Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 18, 2021
I found this an easy and very enjoyable Mudd starting with 4 (SPOTLESS) and ending with 12 (SAKE). My favourites are 13 (ILLITERATE), 20 (TEA TRAY), 23 (ASSAM) and 4 (SPOTLESS)
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | TASTER |
Sample spud stuffed with Stilton, primarily (6)
|
| S[tilton] in (stuffed with) TATER (spud) | ||
| 4 | SPOTLESS |
Doggone clean? (8)
|
| SPOT (dog) LESS (gone) | ||
| 10 | REIGNED |
In greed, revolutionary held power (7)
|
| Anagram (revolutionary) of IN GREED | ||
| 11 | SUNLESS |
Dark lens used in Texas, for example? (7)
|
| Anagram (used) of LENS in SUS (Texas for example, i.e. South United States) | ||
| 12 | SAKE |
Good wine (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | ILLITERATE |
Unable to make a word, a little irate, not having a ‘T’ in Scrabble? (10)
|
| Anagram (in scrabble) of LITTLE IRA[t]E | ||
| 16 | MINION |
Underling dressed ‘60s style? (6)
|
| MINI ON (dressed ’60s style, for example with a mini-skirt on) | ||
| 17 | TONIGHT |
Snugly-fitting clothes on very soon (7)
|
| ON (on) in (clothes) TIGHT (snugly fitting) | ||
| 20 | TEA TRAY |
Treaty revised to protect a carrier (3,4)
|
| A (a) in (to protect) anagram (revised) of TREATY | ||
| 21 | VERONA |
High over an Italian city (6)
|
| Anagram (high) of OVER AN | ||
| 24 | ON THE HOUSE |
Where roof slates are free (2,3,5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | WIND |
Current turn (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | AT PEACE |
Dead calm (2,5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 29 | ASININE |
A misdeed with popular drug, stupid (7)
|
| A (a) + SIN (misdeed) + IN (popular) + E (drug) | ||
| 30 | STONKING |
Huge island capital transferring West Side to East (8)
|
| KINGSTON (island capital, i.e. of Jamaica) with its sides interchanged (transferring west side to east) | ||
| 31 | VELCRO |
Fastener left inside broken cover (6)
|
| L (left) in (inside) anagram (broken) of COVER | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | TIRESOME |
Boring site with more rubbish (8)
|
| Anagram (rubbish) of SITE MORE | ||
| 2 | STICK INSECT |
Bug put in dry pot, finally (5,6)
|
| STICK (put) + IN (in) + SEC (dry) + [po]T | ||
| 3 | ERNE |
Bird in wren required to soar (4)
|
| Reverse (required to soar) hidden word (in) | ||
| 5 | POSEIDON |
God: one dividing model and teacher (8)
|
| POSE (model) + I (one) + DON (teacher) | ||
| 6 | TENDERISER |
Substance added to meat reinserted when cooked (10)
|
| Anagram (when cooked) of REINSERTED | ||
| 7 | EWE |
Farm animal in wood, we hear? (3)
|
| Homophone (we hear) of “yew” (wood) | ||
| 8 | SISTER |
Son tries to rough up sibling (6)
|
| S (son) + anagram (to rough up) of TRIES | ||
| 9 | IDYLL |
Paradise not entirely equally divided up (5)
|
| Reverse (up) hidden word (not entirely) | ||
| 14 | APHRODISIAC |
Potion I had with aspic or rum (11)
|
| Anagram (rum) of I HAD ASPIC OR | ||
| 15 | BOTTLE BANK |
A smashing place? (6,4)
|
| Cryptic definition. For non-Brits: bottle bank is an alternative term for a place where glass bottles and jars are collected for recycling. | ||
| 18 | NAPOLEON |
Emperor, European leader in office, relative claims (8)
|
| POLE (European) + O[ffice] together in (claims) NAN (relative) | ||
| 19 | SAN DIEGO |
Sea dog in strange American city (3,5)
|
| Anagram (strange) of SEA DOG IN | ||
| 22 | MORASS |
Confusing situation when other ranks brought into service (6)
|
| OR (other ranks) in (brought into) MASS (service) | ||
| 23 | ASSAM |
Possible provider of milk in the morning for tea (5)
|
| ASS (possible provider of milk) + AM (in the morning) | ||
| 26 | LIFE |
Somewhat grateful, I feel, for time on this earth (4)
|
| Hidden word (somewhat) | ||
| 28 | PRO |
Short ball, ace (3)
|
| PRO[m] (short ball) |
I will go first this week.
Mudd really hit his stride, with many clues that brought a smile. The signature Mudd double definitions were particularly strong and entertaining.
I agree, it was not the most difficult Mudd, but a few clues gave me pause for thought. Never having heard of a BOTTLE BANK, it was my LOI. Happily it did not slow me down in the SW corner. A question for the Brits out there: can one make a withdrawal from the bottle bank?
I do have a couple of questions – in 29, why does E = drug? is it short for ecstasy? Is TONIGHT really “very soon”? And is there anything special about the ASS that makes it a provider of milk? Any mammal fits that description. I googled “milk of the ass” to investigate, and was met with a long list of porn sites. I wonder if that was really what Mudd intended.
This week I noted several “great clues”, some of which I share with Pete. I loved SPOTLESS and MINION, simply because they were such terrible puns. STONKING was right up there, being so representative of Mudd. And I loved POSEIDON for its cover.
As always, thanks to Pete for the great blog and to Mudd for the great puzzle.
Wishing everyone a happy new year, when I look forward to discussing Gozo’s Christmas crossword, and many many more
Thanks for all the blogs through the year Pete. They have been appreciated.
This bit of Mudd? Enjoyable, as always, and not too much to scare the horses. I did enjoy SPOTLESS and STICK INSECT.
Yes, Martyn, E stands for ecstasy as it is one of the common names for it. I also wondered about TONIGHT meaning very soon, but it seemed OK, especially as I usually solve these late afternoon, due to time zones. Maybe that gives me a different perspective. From memory, the “milk of the ass” has a bible connection.
Thanks Mudd for all the crosswords this year. I just enjoy the solve.
Along with Martyn and Mystogre, I share their appreciation of Mudd’s offerings throughout the year (yes, those hallnark double definitions) and for Pete’s ever-reliable blogs. This week, I was grateful for Pete’s explanation for STONKING, my LOI. I did snag it from the definition but Kingston simply never occurred to me.
ASSAM and WIND were my favourites on this occasion.
Happy New Year to setter, blogger and commenters all!
Thanks for the blog and all the others this year, very much appreciated. I missed the PRO(M) bit so thanks for that. SPOTLESS and STONKING are both very good and several clever hidden answers, also MINION of course for the 60s style.
I think Cleopatra was reputed to bathe in milk from the ass.
Happy New Year to everybody on here.
Thanks Mudd and Happy New Year to all. I found this to be on the gentler end of Mudd’s spectrum but no less entertaining. SPOTLESS, ILLITERATE (great surface), and MINION were all favourites. STONKING was new to me but I’m disappointed if I don’t come across at least one new word when I attempt a British crossword. Thanks Pete for your steadfast service.
Thank-you Roz@4. Cleopatra was the link! And, on further research, it was not just Cleopatra who bathed in donkey milk. According to the internet (so it must be correct!) so did Poppaea (Nero’s wife, Napoleon’s sister and many other people over the ages. Pliny stated “ass milk effaces wrinkles in the face, renders the skin more delicate, etc, etc”.
A little ass’s milk in a Mudd bath goes a long way.
I find it odd that ‘very soon’ should serve to clue TONIGHT but I did not comment on this because I have seen it before.
Martyn @6 I think my impeccable source is Carry On Cleo, famous for the – Infamy, infamy ……..
Ah joy! Not only did I finish this, as I do many (if not most) times with MUDD, I did it without any help or referencing at all. Definitely a first for me, so roll on more in the New Year. (Contrast the last MUDD when I was seriously stuck)
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Did this one on blog day as usual, but haven’t got around to the long check off process until today. Lucky that it was a long check off, as was able to correct the unparsed and misdefined SHOCKING at 30a to it’s correct one after finally landing on KINGSTON and then looking up the previously unheard of STONKING (very satisfying) before coming here.
See that the puzzle was done well inside normal solving time, so well at the easier end of the Mudd difficulty spectrum. Lots of his trademark double definitions.
Didn’t know about ASS’s milk and hence didn’t properly parse ASSAM (not helped by putting the AM around SSA and trying to work out what sort of milk that would be). Also didn’t fully parse SUNLESS – not seeing the SUS as being southern US, relating to Texas.
Finished in the SW corner with another unknown in BOTTLE BANK and the corrected STONKING to finish it off.
Happy New Year Pete (and to T.), thanks for your informative blogs and look forward to continue seeing them in 2022.