Financial Times 17,094 by Buccaneer

16 comments on “Financial Times 17,094 by Buccaneer”

1. If the speed with which I finished this is any indication, I must have been on Buccaneer’s wavelength.
   The only brief hesitation came with 1a/1d where I clung determinedly to CALLBOOTHS (call from ‘ring’) but it wouldn’t gel with 1d where I was equally glued to ‘e’ for ecstasy but this was surely not ‘cube’. Finally, it was remembering ‘tab’ that lead to the other sort of ring – ‘toll’ – and then everything made sense.
   PACHYDERMS, ARTICHOKES and CALF (definition) were favourites.
   Others featuring tricky but satisfying charades included SLEEPYHEAD and DOWN THE HATCH. The latter was sly because ‘down’ could be both ‘gloomy’ and ‘covered in hair’.
   Thanks to Buccaneer for these consistently entertaining puzzles and Pete, as ever. Only now, reading the blog, do I see the true brilliance of LIVERPOOL – I bunged this in unparsed because the Reds have been uppermost in my thoughts latterly.

2. Thanks Buccaneer for another stellar crossword. As Diane noted, FIFTY-FIFTY (sides of Liverpool) is brilliant. I also liked CALF (great surface), RULE, (another great surface), TABU, and FETE but there wasn’t a clue I didn’t like. PALIMPSEST was the only one where I needed assistance. Thanks Pete for the blog.

3. FIFTY FIFTY is indeed brilliant. And Pete is brilliant for parsing and explaining it. I certainly did not get it until I read the blog.

   I suffered the same fate as Pete with 16, and initially entered the wrong answer. I am not sure I have ever heard ON THE NAIL used to mean immediately – will try to tuck it into the memory for future reference.

   I also suffered the same fate as Diane @1 and felt I was not on the same wavelength as Buccaneer. Nevertheless, I seemed to make steady progress.

   It took a long time for me to work out why EC means city and E COLI was my last one in. I actually think it should be The City, shouldn’t it? Anyway, whether right or wrong, it is a minor quibble. I had also never seen TABU before – always TABOO.

   No real favourites this week, beyond FIFTY FIFTY.

   Thanks Buccaneer and thanks Pete for the great blog

4. Yeah this was a very simple crossword.

5. Thanks for the blog, I agree with the praise and the favourites of everyone.
   Martyn@3 EC=city turns up frequently, worth tucking that one away for the future. It is Eastern Central, a postcode area containing most of the financial district.
   I will add SEVERANCE PAY to the list for the misleading use of bread, and PALIMPSEST is a lovely word.

6. Thanks for the blog Pete. I think CALF is a little more as, not only is it a double definition, but each half provides the wordplay for the other half independently.
   I also had a different answer to 16d initially although it fitted. A close read told me I was wrong.
   FIFTY-FIFTY was superb.
   Thanks for the fun Buccaneer.

7. Another fine crossword from Buccaneer – my particular favourites were 10a and 8d, the latter being particularly good

   Thanks to Buccaneer and Pete

8. I must have led a sheltered life! Is TAB (1D) slang for the drug ecstasy?

9. Another top-class puzzle from Buccaneer.

   I smiled at 6ac: I don’t know the cricketer but I’ve taught a number of students who had ASIF as their first name and I like ‘As if’ as an expression.

   As well as (all) those mentioned by others, I also liked LANDED GENTRY – in fact, as for Tony @2, there wasn’t a clue I didn’t like.

   Top favourites were FIFTY FIFTY – I don’t think ‘this’ is part of the definition – and PALIMPSEST – an old favourite word, anyway, with an interesting etymology – see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest

   Many thanks, as ever, to Buccaneer and Pete.

10. Thanks, Eileen, for the interesting info on PALIMPSEST, a lovely word as you and Roz say.
    One final point on LIVERPOOL for non-football fans. It’s a city reputed to be roughly divided down the middle between supporters of the two sides, Everton and Liverpool, with some households split fifty-fifty – blue and red. This was enough for me to supply the answer to 8d but the two L brackets were an added bonus.

11. Eileen @9: Thanks for the link to palimpsest.
    Diane @10: Thanks for the background on Liverpool.
    One of the joys of solving these crosswords is the opportunity to learn new things.

12. Brian@8 TAB is indeed slang for tablets containing MDMA , commonly known as ecstasy. i think the term was probably first used for LSD , little squares of blotting paper , so a different meaning of tab.

13. Thanks Roz – I’m sure that info. will be useful – if only for solving crosswords!

14. Thanks Diane @10. Your info on Liverpool being divided down the middle makes the clue come alive

15. Thanks Buccaneer and Pete
    Like Diane, the time for the completion of the grid indicated that I was also on his wavelength – and similarly on his enjoyment factor. Thought that FIFTY-FIFTY was a gem for its derivation and now with the shared knowledge of the two teams based there, even more so with the surface reading. There were plenty of other excellent clues throughout, as we have become used to from this setter.
    Started off with the clever CALF and TOLLBOOTHS was next in – focused more on where one would be most likely to get charged these days – does anybody actually use telephone booths anymore ?
    Finished in the SW corner (again) with SASH (originally clued), DOWN THE HATCH and STAIRWELLS (another beauty to finish with).

16. Good point, Bruce, re what I initially thought might be CALLBOOTHS. They mostly stand as damp, smelly relics of another era in the two cities I know best!

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