Financial Times 17,374 Set by Gozo

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Weekend puzzle from the FT of April 1, 2023

For All Fools Day we have a hybrid puzzle by Gozo.  And an unusual one in that the grid can be filled in a number of different ways.  And also an unusual one in that one clue, 30a, was missing in both the print and online editions.  Six days after publication I just checked the online edition for a corrective update — which has happened before but not this time.

Postscript added on April 24:  I have added in the missing 30ac clue.

Let’s start with a completed grid.  I have colour-coded the various interchangeable clue pairs.

Here are the solutions to the unnumbered clues:

24 or 6. Henry’s not a reformed classical actor (6,4)
ANTONY SHER – anagram (reformed) of HENRYS NOT A

Villa with single drop is jaw-dropping (10)
ASTONISHED – ASTON (Villa) + I (single) + SHED (drop)

1a or 22d. Cooks and sews (6)
BASTES – double definition

Sticks to pies one rejected (6)
PASTES – PAST[i]ES (pies, one rejected)

4 or 1d. Complaining of tangible characters (8)
BLEATING – anagram (of…characters) TANGIBLE

I get plan organised for making folds (8)
PLEATING – anagram (organised) for I GET PLAN

10 or 29. Secretive deviant vies with girl first (7)
EVASIVE – EVA (girl) + anagram (deviant) of VIES

Probe SW banker capturing dictator (7)
EXAMINE – AMIN (dictator) in (capturing) EXE (SW banker, i.e. river)

9 or 23. Surely not HP when doubled (5)
NEVER – double definition with the second referring to “hire purchase”

Look it up or down! (5)
REFER – palindrome

13 or 14. Forthcoming person’s novel Gozo’s after (10)
RESPONSIVE – anagram (novel) of PERSONS + IVE (Gozo’s)

Snake in Spain, winding (10)
SERPENTINE – SERPENT (snake) + IN (in) + E (Spain, i.e. Espanha)

2 or 17. Extortionate price increase of stylish revolt (5,4)
SHARP RISE – SHARP (stylish) + RISE (revolt)

Sectarians caught out cracking spicy seed pod (4,5)
STAR ANISE – anagram (cracking) of SE[c]TARIANS

12, 26 or 27. Pat’s listening devices (4)
TAPS  (pats).  I originally saw this as an anagram and wondered why there was no anagrind.   ‘Pats’ simply cluing ‘taps” works much better!

In uppercase letters “Hits for onboard winding devices” (8)
CAPSTANS – CAPS (in uppercase letters) + TANS (hits)

18 or 19. Pathe report from all quarters, on cylinder (8)
NEWSREEL – NEWS (all quarters) + REEL (cylinder)

Ocean’s the pits for conch (8)
SEASHELL – SEAS (ocean’s) + HELL (the pits)

 

Finally, here are the numbered clues:

ACROSS
11 Article in our paper from female priests (7)
FATHERS – A (article) in (in) FT (our paper) + HERS (from female)

15 Poor Daniel is held fast (6)
NAILED – anagram (poor) of DANIEL

16 Carry on with some bumpers — is tormenting! (7)

PERSIST – hidden word (with some)

20 Cerebral shrines? (7)

TEMPLES – double definition

21 Inwardly composed, at ease, calm (6)

SEDATE – hidden word (inwardly)

28 Insect cutting oyster in half with power, reportedly (7)

TERMITE – [oys]TER + homophone (reportedly) of “might” (power)

30 Doctor duly ends totally unexpectedly (8)

SUDDENLY – anagram (doctor) of DULY ENDS

31 Wales dismissed before start of lunch, too (2,4)

AS WELL – anagram (dismissed) of WALES + L[unch]

DOWN
3 Muslim ruler mentioned in The Mirror (4)

EMIR – hidden word (mentioned in)
5 Biography equal to noble (4,4)
LIFE PEER – LIFE (biography) + PEER (equal)

7 Tribe’s reserve province (5)
ICENI – ICE (reserve) + NI (province, i.e. Northern Ireland)

8 Chap’s after fuel cuts (6)
GASHES – GAS (fuel) + HES (chap’s)

25 It turns to danger when exhausted (5)
TIRED – IT (it) backwards (turns) + RED (danger)

16 comments on “Financial Times 17,374 Set by Gozo”

  1. Thanks for the blog, Pete. Am I missing something or is the pattern for Sharp Rise and Star Anise not identical? There appears to be a “P” where there should be an “A”. Minor quibble as I found this Gozo really enjoyable. Perhaps that’s an April Fools as well!

  2. Enjoyed this April Fool’s grid but thought the joke must be on me as I searched in vain for 30a and its definition; a crossword filler gave SUDDENLY but coming here, I see it’s still a mystery.
    It was fun to solve, however, with its pairs and deciding which clue to separate (CAPSTANS) and where to place it along with TAPS.
    Favourites included ANTONY SHER (whom I’ve had the pleasure to see a few times), NEVER (for HP = never never) and STAR ANISE.
    Thanks to Gozo and Pete.

  3. Thanks Gozo. I had fun with this even though I failed to get TEMPLES, SHARP RISE (it didn’t seem to fit the STAR ANISE pattern) and CAPSTANS. I liked the clueing in general as I usually do with this master setter. Thanks Pete for the blog.

  4. Thanks Pete,

    Nice colour coding. Good idea from Gozo and I loved the missing clue.

    I agree with Roz. It was fun solving, matching and inserting. I mucked up one clue (pensive instead of EVASIVE), and then got stuck on the different crossers for the 9 letter words (S.A.P.I.E vs S.A.A.I.E). Unfortunately I was quite busy so I did not have the time to deal with these issues and finish it.

    Thanks Pete and Gozo

  5. [Martyn @4: How can you agree with Roz when she hasn’t posted yet? Inquiring minds want to know!]

  6. The puzzle was still solvable, the goofs notwithstanding. I wondered whether the SHARP RISE/STAR ANISE mismatch and the completely unclued 30A were some sort of extra April Fools’ prank, or maybe whether arranging the paired words in some particular fashion might reveal a theme nina. If such a device is in play, I could not discover it. Very thorough job on the blog.

  7. Thanks for a great blog and amazing grid , you do spoil us. Very clever idea , I loved fitting them in and the missing clue did not really spoil things. NEVER was the favourite for me.
    Tony@5 I suspect that Martyn@4 knows that I will agree with Diane@2 and he is just continuing the chain, in fact I agree with WordPlodder.

  8. Well, Roz, back at you because I agree, this was one to relish! And the surfeit of treats continues this long weekend so I’m sure it will be a Happy Easter for us all.
    I omitted to say, as Martyn did, that Pete’s colour coding was a neat touch.

  9. I agree with everyone! Found this great fun, albeit fun of an infuriating kind. Many thanks, Gozo and Pete.

    Brian atp @1 – I assumed that was deliberate trickery. CAPS/TANS can fit either way in the grid, but TAPS partially fits with either, which caused me a lot of head-scratching because I initially entered it in the grid at 27d. STAR ANISE and SHARP RISE are the only pair that can’t be alternated.

    I suspect the missing 30a is simply a mistake, though. I plumped for an alternative to SUDDENLY to fill in the blank, and even went as far as coming up with a clue for it, if anyone’s interested:
    Small worm to escape – this will irritate anglers! (5,3)

  10. Brilliant Widdersbel , the words and clue. I will not say much in case others want to have a go, you can give the answer when the blog is pretty much over. Just say I loved the worm.

  12. Really loved the colour scheme. Brilliant. A small point. 12A I didn’t see an anagram indicator so I took TAPS as a synonym for PATS in the sense of gently touches

  13. Thanks for the lifeline Roz @5 (the real Roz). Apologies to you both, but let’s just say I greatly admire your comments in equal measures

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