Financial Times 17,050 by GOZO

20 comments on “Financial Times 17,050 by GOZO”

1. Though the instructions were a little ambiguous, it was clear soon enough that they referred only to the across clues.
   This is the second puzzle I’ve done on this particular theme (also by Gozo, I think) but still I had fun tracking down the various breeds.
   10 was the only one I didn’t know (but guessed correctly from the parsing) and 25 was my favourite of these.
   Also enjoyed 3d and 5d. 22d was another unknown but fairly parsed for all that. PeeDee, thanks for the LA.BR. part of 28 which I got from the definition though I can’t help with Tom’s lookout; don’t know where the ‘to’ comes from but your explanation seems apt. Cats don’t like getting wet so the rooftop would not suit.
   Thanks to Gozo and PeeDee.

2. FOI was POODLE so I reckoned it might be a doggie theme
   Cant remember what I had for 14 as I came a cropper in the SW
   boldly writing in SABLES for 22 (are they trees?)

   That left me in the poo to stand any chance of getting BORZOI
   Woof woof anyhow
   Thanks G

3. 10ac I took ‘in storm’ to indicate an anagram but that obviously doesn’t work. Still think ROOFTOP is the right answer …

4. Sorry, but I had exactly the same experience with ROOFTOP which I couldn’t parse. Otherwise I enjoyed the CANINE theme, for which SAMOYED was my way in. I was surprised to see the spelling of KEESHOND, which I thought was “keeshund”, but I see it’s from the Dutch, not German, word for dog, appropriate obviously for a Dutch barge dog.

   POODLE was a bit odd. If ‘dog’ as the definition was included to complete all the across clues I suppose it’s a double def + wordplay clue.

   Thanks to Gozo and PeeDee

5. It’s unfortunate with 14D that the definition is a bit woolly, otherwise I’m sure we’d all be saying it’s a straight mistake with use of N for the T.

6. paul b@5 may well have the answer . The only other remote possibility is the Roof Tops had hit in 1963 called Tom Cat.

   Enjoyed the puzzle although needed help with an unknown canine: KEESHOND and I had never heard of ABELE. Thanks to Gozo for entertaining puzzle and to PeeDee for informative blog.

7. Maybe the answer’s TOMFOOL, i.e. a Gozo wind-up?

8. What do the instructions – “One solution Across defines the remainder and none includes a thematic definition” mean?

9. Harry@8
   All quite baffling. One across solution )which was 29 across) gives the definition for the remainder of the across clues. These are all types of dogs. After your first couple of dogs have appeared the rest of the across clues will also be the same.

10. Hi Harry,

    One of the across clues gives the theme of the puzzle. You have to guess which one (29 across: canine).

    The instructions indicate that the across solutions all have themed answers and an across clue might not contain a definition. If a themed clue does have a definition, then that definition will not be thematic. You could see these clues as having two definitions, the thematic definition “canine” which all the across clues share and bonus definition. These bonus definitions make the clues easier if you spot them, or make the clues harder if you confuse them with the wordplay. I think the idea is that if you are not completely sure if a clue has an explicit definition or not then it adds some variation to the solving process.

    I hope this help rather than further confuses the issue!

11. Sorry Harry. My last sentence should have said “…have appeared the theme will be clear and the rest….”

12. Thanks Gozo for another excellent themed crossword. It took me awhile to get started and I didn’t catch the theme until BEAGLE made it clear. The first dog I found was ALSATIAN — I initially thought the theme might be geographic — I was clearing barking up the wrong tree. Thanks PeeDee for the blog.

13. Thanks SM and PeeDee.

14. Maybe 14d (ROOFTOP) originally read “Proof to fall apart in Tom’s possible lookout” but the editor re-worked it to its current erroneous version. Posters like me make mistakes often (as seen in my post @12) but Gozo is quite meticulous.

15. I like Tony’s explanation @14. I couldn’t parse it either but it has to be the answer.
    I enjoyed this much, much more than drummers!
    Thanks Gozo and Peedee.

16. Mr B must surely be right, but ROOFTOP from PROOF TO isn’t much of an anagram, is it?

    (Looks like a missed opportunity to have had DOGFOOD in a prominent position in the grid.)

17. I never cease to be amazed by Gozo’s ability to squeeze in so many themed words without having to resort to Azed-type words. Bravo ! Maestro !

18. The clue 14dn ROOFTOP looks to me like it might be the result of some last-minute intervention by an editor, or perhaps a typo in the published puzzle.

    I mailed Gozo to ask about 14 down. I had a reply that he is away travelling at the moment and doesn’t have either his notes or the originally submitted puzzle with him. I think puzzles are often published a long while after they are written, and sometimes even the setter can’t remember what they originally wrote.

19. The solution provided in the FT has ROOFTOP for 14d. I think Paul@5 and Tony@14 must be right; otherwise it’s a weak dd (or a pair of cds) with a rooftop being both a cat’s lookout and no help during a storm.

20. Thanks Gozo and PeeDee
    Starting down the bottom, BEAGLE and CANINE were my first two, so the theme was out of the bag early. A fabulous effort to get all across clues themed without compromising the down clues. Like most others could find no real logic with ROOFTOP but always felt confident for some reason that it would be the correct answer.
    Enjoyed unravelling ALPHA RAY and PAPILLON. Took a while to see what was going on with TOGA.
    After originally trying to make AS[S] be key to the wordplay, KEESHOND was the only dog that I had never heard of and only found It with a word finder. It was the penultimate entry with the trickily spelt LHOTSE the last one in.

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