Financial Times 16,991 by NEO

13 comments on “Financial Times 16,991 by NEO”

1. For 5a could it be AS (when) + H (hot)

2. That’s how I clued it, Diagacht. I rather enjoyed this Neo grid although I certainly needed Loonapick’s help in the parsing, particularly CAMARADERIE (not being an ale aficionado).
   Burning = ‘in’ seems fair enough but I’ve no idea about PICASSO. I’d pencilled in Picasso/Picabia early on but even as the correct answer became obvious, I still didn’t know why. I didn’t know POULENC but it was fairly clued.
   My favourites were DONNA, TRENCHANT, GAB and ABOMINATION.
   Thanks to Neo and Loonapick.

3. I do like a crossword that leaves you with a big smile on your face. Lots to enjoy so hard to pick a favourite from so many. I agree with loonapick that Neo is confusing his assed with his mules

   Thanks to Neo for the fun and loonapick for the blog

4. I thought ASS = “mule” = “hybrid” or “cross” but as you’ve suggested, this may not be correct. I wasn’t sure of IN for ‘burning’ either but I suppose it works (sort of) as “hot”. Thanks for the parsing of GRAMMATICAL which I didn’t have a clue about.

   The word order was a bit odd but the ‘This volcano gives out’ def for ASH was my favourite along with ‘Summer for one’ for DONNA.

   Thanks to Neo and loonapick

5. “In” is “Of fire or light: burning, lighted” (OED) – used in such phrases as “keep the fire in”.

   In 9a I think Neo has simply confused his asses and mules.

6. It isn’t correct. Sorry! But IN for burning was definitely intentional, as fires are ‘in’ when they’re alight. The not unrelated ASH is AS/ H.

   Thanks Loon et al.

7. Thanks loonapick, I had no idea what was going on in GRAMMATICAL (very clever) and ONSLAUGHT (can’t help thinking that this is too close to SLAUGHTER, in that presumably the SLAUGHT comes from the same source, can anyone confirm?).
   I had never heard of an ELECTRIC RAY and given the ASS issue cannot help thinking of it as a cross between an Electric Eel and a Stingray.
   For me IN= burning in the sense of a burning issue being a hot/in topic but in any case Andrew@5 has officially put that to bed.
   Funny how some words crop up in different puzzles in quick succession, here helping me to get TRENCHANT quickly having only learned this meaning a week or two ago.
   Thanks Neo, enjoyed CAMARADERIE in particular.

8. Pity about the ASS — I’m sure the writer is cross! But a thoroughly 15 puzzle with some terrific clues.

9. Don’t know my ass from my eeyore, do I.

10. In 20a, the chap surely has to be ED rather than NED…..
    I put in the ASS for cross without a second thought, just to prove my zoological ignorance, in the course of a pretty brisk write-in. Many thanks to loonapick for the parsing of GRAMMATICAL, which escaped me completely.

11. A quick and enjoyable solve, zoological confusion notwithstanding. Favourite (and first one in) was CHIPOLATA.
    Thanks, Neo and loonapick.

12. Thanks Neo, it’s always gratifying to see you as the setter. I enjoyed DONNA, BEEFEATER, CUPID, and INCENSE among others. I bunged in PICASSO and GRAMMATICAL and left the parsing for loonapick. Thanks for that.

13. Thanks Neo and loonapick
    Was a day behind to get to this and finished it very late on Friday night. The grid fill was easy enough apart from the ‘cross-maker’, rather than the cross itself at 8a (only a straight holdup, as the intention was clear enough). Some tricky parsing that I had to go back to – some of which I was able to fix myself – HOMBURG, ABOMINATION and CAMARADERIE (with some reference help for the ‘real ale drinkers’) and some that needed to wait until here – CUPID and GRAMMATICAL. Was with the above commenters in the parsing of ASH and the ED bit of CONCERNED.
    A lot of fun clues – so reasonably quick and entertaining. Finished with those two unparsed ones and the composer PAULENC as the last one in.

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