Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 1, 2022
I found this a little difficult. My favourite clues are 8d (EUNICE) for its nice simplicity and 10a (IBUPROFEN) for its fine hiding,
I have recently received several suggestions that the publication time of this blog be changed. Given that it seems unlikely now that the FT will make it a prize puzzle again and that it is now publishing the solution in the following Weekend edition, I am coming round to thinking a change is in order. But what do we change it to? Suggestions please.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | OPPOSE |
Sit behind revolving Post Office counter (6)
|
| PO (post office) backwards (revolving) + POSE (sit) | ||
| 4 | ADAPTIVE |
Fit into a seedy bar that’s changing (8)
|
| A (a) + APT (fit) in (into) DIVE (a seedy bar) | ||
| 9 | GALEN |
Wind before noon? Physician is required (5)
|
| GALE (wind) + N (noon)
Galen, whom I learned about in my studies of the history of science, was a physician, surgeon and philosopher of ancient Greece and considered to be one of the earliest true scientists. |
||
| 10 | IBUPROFEN |
Number tucked into wine for pub – it’s knocked back (9)
|
| Reverse (it’s knocked back) hidden word (tucked into) | ||
| 11 | NOMADIC |
Left-leaning politician takes in one old lady, rambling (7)
|
| I (one) + DAM (old lady) together in (takes in) CON (politician) backwards (left-leaning?) | ||
| 12 | EMPIRIC |
What Britain had briefly, I see using observation (7)
|
| EMPIR[e] (what Britain had briefly) + I (i) + C (see) | ||
| 13 | SECT |
Determined to engage head for convent school (4)
|
| C[onvent] in (to engage) SET (determined) | ||
| 14 | E-NUMBERS |
Hampers deprived of cold food ingredients (1-7)
|
| EN[c]UMBERS (hampers deprived of cold) | ||
| 17 | LAWRENCE |
Novelist and architect clad in decorative cloth (8)
|
| WREN (architect) in (clad in) LACE (decorative cloth) | ||
| 19 | WIKI |
Website of New Zealander for cycling (4)
|
| KIWI (New Zealander) with halves alternated (for cycling) | ||
| 22 | RAPPORT |
Left to follow kind of music harmony (7)
|
| RAP (kind of music) + PORT (left) | ||
| 24 | ITCHING |
Time to crack Confucian text causing irritation (7)
|
| T (time) in (to crack) I-CHING (Confucian text) | ||
| 25 | WONDERBRA |
Speculate bar’s ordered well-known sort of cups (9)
|
| WONDER (speculate) + anagram (ordered) of BAR | ||
| 26 | E COLI |
Half of poor ice lollies? This shouldn’t be ingested (1,4)
|
| Anagram (poor) of ICE LO[llies] | ||
| 27 | REHASHED |
Reused grass, cutting grass (8)
|
| HASH (grass) in (cutting) REED (grass) | ||
| 28 | RAGTAG |
Untidy guy with arm swinging around (6)
|
| RAG (guy) + GAT (arm) reversed (swinging around) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ORGANIST |
Key player staring hopelessly after ball (8)
|
| O (ball) + anagram (hopelessly) of STARING | ||
| 2 | POLEMICAL |
Staff claim working is proving divisive (9)
|
| POLE (staff) + anagram (working) of CLAIM | ||
| 3 | SYNODS |
Two sons holding unknown teacher up in assemblies (6)
|
| Y (unknown) + DON (teacher) backwards (up) in SS (two sons) | ||
| 5 | DEUS EX MACHINA |
Due to remix most of James Brown track on a fabulous device (4,2,7)
|
| Anagram (to remix) of DUE + SEX MACHIN[e] (most of James Brown track) + A (a) | ||
| 6 | PORK PIE |
Kind of hat is a dubious invention (4,3)
|
| Double definition with the second referring to rhyming slang for ‘lie’ | ||
| 7 | INFER |
Refusal to leave epic poem, giving reason (5)
|
| INFER[no] (refusal to leave epic poem) | ||
| 8 | EUNICE |
Woman’s simple pro-remain slogan? (6)
|
| EU NICE (simple pro-remain slogan!) | ||
| 10 | INCONTESTABLE |
Hip artist keeps frame for Tate, it’s beyond doubt (13)
|
| IN (hip) + T[at]E in (keeps) CONSTABLE (artist) | ||
| 15 | SPIT IT OUT |
Tell me hints about current solicitor? (4,2,3)
|
| TIPS (hints) backwards (about) + I (current) TOUT (solicitor) | ||
| 16 | SING SING |
What snitches do repeatedly in prison (4,4)
|
| SING (what snitches do) + SING (repeatedly) | ||
| 18 | WOOFERS |
Speakers who might be barking? (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | BREWER |
One making you drink from barkeeper’s empty jug (6)
|
| B[arkeepe]R + EWER (jug) | ||
| 21 | SCHEMA |
Infiltrating Samoa, oddly, is revolutionary plan (6)
|
| CHE (revolutionary) in (infiltrating) S[a]M[o]A | ||
| 23 | PINCH |
What criminals do for cop (5)
|
| Double definition |
Buccaneer has treated us to some fine puzzles in this Saturday slot and this one was among the best I’ve seen. It was full of gems…
…like the pleasing repetition of 23d to describe the actions of opposing forces.
Or the inventive use of a James Brown number in 5d.
The neat conjunction of writer and architect in 17a, similarly the grassy 27a. And 8d elicited a wry smile.
It seems that the amusing 25a was at least partially inspired by the recent lingerie-themed discussions held in this forum to describe types of cluing such as the old ‘lift and separate’.
This hit the spot, alright.
Thanks to Buccaneer and Pete (your earliest convenience is fine by me).
Agree with Diane and Pete about this being a really nice puzzle. I share their favourites too.
I do not remember finding the clues particularly difficult, but I found a lot of words I do not know. I admit to not knowing GALEN, but I am proud that I got it straight away from the parsing. E-NUMBERS are new to me, I have never seen guy used as a verb (especially to mean RAG), 23 was lost on me given I would never use PINCH to mean cop, and neither I nor my wife had heard of a WONDERBRA. But, thank you for the education on British English & European standards, Buccaneer.
I do have one quibble. I know this is crossword language where anything goes, but Inferno is not an epic poem – it is one part of an epic Divine Comedy.
Thanks for a great crossword puzzle, Buccaneer, and thanks for a great blog again, Pete.
Oh, and I almost forgot to answer Pete’s question on timing. Similar to Diane, any time is fine with me. I generally finish the weekend crossword during the weekend it is published, and only when it is particularly difficult or I am busy does it bleed over into the week. Perhaps the following Saturday would be neatest solution?
There were so many clues that seemed so familiar — DEUS EX MACHINA, IBUPROFEN, SING SING, WONDERBRA, PORK PIE, WIKI, E COLI, WOOFERS among others — I wondered if Buccaneer was sending a message with 27a, REHASHED. In any event it was fun. Thanks to both.
Oh, thanks Tony! Add PORK PIE to the list of new words for me. I know the hat, and suspected PORK PIE was the answer, but had no idea of the second meaning and was not game to write in the answer until I got some crossers.
Thanks for the blog, personally I think the following Saturday would be best for the blog, we get the new puzzle and the answers to last week and a good reminder to check the blog. This seems to work well for the Guardian prize and the Everyman . Of course it is up to you Pete, whatever works best for you, I will still be grateful for the blog. Final point, we do not have an FT blog on a Saturday at the moment.
Have to agree with Diane, Martyn and Tony for this . It was rather special, I will just give a second mention for DEUS EX MACHINA for the same reason as Diane.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the WONDERBRA clue had needed two words pushed together ? The opposite of the lift and separate type of clue.
I’m in total agreement with Diane’s contribution @1, starting with the first sentence.
I’d like to add praise for the witty 9ac GALEN – good to see him, 12ac EMPIRIC, and 1dn ORGANIST, for the surface, which my late husband would have appreciated (as he was one).
Many thanks to Buccaneer and to Pete.
I agree with Martyn and Roz that the following Saturday would make sense.
And yes, Roz, a portmanteau would have been fine for WONDERBRA!
Many thanks to Buccaneer for an excellent puzzle and to Pete for an excellent blog.
For the timing of the blog, since the answers to the FT Saturday puzzle are now available on the following Saturday, then posting the blog on that day makes good sense, as others have already suggested.
Alternatively, posting around noon (UK time) on the Friday would be consistent with the blog’s approach for the weekday FT puzzles, that is, around mid-day on the day before the answers appear with the next FT puzzle, in this case, around mid-day on the day before the next FT Saturday puzzle.
Thank you for asking. Your blog is very much appreciated.
This had a high rating on the smile scale. Thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks Buccaneer.
Picking up a tony@3 point – perhaps the whole bottom line said something.
Pete – I always appreciate your blog and feel the Saturday would be appropriate, seeing that is when they publish the answers.
I’d vote for Friday lunchtime, please.
Thanks Buccaneer and Pete
I would go for Saturday for the blog, for the reasons given by Roz@5, especially the last one.
I’m another vote for Saturday. As I’ve mentioned before, I do the Saturday puzzles on the Sunday morning (my time) after the blog is published, so if I have a comment to make, it might be seen by at least someone.