Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 17, 2021
Another fine crossword from the ever-reliable Goliath with some clever interplay among clues at 4,12 and 3, 7, 11. My favourites are 7 (ZEALOUS), 10 (RHUBARB), 11 (THREE) and 22 (SHRUB). Thank you, Goliath.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | WIENER SCHNITZEL |
Dish newer lies out about material in which I was demoted (6,9)
|
| CHINTZ (material) with the ‘I’ moved to the right (I was demoted) in (about) anagram (out) of NEWER LIES | ||
| 9 | ATOMISE |
Using only half the letters, I initially spell “exotic spray” (7)
|
| A TO M (half the letters) + I + S[pell] E[xotic] | ||
| 10 | RHUBARB |
Soundly regret pointed remark and crumble? (7)
|
| RHU homophone (soundly) of “rue” + BARB (pointed remark) | ||
| 11 | THREE |
Emile Zola here? Or possibly there? (5)
|
| Anagram (possibly) of THERE | ||
| 12 | PETIT FOUR |
Bite dog, maybe and bite edges off 4 (5,4)
|
| PET (dog may) + [b]IT[e] + FOUR (4) | ||
| 13 | EXPLODING |
Going off golf to follow retired policeman at home (9)
|
| EX (retired) + PLOD (policeman) + IN (at home) + G (golf) | ||
| 15 | BASIL |
Buy and sell iceberg lettuce originally used in Caprese salad (5)
|
| B[uy] A[nd] S[ell] I[ceberg] L[ettuce] | ||
| 16 | RIOJA |
Spanish region and river getting approval from Germany (5)
|
| RIO (river) + JA (approval from Germany) | ||
| 18 | PETULANCE |
Favourite cryptic clue about an irritable mood (9)
|
| PET (favourite) + AN (an) in (about) anagram (cryptic) of CLUE | ||
| 20 | UNGULATES |
Worried by lung disorder in American animals (9)
|
| Anagram (disorder) of LUNG + ATE (worried) together in US (American) | ||
| 23 | LOTTO |
Start off drunk for this type of gambling (5)
|
| [b]LOTTO (start off drunk) | ||
| 24 | ENNOBLE |
Knight coming over in pastel bonnet (7)
|
| Reverse hidden word | ||
| 25 | RAINIER |
Wetter prince (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 26 | SECURITY BLANKET |
Old city-within-city vacant in Ely? Ultimately thought a source of comfort (8,7)
|
| UR (old city) in (within) CITY (city) + BLANK (vacant) together in (in) SEE (Ely?) + [though]T | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | WEAR THE TROUSERS |
Damage to art where employers call the shots (4,3,8)
|
| Anagram (damage) of TO ART WHERE + USERS (employers) | ||
| 2 | EGO TRIP |
Shakespeare finally received posthumous inscription as a vanity project (3,4)
|
| [shakespear]E + GOT (received) + RIP (posthumous inscription) | ||
| 3 | EMILE ZOLA |
Writer climbing tree with 7, distressed having left us (5,4)
|
| LIME (tree) backwards (climbing) + anagram (distressed) of ZEALO[us] | ||
| 4 | SHEEP |
They’re easily led. Does that sound like you? (5)
|
| EWE being a homophone (does that sound like) of “you” | ||
| 5 | HARD TO GET |
Relatively inaccessible road, through a ghetto perhaps (4,2,3)
|
| RD (road) in (through) anagram (perhaps) of A GHETTO | ||
| 6 | INUIT |
Piano music, etc oddly not for northerners (5)
|
| [p]I[a]N[o] [m]U[s]I[c] [e]T[c] | ||
| 7 | ZEALOUS |
Enthusiastic call for getting rid of extremists into God (7)
|
| [c]AL[l] [f]O[r] in (into) ZEUS (god) | ||
| 8 | LIBERAL DEMOCRAT |
Someone in the party’s ribald dancing with latecomer (7,8)
|
| Anagram (dancing with) RIBALD LATECOMER | ||
| 14 | IMPATIENT |
Intimate shot features political leader becoming restless (9)
|
| P[olitical] in (features) anagram (shot) of INTIMATE | ||
| 15 | BALALAIKA |
An experimental institution came up with space explorer’s instrument (9)
|
| A (an) + LAB (an experimental institution) backwards (came up) + LAIKA (space explorer)
In November 1957, a Russian dog named Laika became the first animal launched into Earth orbit. |
||
| 17 | ORGANIC |
No cigar can be good for you, they say (7)
|
| Anagram (can be) of NO CIGAR | ||
| 19 | NITPICK |
Delouse split hairs (7)
|
| NIT PICK (delouse) | ||
| 21 | LOBAR |
See boozer getting a kind of pneumonia (5)
|
| LO (see) + BAR (boozer) | ||
| 22 | SHRUB |
A kind of bush? That’s about right (5)
|
| R (right) in (about) anagram (a kind of) BUSH (that) |
An enjoyable puzzle.
My first answers in were the 15-letter answers around the outside, which I think made things easier. On the other hand, it took me some time to parse “half the letters” in ATOMISE, with LOTTO and THREE also requiring extra thought.
I liked the surface of ORGANIC, and shared Pete’s enjoyment of ZEALOUS and RHUBARB. I thought the reverse hidden ENNOBLE was clever too.
Thanks Pete as always, and thanks too to Goliath.
I found this difficult and took a long time but did eventually finish and it was well worth the effort: many aha moments and delighted smiles. I especially liked SHEEP (4d) BALALAIKA (15d) and ORGANIC (17d) In my book (and yes, tragically, I do have one) Goliath’s wonderful “Liberal Democrat”= “ribald latecomer” (8d) is one of two hot contenders so far for FT Anagram Of The Year, the other one being “The Female Eunuch” = “cue hateful he-men” from Monk (16759) just a few days earlier. Huge thanks to Goliath and to Pete for the blog
This was no walkover but was immensely enjoyable with just the unknown LOBAR, my LOI, requiring a steady run through vowels till I hit on the right answer!
I share comments already made about the clever trio of ZOLA/ZEALOUS/THREE and top picks such as RHUBARB to which I would add LOTTO and RAINIER.
Thanks to Goliath for a worthwhile tussle and to Pete for an insightful blog – in which I learned about Laika and understood the parsing I missed for INUITS.
As you say a thoroughly clever and enjoyable crossword with his trademark medical clue, which this time I had to look up.
Thank you Goliath and Pete.
Another super puzzle from Goliath.
To others’ favourites I’d add WEAR THE TROUSERS, EGO TRIP and NITPICK. The ribald dancing has gone into my little book of classic clues, too, Fluffikins.
Many thanks to Goliath and Pete.
It’s always gratifying seeing Goliath as the setter — this was another excellent effort. Favourite clues were PETIT FOUR, PETULANCE, SHRUB and the very clever THREE. My only look-up was BALALAIKA as I did not remember the “space explorer,” Laika. Thanks Pete for the blig.
Thanks, Goliath and Pete. Thanks for parsing IMPATIENT – I thought “politician” meant MP and couldn’t figure out what went around it. Loved the EMILE ZOLA/ZEALOUS/THREE related clues also, and liked BALALAIKA – I remember hearing about Laika a few years after her voyage [shows my age]. PETIT FOUR was very clever!
Thanks Goliath & Pete. All good fun as always.
But I did look sideways at EMIL ZOLA being both clue and answer, as well as ZEALOUS being used twice. I wondered if I had missed something.
Don’t worry Jeff@7 – I remember Laika from when she was launched!
Thanks Goliath and Pete
Enjoyable puzzle from this setter as per usual, with his innovative clues keeping one on their toes throughout. Unlike Martyn@1, two of the perimeter clues were nearer the end than the start of the solve – but still a below-average time to get it done.
Remembered the Soviet space-dog and LOBAR was the only new term in the crossword. Had a hopeful and unparsed ELECTRIC BLANKET in at 26a initially until 1d disproved it. Think that SHEEP was my favourite, closely followed by THREE when the obvious penny dropped.
Finished in the SW corner with UNGULATES (slightly tricky parsing) and that LOBAR the last one in.