Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 13, 2021
A fairly typical Mudd, I think. My first-in was 10 (NORFOLK) which I liked a lot and last was 17 (PROTECT). I also like 18 (SEAMLESS) and 2 (WORLD SERIES).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SEWAGE |
Waste time on work with material (6)
|
| SEW (work with material) + AGE (time) | ||
| 4 | ACADEMIC |
Teacher of no practical use (8)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | NORFOLK |
People behind country, no way county (7)
|
| NOR[way] (country, no way) + FOLK (people) | ||
| 11 | NOTABLE |
Famous lord, say, welcoming cheers (7)
|
| TA (cheers) in (welcoming) NOBLE (lord, say) | ||
| 12 | HIDE |
Cover carpet, though not initially (4)
|
| [c]HIDE (carpet though not initially) | ||
| 13 | STUPENDOUS |
Dynamite used on ground alongside places getting knocked over (10)
|
| PUTS (places) backwards (getting knocked over) + anagram (ground) of USED ON | ||
| 16 | NEEDLE |
Obelisk one’s eyed (6)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | PROTECT |
Secure red cap in container etc, screwed up (7)
|
| R[ed] in (in) POT (container) + anagram (screwed up) of ETC | ||
| 20 | RIVETED |
I inspect inside sore, fascinated (7)
|
| I (I) + VET (inspect) together inside (inside) RED (sore) | ||
| 21 | SOLENT |
Very fast time for English channel (6)
|
| SO (very) + LENT (fast time) | ||
| 24 | INSTALMENT |
Part of sum paid gets ailments treated, not forgetting heart (10)
|
| Anagram (treated) of AILMENTS + N[o]T | ||
| 25 | STEM |
Stop in Memphis, temporarily (4)
|
| Hidden word (in) | ||
| 27 | ITEMISE |
I seem confused by that thing in list (7)
|
| IT (that thing) + anagram (confused) of I SEEM | ||
| 29 | COTTAGE |
Too much crammed into cell in small house (7)
|
| OTT (too much, i.e. over the top) in (crammed into) CAGE (cell) | ||
| 30 | GUYANESE |
Seen swimming past chap, a South American (8)
|
| GUY (chap) + A (a) + anagram (swimming) of SEEN | ||
| 31 | FRIEZE |
Carved strip, cool by the sound of it? (6)
|
| Homophone (by the sound of it) of “freeze” (cool) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SUNSHINE |
Light buster (8)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 2 | WORLD SERIES |
Less worried when beaten in American competition (5,6)
|
| Anagram (when beaten) of LESS WORRIED | ||
| 3 | GOON |
Gangster, proceed! (4)
|
| GO ON (proceed) | ||
| 5 | CONSPIRE |
Study part of the church plot (8)
|
| CON (study) + SPIRE (part of the church) | ||
| 6 | DETONATION |
Gift containing primarily execrable things – blast! (10)
|
| E[xecrable] T[hings] in (containing) DONATE (give) | ||
| 7 | MOB |
Crowd raising a lot of money, shortly (3)
|
| BOM[b] (a lot of money, shortly) backwards (raising) | ||
| 8 | CREASE |
Fold on suit pockets (6)
|
| RE (on) in (pockets) CASE (suit) | ||
| 9 | SKATE |
Shrew after small fish (5)
|
| S (small) + KATE (shrew) referering to The Taming Of The Shrew | ||
| 14 | ORCHESTRATE |
Run, or speed past box (11)
|
| OR (or) + CHEST (box) + RATE (speed) | ||
| 15 | ALTERATION |
Change quota after late shifts (10)
|
| Anagram (shifts) of LATE + RATION (quota) | ||
| 18 | SEAMLESS |
Immaculate – unlike coal mine? (8)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | STAMPEDE |
Charge past me jostling those on the outside in defence (8)
|
| Anagram (jostling) of PAST ME + D[efenc]E | ||
| 22 | BITING |
Great to drink can – bitter (6)
|
| TIN (can) in (to drink) BIG (great) | ||
| 23 | SNACK |
Crisps, perhaps: unknown number in bag (5)
|
| N (unknown number) in (in) SACK (bag) | ||
| 26 | STAR |
Sun setting then, as rave starts (4)
|
| S[etting] T[hen] A[s] R[ave] | ||
| 28 | ELY |
See a little rebel, yobbo (3)
|
| Hidden word (a little) |
I found this easier going than recent weeks, but still found reward aplenty.
There was some clever wording hiding the true meaning (for example, it took me much longer than it should to realise “suit” in 8 dn is of the legal variety, not something one wears). And, while I actually spotted ELY in 28 dn quite quickly, it took a minute or so to realise why ELY means see. I also had the chance to learn a few new phrases – never heard “carpet” used to mean “chide” (12 ac) and I admit I had never heard of the Solent in 21 ac. But, once I worked it out, 21 ac became my favourite clue. I also liked ORCHESTRATE (14 dn) and share Pete’s enthusiasm for WORLD SERIES (2 dn)
Thanks Pete for the explanation and thanks Mudd for the puzzle.
Thanks, Mudd and Pete. I got everything except SOLENT; wasn’t familiar with the channel – though we’re in Lent now and I should have gotten “fast time”. Martyn@1, agreed – some difficult clues to parse, though I got most from crossers; the ones you mentioned, plus some deceptive indicators like “pockets” in 8d and “no way” in 10a (I was looking for some country without “st” at beginning or end). All very clever. Loved WORLD SERIES too. [If I ever get a chance to construct a cryptic, I’ll do a baseball-themed one.]
Many favourites in this one — SEWAGE, ACADEMIC (great surface), SKATE, ALTERATION, and ELY — thanks Mudd and to Pete for the blog.
I love baseball (jeff@usa@2, please do it) and music, so, like Martyn@1, 2d WORLD SERIES (excellent anagram) and 14d ORCHESTRATE pleased me. But my favourite was 8d CREASE, where the surface was both smooth and diabolically misdirecting.
Thanks Mudd for the fun, and Pete for the very clear blog.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
A vanilla-ish puzzle from Mudd, which was pleasant enough to solve, but maybe not with the same level of humour and wit as normal.
Got started immediately in the top right corner with GOON and SEWAGE and worked my way around anti-clockwise to finish in the top left with PROTECT and STUPENDOUS. Remembered SOLENT from a trip over to the Isle of Wight nearly 20 years ago and it has popped up in crossword land several times since.
Did like untangling the components of the ‘South American’ and also thought that NORFOLK was quite clever.