Financial Times 16,912 by Mudd

11 comments on “Financial Times 16,912 by Mudd”

1. An enjoyable and moderately challenging Mudd. Failed on RIVETER but, in retrospect, I can’t see why. Despite all the crossers which should have helped, I think I was flummoxed by ‘user of guns’. A fine clue nonetheless.
   Otherwise, my favourites were THIN ON TOP, EDITOR and PORRIDGE. SMELT was a classic Mudd clue.
   Thanks to Mudd and Pete – now the parsing of LOVE-IN-A-MIST makes sense.

2. I did really well on this one, with the answers flowing off the tip of my pen.

   I thought I had parsed all the clues too (and I was particularly proud of myself for parsing the obscure LOVE IN A MIST). But, then I saw Pete’s explanation of PORRIDGE and my heart sank. The expression “do bird” was unknown to me and I thought the double definition referred to an obscure joke about the porridge bird laying its eggs in the air. As always, I know Pete is correct.

   I have several tick marks this week, and favourites include OUTER HEBRIDES (a very clever anagram), RAKED & UPPERCASE (nice covers) and FORTNIGHT & SMELT (both corny, but made me smile). On the other hand, I thought the use of MORGAN for Welshman was pushing things a bit far.

   Thanks Mudd for another enjoyable puzzle. And thanks Pete for your ever-reliable, ever-informative blog.

3. Thanks for the workout Mudd, even if it was a more gentle one than sometimes.
   Martyn@2 – I take it you have not seen any episodes of the Ronnie Barker comedy “Porridge”. It is the first thing I think of when I see the word – still, after all these years.
   While I enjoyed 4d, I felt 18a was a little close to (my) home.
   Thanks for the blog Pete.

4. Thanks for a super blog as always, some very neat anagrams here and my favourites are mentioned above.
   PORRIDGE may even be a triple definition, both individual words plus BIRD FOOD could be what you eat whilst doing time, like MYSTOGRE @3 my knowledge here is all due to Ronnie Barker.

5. Thanks Mudd and Pete
   18ac: I read this as TH (most of the) + IN (batting) + ON (side in cricket) + TOP (spinner), with “going after” indicating that TOP comes last.

6. Pelham, Thank you for correcting the parsing of 18. Mine was really clumsy!

7. 18ac was also my ‘question mark’. I couldn’t see how it worked but Pelham Barton hits the nail on the head.
   My first one in was actually 7dn where I entered HOP (and why not?). until the crossers told me otherwise.
   Thanks to Pete and Mudd.

8. Thanks Mystogre @3. I did see Porridge and enjoyed it. Thanks to Ronnie Barker, I did realise “do PORRIDGE” means gaol, but I did not realise “do bird” means the same thing.

9. Easier than Mudd has been lately and generally enjoyable — I liked UPPER CASE and EDITOR in particular. Thanks Pete for filling in my parsing gaps.

10. I fully concur with the praise for the setter and the ever reliable blogger. Perhaps LOVE-IN-A-MIST is obscure to some but for any gardener it is very well known.
    I also managed to romp through this one.

11. Thanks Mudd and Pete
    Was able to complete this in a single sitting yesterday and found it as enjoyable as usual from this setter, and yes, a little on the easier end of his setting spectrum.
    Lots of his trademark double definitions and particularly enjoyed unravelling the long charades for INFINITESIMAL, MOUTH ORGAN, LOVE-IN-A-MIST and THIN ON TOP.
    UPPERCASE was a nice penny drop moment, as was FISHERMAN (nice cryptic definition).
    Finished up in the NW corner with that LOVE-IN-A-MIST, RIVETER (clever definition) and RARE (having to repair an erroneous, but not that far off the spectrum ROSY, after solving 9a).

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