Today's FT setter is Moo.
This was atypical Moo puzzle, with clever diversions, clean surfaces and a sense of humour.
My first pass yielded only a handful of answers, but enough crossers for me to complete the top half quite quickly. The southwest corner was filled in next, with the tricky southeast corner holding out for a few minutes before I saw IMPEDE, which then gave me PEASANTRY and the others slotted into place.
Thanks, Moo
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MANIFESTATION |
Doctor not a feminist holding a sign (13)
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*(not a feminist) [anag:doctor] holding A |
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| 9 | GARLAND |
Flowers, first class, in Greek countryside (7)
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A ("first class") in Gr. (greek) + LAND ("countryside") |
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| 10 | JUSTICE |
Magistrate on the rocks? (7)
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A drink with JUST ICE in it could be described as "on the rocks" |
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| 11 | IDEAL |
I provide drugs for model (5)
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I + DEAL ("provide drugs") |
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| 12 | SICK LEAVE |
What you might take if crook in Wagga-Wagga? (4,5)
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In Wagga-Wagga, as in the rest of Australia, "crook" means ill. |
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| 13 | STAND FOR |
Indicate support (5,3)
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Double definition |
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| 15 | SELFIE |
Still visiting Taipei fleshpots in retirement? (6)
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Hidden backwards [visiting…in retirement] in "taipEI FLEShpots" |
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| 18 | INDIAN |
Chic girl, an inhabitant of Jaipur? (6)
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IN ("chic") + DI ("girl"'s name) + AN |
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| 19 | CULTURED |
Pearls can be so sophisticated! (8)
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Double definition |
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| 22 | PEASANTRY |
Sally ignoring large group of yokels (9)
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P(l)EASANTRY ("sally", ignoring L (large)) |
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| 24 | STORY |
End of Boris, facing right-wing plot? (5)
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[end of] (Bori)S, facing TORY ("right-wing") |
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| 25 | DOSSIER |
Case history of bum I imprisoned (7)
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DOSSER ("bum") with I [imprisoned] |
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| 26 | RIGHT ON |
Trendy bishop booted out of seaside town (5,2)
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B (bishop) booted out of (b)RIGHTON ("seaside town") |
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| 27 | DISAPPEARANCE |
Loss of copper’s looks (13)
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DI's (Detective Inspector's, so "copper's") + APPEARANCE ("looks") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MUGGINS |
Idiot having more than one drink? That’s me (7)
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MUG ("idiot" ) having GINS ("more than one drink") |
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| 2 | NURSEMAID |
Childminder’s uni dreams shattered (9)
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*(uni dreams) [anag:shattered] |
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| 3 | FRAIL |
Feeble female storyteller keeling over (5)
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F (female) + <=LIAR ("storyteller", keeling over) |
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| 4 | SIDESHOW |
Old Swedish novel providing a distraction (8)
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*(o Swedish) [anag:novel] where O = old |
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| 5 | ABJECT |
Hopeless protest after change of leader (6)
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(o>A)BJECT ("protest") [after change of leader] |
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| 6 | INSOLVENT |
Rude about Victor being broke (9)
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INSOLENT ("rude") about V (Victor, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) |
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| 7 | NAIRA |
New song about capital of Nigeria (5)
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N (new) + <=ARIA ("song", about). Naira is the Nigerian currency, so "capital of Nigeria" |
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| 8 | RECEDE |
Fall back, about to surrender (6)
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RE ("about") + CEDE ("to surrender") |
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| 14 | DRAMATICS |
Carts maid off, creating a scene (9)
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*(carts maid) [anag:off] |
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| 16 | FORGOTTEN |
Lost a number reportedly obtained in LA (9)
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Homophone [reportedly] of FOUR ("a number") + GOTTEN ("obtained" – past tense of "get" in the US, hence "in LA") |
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| 17 | DUTY FREE |
Perk for those on board, having nothing on? (4-4)
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If you're free of duties, you could be described as "having nothing on" (i.e. having nothing to do) |
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| 18 | IMPEDE |
Troublemaker Eddie occasionally seen in bar (6)
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IMP ("troublemaker") + E(d)D(i)E [occasionally seen] |
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| 20 | DOYENNE |
Senior female robbed, money grabbed (7)
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YEN ("money") grabbed by DONE ("robbed") |
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| 21 | STIR UP |
Cause pedant to withdraw, giving tail a twist (4,2)
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<=PURI(st>TS) ("pedant") [to withdraw, i.e. backwards] and with it's tail (last two letters) twisted |
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| 23 | ASSAD |
New Yorker’s behind publicity for the president (5)
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ASS ("New Yorker's behind") + AD ("publicity") Refers to Basha al-Assad, the president of Syria. |
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| 24 | SUGAR |
A sweetener for someone who might hire you? (5)
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(Sir Alan) SUGAR is the boss in the UK version of TV's The Apprentice, who is actually more likely to fire you than to "hire you". |
Good fun; plenty of smiles. We have tossers in Australia, but as far as I’m aware, no dossers. And I’d only a vague, distant recollection of the name Alan Sugar — not enough for the clue to work for me.
Otherwise plain sailing.
As Loonapick said, the top half went in nicely for me. Had to put the grid aside for a while but finding CULTURED when I resumed helped the rest fall quickly into place. A pleasure to solve and parse and amusing into the bargain.
Top picks were SICK LEAVE, DISAPPEARANCE, STIR UP and PEASANTRY.
Thanks to Moo and Loonapick.
Geoff, we do have dossers in the land-down-under. I have lived in four of our capital cities and I’m pretty sure that “doss house” is a common expression for a homeless person’s residence.
Relatively plain sailing for this solver. LOI was Recede but I was held up for a while by pencilling an unconvincing Lustrous rather than the now obvious Cultured in 19a.
Thanks for parsing Stir Up!!
Worked steadily through this pleasant puzzle, though was held up at the end by DOSSIER and DUTY FREE. I couldn’t parse the second bit of SUGAR, but should have been able to as the gentleman referred to is (I think) currently on a TV program here at the moment.
Loonapick – a minor point. Sorry to be pedantic, but for “…with the tricky southeast corner holding out for a few minutes before I saw IMPEDE…”, I think you meant “…with the tricky southwest corner…”.
Thanks to loonapick and Moo
Thank you, Moo and Loonapick. Very nice challenge.
I took 1D to be a possible triple definition since ‘muggins’ alone is an idiot or simpleton, while a ‘mug’ plus ‘gins’ could mean a couple or more drinks, and lastly ‘muggins’ also referring to oneself or ‘me’
for Moo.
Might be off but seemed plausible.