Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 11, 2022
With its many cross references and one obscure term (29, EPIFAUNAL), I found this a good challenge. My first-in was 9 (ADAMANTLY) and last was 29. Early on I considered BILL for the key clue 6 but remained unsure until I got a checked letter.
There are several clues that I imagine must be tricky for non-British solvers, notably 18 (BEN), 21 (NOT A SAUSAGE), 22 (THE MET) and 28 (MY EYE).
My favourites are 21 (NOT A SAUSAGE), 25 (AMERICA) and 26 (ITEM). Buccaneer impresses more and more.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | ADAMANTLY |
Worker, extremely lowly, follows the first man unwaveringly (9)
|
| ADAM (first man) + ANT (worker) + L[owl]Y | ||
| 10 | IDAHO |
Princess on stage with house in a state (5)
|
| IDA (princess on stage) + HO (house) with the former referring to Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “Princess Ida” | ||
| 11 | INKWELL |
Source of material for writer one knew changing lines (7)
|
| I (one) + anagram (changing) of KNEW + LL (lines) | ||
| 12 | HILLARY |
6’s partner 18 beside a track (7)
|
| HILL (18, in Scotland) + A (a) + RY (track, of the rail variety) with the definition referring to Bill Clinton | ||
| 13 | COO |
6’s partner briefly fashionable (3)
|
| COO[l] (briefly fashionable) | ||
| 14 | CASH MACHINE |
Charlie remains with Greek character covered in hair, a supplier of 2s (4,7)
|
| C (Charlie) + ASH (remains) + CHI (Greek character) in (covered in) MANE (hair) | ||
| 17 | GREBE |
English composer returned, one with a 6 (5)
|
| E (English) + BERG (composer) all backwards (returned) | ||
| 18 | BEN |
6’s partner in capital city deposing king (3)
|
| BE[r]N (capital city deposing king) with the definition referring, I suppose, to “Bill and Ben, the Flowerpot Men” a BBC children’s television program originally from the 1950s and rebooted in 2001. When I was a boy, my family had two African Grey parrots that we named Bill and Ben after the Flowerpot Men. | ||
| 19 | STORK |
One with large 6 goes off westward, heading for Kansas (5)
|
| ROTS (goes off) backwards (westward) + K[ansas] | ||
| 21 | NOT A SAUSAGE |
Nothing unlike 7? (3,1,7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | LAW |
The French women showing what 6 may become (3)
|
| LA (the French) + W (women) | ||
| 25 | AMERICA |
Live with Heather in the country (7)
|
| AM (live) + ERICA (heather) | ||
| 27 | CLINTON |
Criminal admits dressing 6 in 25 (7)
|
| LINT (dressing) in (admits) CON (criminal) | ||
| 28 | MY EYE |
Start of mantra you once repeated is rubbish! (2,3)
|
| M[antra] + YE (you once) + YE (repeated) | ||
| 29 | EPIFAUNAL |
Roman deity in a pile, curiously, of seabed creatures (9)
|
| FAUN (Roman deity) in (in) anagram (curiously) of A PILE. A faun was a rural deity represented as a man with a goat’s ears, horns, tail, and hind legs. Epifauna are precisely animals that live on the seabed surface. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MANIOC |
Frenzied, eating doughnut or tropical root (6)
|
| O (doughnut) in (eating) MANIC (frenzied) | ||
| 2 | BANKNOTE |
Rely on school turning up 6 in 25 (8)
|
| BANK (rely) + ETON (school) backwards (turning up) | ||
| 3 | WATERCRESS |
Secrets for cooking with raw salad ingredient (10)
|
| Anagram (for cooking) of SECRETS RAW | ||
| 4 | ET AL |
Departed to the north along with others (2,2)
|
| LATE (departed) backwards (to the north) | ||
| 5 | MYTHOMANIA |
Blimey! Arab in crumpled hat shows urge to fib (10)
|
| MY (blimey) + OMANI (Arab) in (in) anagram (crumpled) of HAT. I have come across the word ‘mythomania’ a few times recently but did not have a clear idea of its meaning until now. Collins tells us it refers to a tendency to lie, exaggerate, or relate incredible imaginary adventures as if they had really happened. | ||
| 6 | BILL |
Charge politician over stealing pounds (4)
|
| L (pounds) in (stealing) LIB (politician) backwards (over) | ||
| 7 | SALAMI |
Meat Buccaneer’s unfortunately brought up (6)
|
| IM (Buccaneers) + ALAS (unfortunately) all backwards (brought up) | ||
| 8 | HOLY WEEK |
Christmas plant left out on reportedly feeble period before Easter (4,4)
|
| HOL[l]Y (Christmas plant left out) + WEEK (homophone of “weak”) | ||
| 15 | SUBJUGATES |
Keeps down 6 for IT journalist just halved at first (10)
|
| SUB (journalist) + JU[st] + GATES (6 for IT) | ||
| 16 | COSMETICAL |
Concerning appearance of mosaic Celt composed (10)
|
| Anagram (composed) of MOSAIC CELT | ||
| 17 | GENDARME |
Frenchman in the 6 – male, say, nearly seizing gun? (8)
|
| ARM (gun) in (seizing) GENDE[r] (male, say, nearly) | ||
| 20 | OILSTONE |
Rock used for sharpening – loosen it foolishly (8)
|
| Anagram (foolishly) of LOOSEN IT | ||
| 22 | THE MET |
Old 6 – what 6 is in this puzzle, given time (3,3)
|
| THEME (what 6 is in this puzzle) + T (time). In British usage, “the Old Bill” usually refers to the police in general. I am unsure as to whether or not it can refer to The Met, that is greater London’s police force, in particular. | ||
| 24 | WINKLE |
Gastropod to lead deer around (6)
|
| WIN (to lead) + ELK (deer) backwards (around) | ||
| 26 | ITEM |
Couple gripped by excitement (4)
|
| Hidden word (gripped by) | ||
| 27 | CHIT |
Conservative struck 6 (4)
|
| C (Conservative) + HIT (struck) |
Had fun skittering around this grid, with so many clues cross-referencing each other and determining the various permutations of Bill; the 6d/11a was a particularly nice coupling.
Enjoyed the Gilbert and Sullivan references in row 2 and the former first couple. Bill-Hill-Ben (6,12,18) were also very good.
There seemed to be a large number of reversals in the grid too, at least six, almost as many as versions of 6d.
As Pete mentions, I do pity non-Brit solvers when faced with idioms like 21a, NOT A SAUSAGE, or the Flowerpot Men and ‘old bill’ (but all were great clues.
‘Covered in hair’ (17, 094) makes a reappearance at 14a.
Thanks to Buccaneer and Pete, as ever.
There are some great clues and the reference, cross-reference and cross-cross reference to 6 was an interesting concept. But I felt it was not successfully executed. The number of obscure clues and answers indicated to me that Buccaneer was struggling – and I am looking well past the very British expressions Pete mentioned.
I must admit I was slightly miffed that I could not parse 6 down – the key to everything. I knew it was LIB and L, but thanks to Pete and some internet research I now know that “stealing” is an insertion indicator. My ignorance, nothing to do with Buccaneer.
It was the combination of words such as MANOIC, GREBE, MYTHOMANIA, ERICA, COSMETICAL (and of course the EPIFAUNAL that Pete mentioned) that made me think Buccaneer needed more time to refine the puzzle.
If anything, I thought “obscure British words” was the theme, not 6, but that did not fit 22. Pete mentioned a number of purely British words, but he did not get them all. I add: COO, CASH MACHINE, OIL STONE (or is this just obscure for being outdated?), WINKLE and CHIT. I have heard most of them once or twice in my life – even Bill and BEN (although I never saw the point of the TV show, even as a kid). The one that I did not know was COO and I needed google to teach me “bill and COO”.
Diane fondly mentioned Gilbert and Sullivan, and Bill and Ben. I add NOT A SAUSAGE to the nostalgia list, given Bluebottle in the Goon Show is the only reference I have for that expression.
I hope this does not sound negative – I really did stick with it to the end and I did parse everything except BILL!
So, as always, thanks Pete and Buccaneer
Sorry to keep going – I just realised I spouted off without actually reading Pete’s blog.
Pete, I think 29 is FAUN + anagram of A PILE (I believe you accidentally left out the A).
I also realize I actually did not parse SUBJUGATES and I take my hat off to you Pete for doing so
Thanks Buccaneer, this crossword fit the bill for me. I needed a word finder for EPIFAUNAL but all else fell into place. My top choices included MY EYE, MYTHOMANIA, and NOT A SAUSAGE. [Diane, this non-Brit is familiar with that idiom from Brian Eno’s song Blackwater, with the lyric, “… ooh, what to do, not a sausage to do.”] Thanks Pete for the blog.
Tony,
You’re a dab hand at these British-isms, by now, so I knew you weren’t among those who may have nonplussed! I liked your Brian Eno reference.
Thanks for the blog, a more traditional type of theme with lots of answers referring to 6 , not actually so common these days. BILL is a nice theme word having many different meanings.
I did not know EPIFAUNAL or MANIOC but both clued very fairly , always nice to see this for obscure words. I think Old Bill used to refer to THE MET and is now used for the police in general.
I remember a Guardian ” Notes and Queries ” for this with numerous suggestions for the derivation.
One of which – Bill and coo = Boys in blue – is appropriate here.
Brian Eno blackwater? Did not know it, and thanks to Tony @4 for putting me onto it. I wholeheartedly endorse the comments by Diane @5
Martyn, Thank you for spotting that error in 29. I have corrected it.
Roz,
As usual, you’re a fount of information; I didn’t know that source for ‘bill and coo’. Very good!
Diane, I have no evidence that this is the actual source, as far as I remember there were numerous claims and a lot of argument.