Financial Times 17,353 by SLORMGORM

by

Slormgorm is today's compiler.

This is the only the third time that I have blogged a Slormgorm puzzle, and the experience was very similar to that of the first two occasions. A bit of a mixed bag with some excellent clues such as that for SLENDER, and a few "meh" clues (such as that for ISSUE, which I must have seen twenty times at least). The clue for CHEESEBOARD barely registers as cryptic at all.

Thanks, Slormgorm.

ACROSS
1 OCCLUDED
Blocked puzzle clue doc finally solved (8)

*(clue doc) [anag:puzzle] + [finally] (solve)D
5 SPACES
Small steps to get free parking (6)

S (small) + PACES ("steps")
10 SLENDER
How one looks giving slice of stomach to Shylock? (7)

[slice of] S(tomach) to LENDER ("Shylock" in The Merchant of Venice) and &lit.
11 ABUSIVE
A coach I have can be insulting (7)

A + BUS ("coach") + I'VE ("I have")
12 AMSTERDAM
Smart dame forging foreign capital (9)

*(smart dame) [anag:forging]
13 PLANE
Flat in quiet and narrow country road? (5)

P (piano, so "quiet") and LANE ("narrow country road")
15 LOBES
Pieces of loaf in lofts earl tucks into (5)

E (earl) tucks into LOBS ("lofts")

The loaf referred to is one's head, of which earLOBES are a part.
16 CAREFREE
A reefer lit up by Charlie without any troubles (8)

*(a reefer) [anag:lit up] by C (Charlie, in the NATO phonetic alphabet)
19 CARDINAL
Detective enthralled by sensual clergyman (8)

DI (Detective Inspector) enthralled by CARNAL ("sensual")
20 ADDER
Snake you can see in summer, perhaps (5)

Double definition, the first straight and the second cryptic.
21 FED UP
Annoyed with a massive corporation? (3,2)

Double definition, the corporation in the second referring to the belly.
23 FRIGHTFUL
France – just appalling! (9)

F (France) + RIGHTFUL ("just")
25 BRAWLER
One cries if punched by right ruffian (7)

BAWLER ("one cries") punched by R (right)
27 SERVICE
You might say an ace in the air force? (7)

Double definition, the first referring to an ace in tennis.
28 EVENTS
Eleven tsars holding sporting contests (6)

Hidden in [holding] "elEVEN TSars"
29 HEADSETS
Groups seen on top call centre apparatus? (8)

SETS ("groups") seen on HEAD ("top")
DOWN
1 OBSTACLE
Old boy and conservative entering old bar (8)

OB (old boy) + C (Conservative) entering STALE ("old")
2 CHEESEBOARD
On which one might find Leicester or Gloucester? (11)

(Barely) cryptic definition, Leicester and Gloucester being English cheeses
3 UNDRESSED
Nerds sued for driving out of gear (9)

*(nerds sued) [anag:driving]
4 ERRED
Former head of state revolutionary offended (5)

ER (Elizabeth Regina, "former head of state") + RED ("revolutionary")
6 PLUMP
Fleshy fruit served with posh starter (5)

PLUM ("fruit") served with P(osh) [starter]
7 CHI
Husband detained by short spies in force (3)

H (husband) detained by [short] CI(A) ("spies")
8 SUEDE
English band rocked on radio (5)

Homophone [on radio] of SWAYED ("rocked")
9 BALMORAL
Bishop just with a bit of lingerie on and a hat (8)

B (bishop) + MORAL ("just") with A + [bit of] L(ingerie)
14 AHEAD OF TIME
Previous CEO of an American magazine? (5,2,4)

A HEAD ("CEO") + OF + TIME ("American magazine")
16 CONIFERS
One involved in grants for C02 converters (8)

I (one) involved in CONFERS ("grants")
17 FEATHERED
Heroin and E found in shot draftee downed (9)

H (heroin) + E found in *(draftee) [anag:shot]
18 DRILLERS
Doctor not as fit as topless dentists? (8)

Dr. (doctor) + ILLER ("not as fit") + (a)S [topless]
21 FABLE
Story fit to be overlooked by head of Fox (5)

ABLE ("fit") overlooked by [head of] F(ox)
22 PILOT
Programme on trial of the Catholic church? (5)

The "Catholic church" could be described as a PI (i.e pious) LOT
24 ISSUE
Children’s publication (5)

Double definition
26 APE
Parrot or monkey pedants will argue with! (3)

Pedants would of course be right in saying that a "monkey" and an APE are not the same thing.

26 comments on “Financial Times 17,353 by SLORMGORM”

  1. Thanks, loonapick, for the parsing of 22D. The answer was obvious but I could see how the definition was formed. Couldn’t any church group be defined the same? Wonder why he picked on Catholics…

  2. Started well, but only completed around three quarters. I don’t think Slormgorm has defeated me before. The English band and Scottish hat were unknown. I didn’t think “ahead of time” meant “previous”. I’m still trying to accept “a bit of” for a first letter — I don’t like it at all. Couldn’t parse PILOT.

    My favourite was probably FED UP.

  3. GDU@2
    Bit by bit, you will get used to the ‘a-bit-of’ device.
    AHEAD OF TIME: ‘Previous’ seems okay to me (as the def).
    “Aren’t you a little previous with that request?”
    I feel ‘A HEAD OF TIME’ means ‘a previous head of Time’ and therefore, ‘previous’ could
    be included in the wordplay as well.

  4. No, the only meaning I’ve heard for “ahead of time” is “early”. I finished my task ahead of time. Or The train arrived ahead of time.

    I will get used to it “bit by bit” as I would a carbuncle.

  6. Collins online

    previous
    in British English
    (?pri?v??s IPA Pronunciation Guide)
    ADJECTIVE
    1. (prenominal)
    existing or coming before something else in time or position; prior
    2. (postpositive) informal
    taking place or done too soon; premature

    The second sense above may be seen.

  8. Yes tx loonapick for the parsing of 22d and actually 4d too. Bizarrely that escaped me at the time though it seems obvious enough in hindsight. As so often? Wasn’t sure what “You might think” was doing in 27. That, plus the question-mark, had me groping for a cryptic definition. I see the need for the question mark as DBE but not sure what “You might think” adds.
    On reading the blog carefully I am struck by how much information is succinctly conveyed by your careful system (italics, colours, bold characters etc). Hadn’t taken that on board before. Bravo and many tx loonapick had SLORMGORM.

  10. Thanks, Nick@8 – I use the system to try to bring some consistency to my approach. Glad it’s appreciated!

  11. I rather liked the confluence of 19’s ‘sensuous clergyman’ and 9’s ‘lingerie-wearing bishop’. Also appreciated FEATHERED and was pleasantly surprised to see the band SUEDE make an appearance.
    Thanks to Slormgorm and Loonapick.

  12. I had the same problem with AHEAD OF TIME as GDU @2 so thanks to others for the subsequent explanation. As a non-UK based solver, I had no problems with 2d as a cryptic def for CHEESESBOARD. I liked the ‘CO2 converters’ at 16d and the surface for DRILLERS.

    Thanks to loonapick and Slormgorm

  13. Thanks Slormgorm and Loonapick

    27ac: Is not the point here that both definitions are by example, so we need two indicators: “You might say” for the first definition and “?” for the second?

  16. Alans@8
    I thought the same as you but The Hague is the seat of Government and Amsterdam the capital. We live and learn.

  17. I thought FRIGHTFUL was notable. I had a lot tougher going with the left half of the grid. Some of these required some thought, or, at least, they did for me.

  20. Thanks for the blog, I had the same likes as Diane@11 , the usual enjoyable mixture from this setter.

  21. Thanks Slormgorm for a pleasant crossword with FRIGHTFUL (nice and compact), ERRED, CONIFERS, and FEATHERED (nice misdirection) being my top picks. I couldn’t parse PILOT and SERVICE so thanks loonapick for the help.

  22. Premiership Rugby This Sunday March 12 at 1pm – Gloucester Rugby vs Leicester Tigers – Coincidence?

  25. I don’t know where else to air this thought. Isn’t PHSSTHPOK an alternative spelling of “fishhook”? To wit: ph as in philosophy, ss as in fission, t as in whistle, h as in hook, p as in ptomaine, o as in woman, k as in kilogram.

Comments are closed.