I didn’t find it nearly as challenging as I normally would. There were half a dozen or so clues that were different and much more simple than his usual fare – 10a, 22a, 28a, 3d, 5d, 21d, 24d and 26d.
Did like his cryptic take at 3d and unravelling the wordplay of TREATMENT.
Finished in the SW corner with SWEETMEAT (a new term for me) and SHATTER (which took a while to see the old ’tile’ for hat).
Thanks Blorenge. I use Chambers when I need help, and this didn’t have it. Now saved the Collins link.