Another enjoyable instalment of the online-only FT News Puzzle with clues relating to topical events, which comes out on the last Sunday of every month. Find it on the FT website to print or solve interactively, or use the FT’s neat smartphone app.
This month’s topically themed challenge is provided by Leonidas, who I usually find to be of moderate difficulty in his regular FT cryptics. Here he’s gone relatively easy on us with clues that are towards the more accessible end of the scale but still as polished and witty as we expect from him. I particularly liked the homage to Burt BACHARACH at 8d, the clever wordplay for ANODYNE at 27a, and the well-disguised definition for FILCH at 19a.
Like last month’s offering from Julius, we have one clue relating to a political leader who has recently announced her resignation and one relating to a notable figure from popular culture who has recently died. If it happens again next month, we can call it a trend! I think I’ve spotted all the topical references but please feel free to point out any I’ve missed in the comments below.
Definitions are underlined in the clues. In the annotations, elements of the solution are highlighted in BLUE and indicator words from the clues are highlighted in GREEN.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PONTIFF |
Francis initially presides over new row (7)
|
| First letter (initially) of Presides + O (over – in the cricketing sense) + N (new) + TIFF (row)
I’m not aware of Pope Francis having done anything particularly newsworthy lately, but this week saw the start of Lent, the most important period of the year in the Roman Catholic church, which is also referenced in 3d. |
||
| 5 | REFURB |
Overhaul unlimited curbs on whistle-blower (6)
|
| cURBs with its first and last letters or “limits” removed (unlimited) “on” REF (whistle-blower, in the sporting sense, ie referee) | ||
| 9 | BALLOON |
Xi’s tech from research facility sent west by fool (7)
|
| Reversal (sent west) of LAB (research facility) “by” LOON
A Chinese weather balloon/spy satellite (depending on who you believe) entered US airspace in late January and flew over several military sites, until it was shot down on 4 Feb by a US fighter jet. |
||
| 10 | DEFENCE |
Use foil attached to outside of dirigible as protection (7)
|
| FENCE (use foil) attached to DirigibleE (the “outside” letters of dirigible)
A dirigible is a type of powered balloon – one from China, perhaps? – and a foil is one of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. |
||
| 12 | SIX NATIONS |
Tax on sin is spoiling event (3,7)
|
| Anagram (spoiling) of TAX ON SIN IS
The annual international Rugby Union tournament for the leading northern hemisphere teams began this year on 4 Feb with wins for Ireland, Scotland and France over Wales, England and Italy respectively. The final round isn’t until 18 March, so it’s still all to play for. Unless you’re Wales or Italy. |
||
| 13 | ELAN |
Style exhibited by section of freelancers (4)
|
| Hidden in (section of) freELANcers | ||
| 14 | RISHI |
Knight recalled greeting sage in Sanskrit (5)
|
| Reversal (recalled) of SIR (knight) + HI (greeting)
According to Wikipedia, a Rishi in the Vedic tradition is “an accomplished and enlightened person”. Hmmm. No comment. |
||
| 15 | MAINSTAY |
One who supports ex-PM adopting photo app (8)
|
| [Theresa] MAY (ex-Prime Minister) containing (adopting) INSTA (short for Instagram, the popular smartphone app people use to share pictures of their dinner/pets being cute) | ||
| 17 | STURGEON |
By sides of Solent, encourage swimmer (8)
|
| SolenT (“sides of” Solent) + URGE ON (encourage)
Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party announced on 15 Feb that she would be standing down |
||
| 19 | FILCH |
Take issue in France mainly with children (5)
|
| FILs (“issue in France”, ie the French word for son) with its last letter removed (mainly) + CH (a common abbreviation for children)
This was my last one in and it took a fair while for the penny to drop even with all the crossing letters in place. Nice clue. |
||
| 21 | FTSE |
Index of lowest gas price ultimately (4)
|
| Last letters of (ultimately) oF lowesT gaS pricE
The “Footsie” as it is commonly known, or Financial Times Stock Exchange 100, to give it its full name, is an index of the 100 best performing companies on the London Stock Exchange, founded as a joint venture with the FT in the 80s. Should be an easy one for regular readers of this paper. I’m guessing the surface reading is intended to allude to the recent collapse in wholesale gas prices in the UK. |
||
| 22 | HEREABOUTS |
She’s discovered on US boat lost in this area (10)
|
| sHEs with the outer letters or “covers” removed (dis-covered) + RE (on) + an anagram (lost) of US BOAT
I don’t think this clue refers to any topical events but please put me right if I’ve missed something. |
||
| 24 | NOVELLA |
Work half a month with everybody in recession (7)
|
| NOVEmber (half a month) + reversal (in recession) of ALL (everybody)
It was reported this month that the UK technically avoided falling into recession in the fourth quarter of 2022, which I’m sure is a great comfort to everyone |
||
| 25 | MIRACLE |
A relic becoming animated after Mass? (7)
|
| Anagram (becoming animated) of A RELIC after M (abbreviation for mass in the physics sense, as opposed to the religious sense in the surface reading)
A neat example of clue-as-definition or &lit, or whatever you want to call it – every part of the clue contributes to the wordplay, and at the same time, the surface reading in its entirety describes something that might be regarded as a miracle by those who believe in such things |
||
| 26 | STRAYS |
Homeless maybe who prefer a weakened pound (6)
|
| Whimsical cryptic definition, the pound in question being one where stray dogs are kept
They’d prefer it weakened to make it easier to escape, I guess. Or am I missing some subtly clever wordplay? |
||
| 27 | ANODYNE |
Some deny donation to the Left is harmless (7)
|
| Hidden (some) and reversed (to the left) in dENY DONAtion
Clever surface alluding to comments made by some Conservatives recently suggesting that donations to the Labour party from trade unions give them undue political influence. Of course, billionaires who give vast sums to the Conservatives do so through pure altruism, right? |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | OMANI |
Arab hiding in revolutionary Medina mostly (5)
|
| Hidden (hiding!) and reversed (revolutionary) in medINA MOstly | ||
| 3 | TALENTS |
Gifts uplifted saint accepting a period of denial (7)
|
| Reversal (uplifted) of ST (saint) containing (accepting) A + LENT (period of denial) | ||
| 4 | FRONT LINE |
French working with dodgy intel in war zone (5,4)
|
| FR (French) + ON (working) + anagram (dodgy) of INTEL
Again, I don’t know of any particular news story this could relate to – let me know if I’m missing something |
||
| 6 | EXECS |
Managers taking old partners around clubs (5)
|
| EXES (old partners) containing (around) C (clubs, as in the suit in a deck of cards) | ||
| 7 | USELESS |
Inept advice from energy companies (7)
|
| Cryptic definition – the solution could be read as “USE LESS“, which is the kind of advice you might get from energy companies on how to cut your bills | ||
| 8 | BACHARACH |
Composer with No.1s from ace records and cool hits (9)
|
| BACH (composer) + first letters of (No.1s from) Ace Records And Cool Hits
Another lovely clue-as-definition/&lit, in homage to the great Burt Bacharach who died on 8 Feb aged 94, one of the most important and influential figures in 20th century popular music. Highlights? Take your pick from literally hundreds of great tunes. One of my favourites is Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid |
||
| 11 | COMMONERS |
Hoi polloi caught smashing up men’s room (9)
|
| C (caught, cricketing abbreviation) + anagram (smashing up) of MENS ROOM | ||
| 14 | ROTATIONS |
Turns peeled pots into supplies (9)
|
| pOTs with outer letters removed (peeled) inserted in (into) RATIONS (supplies)
I initially wondered if this would turn out to be a reference to turnips, but maybe that particular news story happened too late to make it into the puzzle |
||
| 16 | INFLATION |
What 9 needs to lift is now coming down (9)
|
| Double definition. A BALLOON (answer to 9a) needs to be inflated to lift, while inflation in the financial sense reportedly fell slightly this month | ||
| 18 | ROE DEER |
Eggs and grass to raise animal (3,4)
|
| ROE (eggs) + reversal (to raise) of REED (grass) | ||
| 20 | LEOPARD |
Spotted anniversary present from Berlin? (7)
|
| Cryptic definition – a reference to the Leopard tanks that Germany has promised to give Ukraine. It was the first anniversary of the Russian invasion this week | ||
| 22 | HALEY |
Robust year for Trump’s challenger (5)
|
| HALE (robust) + Y (year)
Nikki Haley is the former US ambassador to the UN who recently announced she would be standing against Donald Trump for nomination as the Republican candidate in the 2024 US Presidential election |
||
| 23 | TALON |
Lie briefly on something sharp (5)
|
| TALe (lie) with its final letter removed (briefly) + ON |
Where did you get clue 23 down from ?
Looks like gremlins have got in the FT’s system – 23d is there in the app but appears to be missing from the version on the website!
Enjoyed this second news?flavoured puzzle which I completed much faster than a regular Leonidas grid. Soon as I saw ‘Xi’s…’ in 9a, I knew balloon couldn’t be far behind and so it proved. One of the neatest surfaces I’ve seen for STURGEON too. BACHARACH was a nice touch.
I interpreted ‘weakened pound’ as you did, Widdersbel. I also did wonder about ‘turnip’ but too soon, probably, as you say, though I expect it will be gleefully adopted in the next Cyclops.
Thanks to Leonidas and Widdersbel.
Enjoyed this with Filch and Leopard my last two in. Thank you for explaining the parsing of Filch.
There is a nice article about Colin Inman, the retiring FT crossword editor, in the main newspaper.
I found that a tad easier than the last one, but also felt it was lighter on the topical clues (unless I’m missing lots of subtleties, of course). Despite being a Francophone FILCH was a bung from the definition part and I had to come here for the parsing.
Minor typo in blog: the A in ‘and’ is also part of the acrostic fodder in BACHARACH.
Thanks Leonidas and Widdersbel.
Fixed, thanks, Rob T.
An excellent puzzle. Plaudits for BACHARACH.
Thanks Widdersbel. And to all who have taken the time to post today. My turn again in August, the world will definitely be in a better place by then ….
Thanks Widdersbel and to all who have taken the time to post today. My turn again in August. The World will definitely be in a better place by then, won’t it?