This morning's FT was created by Redshank.
My first pass only yielded a handful of answers, so I was initially concerned that I would struggle to complete the puzzle, but once I worked out the long solutions, the rest of the answers fell into place fairly quickly. On the subject of the long answers, it was disappointing to see KERS (in METAL-WORKERS) appearing in the same order in the solution as in the fodder, and even more disappointing to see IGHTS (and ON) in the fodder for CONJUGAL RIGHTS. This minor quibble apart, the puzzle was fun, and the clues clever and entertaining, with a little GK required for ROGET, SANDWICH and ASPARAGUS,
Thanks, Redshank.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SANDWICH |
Open golf course that’s open for lunch? (8)
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One could have an "open" SANDWICH for lunch, and Sandwich is a golf course in Kent, more commonly known as Royal St George's, which has held the Open Championship 15 times, including last year's competition. |
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| 5 | TROPIC |
Channel Islands left back’s parallel (6)
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<=(CI (Channel Islands) + PORT ("left")) [back] |
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| 10 | TUITION |
Instinct lacking in teacher’s work (7)
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(in)TUITION ("instinct") lacking IN |
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| 11 | INGROWN |
Like some nails? Ring now – put in order (7)
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*(ring now) [anag:put in order] |
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| 12 | OCHRE |
Sandy’s routine task moving round to the front (5)
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CH(O)RE ("routine task") with "round" (O) to the front becomes O-CHRE |
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| 13 | UNDERDONE |
Rare pair of foreign articles prof examined first (9)
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UN + DER ("pair of foreign articles") + DON ("prof") + E(xamined) [first] |
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| 14 | METALWORKERS |
They could be trained as trowel- makers maybe (12)
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*(trowel-makers) [anag:trained] and &lit. It's a shame that KERS appears in both the fodder and the solution… |
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| 18 | SCATTERBRAIN |
Dope spread product from mill across island (12)
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SCATTER ("spread") + BRAN ("product from mill") across I (island) |
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| 21 | ASPARAGUS |
After a bath TV lord returns plant (9)
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After A + SPA ("bath"), <=SUGAR ("TV lord", returns) The TV lord is Sir Alan Sugar, who is the entrepreneur candidates try (and often fail) to impress in The Apprentice. |
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| 23 | FLAME |
Foxtrot with limping lover (5)
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F (foxtrot, in the phonetic alphabet) with LAME ("limping") |
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| 24 | INSIGHT |
Understanding’s close to being achieved (7)
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IN SIGHT ("close to being achieved") |
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| 25 | IRRUPTS |
Bursts in Irish game puts United off (7)
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Ir. (Irish) + RU (rugby union, so "game") + P(u)TS with U (United) off |
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| 26 | ERSATZ |
Inferior bunch of skiers at Zermatt (6)
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Hidden in [bunch of] "skiERS AT Zermatt" |
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| 27 | EGRESSES |
Frenchman recalled his local escape routes (8)
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<=SERGE ("Frenchman", recalled) + SES ("his" in French, so "his local" when referring to the Frenchman) |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SITCOM |
Meet company initially making programme (6)
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SIT ("meet") + Co. (company) + [initially] M(aking) |
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| 2 | NEIGHS |
Northern crews dropping first of two Arab big noises? (6)
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N (Northern) + EIGH(t)S (rowing "crews" dropping [first of] T(wo)) |
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| 3 | WHITE HEAT |
Intense activity with new English part of competition (5,4)
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*(with) [anag:new] + E (English) + HEAT ("part of competition") |
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| 4 | CONJUGAL RIGHTS |
Various arc lights on, flooding jail? No hope of exercising these privately! (8,6)
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*(arc lights on) [anag:various] flooding JUG ("jail") Again, it's a shame that the fodder and the solution share so many letters in the same order. in this case IGHTS and ON… |
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| 6 | ROGER |
Message received: “See him after jolly on brigantine, say” (5)
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ROGER is seen after "jolly" on a pirate ship (its flag being the Jolly Roger) |
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| 7 | PROMOTER |
Concert books top female backer (8)
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PROM ("concert") + OT (Old Testament, so "books") + ER (Elizabeth Regina, the Queen, so "top female") |
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| 8 | CONDENSE |
College needs no changes to contract (8)
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C (college) + *(needs no) [anag:changes] |
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| 9 | WINDOW-DRESSING |
Cosmetic display or display of cosmetics? (6-8)
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Double definition |
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| 15 | REINFORCE |
Check army’s put more beef in (9)
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REIN ("check") + FORCE ("army") |
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| 16 | ASTATINE |
A nation defends popular element (8)
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A STATE ("nation") defends IN ("popular") Astatine (atomic no 85) is the rarest naturally occurring element in the Earth's crust. |
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| 17 | HARPISTS |
Plucky players, rare characters abroad wearing headgear (8)
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R (rare) + PIs ("characters abroad" i.e. in Greece) wearing HATS ("headgear") |
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| 19 | PAMPAS |
Oscar’s successor crosses first of many small plains (6)
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PAPA ("Oscar's successor" in the phonetic alphabet) crosses [first of] M(any) + S (small) |
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| 20 | CENSUS |
Count is aware of being caught (6)
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Homophone [being caught] of SENSES ("is aware of") |
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| 22 | ROGET |
Man of many words, I set up in arts centre (5)
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<=EGO ("I", set up) in (a)RT(s) [centre] Peter Mark Roget published his first thesaurus in 1852. |
A lovely puzzle, with many inventive and witty clues, evoking smiles along the way.
To be honest, I didn’t notice the KERS in 14ac and IGHTS ON in 9dn: I was too busy admiring the super surfaces in both.
Other favourites were OCHRE, UNDERDONE (both for definitions), ASPARAGUS, FLAME and NEIGHS, for making me laugh and ROGET, for ingenuity: with all the crossers in, I was expecting the answer to be RIGHT, before looking at the clue.
In 25ac, ‘in’ is part of the definition.
Many thanks to Redshank for a lot of fun and loonapick for a great blog.
The usual very enjoyable challenge from Redshank. I must admit, like Eileen @1, I didn’t notice the letters being in the same order for the clue and solution for METALWORKERS and CONJUGAL RIGHTS, but I’m not too fussed about it as I liked both clues so much. Other favourites were the ‘Arab big noises?’ def for NEIGHS and SCATTERBRAIN.
My only minor difficulty was with 21a. Here in Aust., SUGAR is a term of mild annoyance or surprise, roughly equivalent to ‘lord’ as an exclamation, so it took me a while to work out what the apparently superfluous ‘TV’ was doing. I see now though that the said Lord has also recently been on the TV here.
Thanks to Redshank and loonapick
Great puzzle with some witty clues. I also failed to spot the KERS and LIGHTS ON . No complaints as this probably helped me working out the anagrams My favourite clue and foi was UNDERDONE.
I learnt that SERGE became a French name in the 1920s because of the Ballet Russe when SERGEI was Gallicised , if this is the right term.
Thanks to Redshank and Loonapick for a spot on blog.
WordPlodder @2. Where Amstrad products ever in Australia? Amstrad is from AMS + TRADing where AMS are Lord Sugar’s initials.
I found this an enjoyable puzzle apart from CENSUS/senses, which are not homophones the way I would say them.
Hovis @4 – I remembered the Amstrad name and looking it up today, yes, they were sold in Australia in the 80’s and 90’s. There were a couple of Australian based Amstrad magazines published so they must have been quite a thing here then. From those times, I associate Alan Sugar more with Tottenham Hotspur though!
The principal participants in the Ballets Russes were two Sergeis: Diaghilev and Prokofiev . Their popularity led to the adoption of their Christian name as Serge in France . Don’t think current Russians would have anyone named after them in the West.
I’m with others commenting here regarding the entertainment provided by METALWORKERS and CONJUGAL RIGHTS though like our blogger, this was a slow burn for me until the longer answers yielded a bevy of crossers.
I liked SCATTERBRAIN, WINDOW DRESSING (neat), EGRESSES, ASPARAGUS and FLAME.
Hearty thanks to Redshank and Loonapick.
An enjoyable wind-down this afternoon after tackling Tyrus in the Indy this morning, so we didn’t have any reservations about 14ac or 4dn. Nice to see Serge standing in for René in 27ac. Favourites were ASTATINE and HARPISTS.
Thanks, Redshank and loonapick
Senses/census reminds me of the old joke. Something about a Norse explorer away many years and returns to report to the king’s court. The official has no idea who he is, nor has any record of him. He says “Oh dear, I must have taken Leif off my census”.
I appreciate clues that don’t require specific knowledge beyond the cryptic canon. Because as an American im never going to know about the TV lord, etc.
But for the most part I found this puzzle inventive and enjoyable!
Thanks Redshank and loonapick
Entertaining puzzle as per usual from this setter with a good variety of clue types and a various scattering of new knowledge to be gleaned from the grid. Had to get down to the hidden ERSATZ to get a start and basically worked my way up from the bottom to the top. Was able to get all of the answers and parsed all except for OCHRE where I thought it was a mix of the first few letters rather than moving the O (very clever when it was pointed out).
Didn’t realise SERGE was a French name – had related it more to Italy. SES was a new French term.
Finished in the NW corner with WHITE HEAT (after finally seeing through that TEST wasn’t a part of the answer), OCHRE (tricky definition) and NEIGHS (which ended up being my favourite when the penny finally dropped).
Jug = Jail?
You’re having a laugh!