The other FT Weekend puzzle for Saturday 8th April
A bumper selection of cryptic clues for the Easter weekend.
I’m back on reserve blogging duty as the FT once again put out a double helping of cryptic fun last Saturday. Is this going to become a regular thing, I wonder?
Anyway, I thought this was a cracking puzzle, packed with wit and invention. Several of the solutions had a seasonal flavour, not least 1a EASTER, and others highlighted in the grid below, but it’s a light-touch theme. There were plenty of Neo’s trademark leftfield definitions and amusing surface readings – among my favourites were 5a ALADDIN, 21a AMPHITHEATRE, 32a ARMAGEDDON, 42a MICHELANGELO, 49a RENMINBI, 9d GRAPEVINE.
The ones that held me up longest were 26d MIDINETTE, which I don’t think I’ve seen before; 22d PARNASSUS, for which I found the definition somewhat oblique; and my last one in, 53a NEATHERD, an archaic term – although I’m familiar with this meaning of NEAT. All fair and above board though, so no complaints.
Thanks, Neo.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | EASTER |
Any number expelled from Oriental festival (6)
|
| N (any number) subtracted (expelled) from EASTER[n] (Oriental) | ||
| 5 | ALADDIN |
Adult and youth clad at last in rubber? (7)
|
| A (adult) + LAD (youth) + [cla]D (“clad at last” = last letter of clad) + IN
“Rubber” in the sense of “one who rubs” something, eg a magic lamp. |
||
| 9 | GADZOOKS |
There’s idle talk about menagerie in Denmark? I’m amazed! (8)
|
| GAS (idle talk) containing (about) [ZOO (menagerie) in DK (international vehicle registration code and/or internet top-level domain for Denmark)]
Edit: another Easter-themed clue? See comment #5 below. |
||
| 13 | SANCHO PANZA |
Squire in timeless verse grasping an axe (6,5)
|
| S[t]ANZA (verse, “timeless” = less T) containing (grasping) [AN + CHOP (axe)]
Sidekick of Don Quixote in the Cervantes novel. |
||
| 14 | COASTLINES |
Canoeists reassembled around lake’s shores (10)
|
| Anagram (reassembled) of CANOEISTS containing (around) L (lake) | ||
| 15 | INTIMATE |
Personal papers confiscated from cow (8)
|
| INTIM[id]ATE (cow, as a verb) with ID (papers) subtracted (confiscated) | ||
| 16 | ACHIEVE |
Get Greek letter into answer given by First Lady? (7)
|
| CHI (Greek letter) inserted in (into) [A (answer) + EVE (First Lady, according to the Old Testament)] | ||
| 17 | HAIRDO |
One coming into tough Jobcentre? That makes change in Barnet! (6)
|
| I (one) inserted in (coming into) HARD (tough) + O (“Jobcentre” = middle letter of job) | ||
| 18 | GREENSWARD |
Gardeners worked outside with verdant area (10)
|
| Anagram (worked) of GARDENERS containing (outside) W (with) | ||
| 21 | AMPHITHEATRE |
Ham mixed with tripe for covering articles in bowl (12)
|
| [Anagram (mixed) of HAM with TRIPE] containing (for covering) [THE + A (articles, definite and indefinite)] | ||
| 24 | LAMB |
Innocent Lovelace barred from erotic dance? (4)
|
| ADA (Lovelace, pioneer in computer programming) subtracted from (barred from) LAMB[ada] (erotic dance) | ||
| 25 | PREMOLAR |
Grinder dealing with motorway cracks directly opposite (8)
|
| [RE (dealing with) + M (motorway)] inserted into (cracks) POLAR (directly opposite) | ||
| 27 | EAST SIDE |
Disease with tentative onset ravaged Chicago district (4,4)
|
| Anagram (ravaged) of DISEASE with T (first letter, or “onset” of tentative)
Chicago’s East Side is actually to the south of the city and gets its name from being on the east bank of the Calumet River. |
||
| 30 | ASH WEDNESDAY |
Fast start when one Sheffield team’s holding Hearts (3,9)
|
| AS (when) + WEDNESDAY (one Sheffield [football] team) containing (holding) H (Hearts, as in a deck of cards)
“Fast start” as in the start of a period of fasting, namely Lent. |
||
| 31 | ADROITNESS |
Struggling into a garment without finesse (10)
|
| Anagram (struggling) of INTO, with [A + DRESS (garment)] containing it (without, in the sense of outside) | ||
| 33 | ARMAGEDDON |
Equip old fellow with weapons for last battle (10)
|
| ARM (equip … with weapons) + AGED (old) + DON (fellow) | ||
| 35 | RESURRECTION |
1’s late riser? (12)
|
| Cryptic definition
Easter is the festival of the resurrection, when a “late” (ie dead) person rose from the grave. |
||
| 37 | ASSYRIAN |
Local man on ship in Scottish port? One from Nineveh maybe (8)
|
| IAN (local man, ie a Scot) on [SS (ship) in AYR (Scottish port)] – more succinctly: A(SS)YR+IAN | ||
| 39 | TAPAS BAR |
Arsenic added to milk served by staff in restaurant (5,3)
|
| [AS (arsenic) next to (added to) TAP] “served by” BAR (staff) | ||
| 40 | ROUT |
Imposter finally exposed in total defeat (4)
|
| [imposte]R (“imposter finally”) + OUT (exposed) | ||
| 42 | MICHELANGELO |
David was his ambassador among lively logical men (12)
|
| HE (His Excellency = ambassador) inserted into (among) an anagram (lively) of LOGICAL MEN
The statue of David (of Bible fame) being one of Michelangelo’s creations. |
||
| 44 | DISCOUNTED |
Small number perished outside, treated as irrelevant (10)
|
| [S (small) + COUNT (number, as a verb)] with DIED (perished) as a container (outside) | ||
| 45 | BONNET |
Bachelor connected to Web in 1 hood? (6)
|
| B (bachelor) + “ON NET” (connected to Web). | ||
| 47 | EXHAUST |
Empty old play Goethe wrote, hard for following (7)
|
| EX (old) + [f]AUST (play Goethe wrote) with H (hard) replacing (for) F (following) | ||
| 49 | RENMINBI |
On the move, Mr Benn takes in Italy and one eastern capital (8)
|
| Anagram (on the move) of MR BENN contains (takes in) I (Italy)
Currency (capital in the financial sense) of China. I’m sure FT readers don’t need this explained to them but Yuan is to Renminbi as Pound is to Sterling. |
||
| 51 | RABBIT FOOD |
Teacher also died, having ingested fine 50 nibbles? (6,4)
|
| [RABBI (teacher) + TOO (also) + D (died)] containing (having ingested) F (fine)
Reference to 50d BUNNY. |
||
| 52 | INFESTATION |
Trouble with vermin in vacated farmhouse: creature’s natural habitat (11)
|
| IN + F[armhous]E (“vacated” = remove inner letters) + STATION (creature’s natural habitat) | ||
| 53 | NEATHERD |
You’d have found my charges generally low! (8)
|
| Cryptic definition
An archaic term, hence the past tense of the clue, for someone whose charges (ie the animals they were responsible for) would have made a lowing sound, neat being an old word for cattle. |
||
| 54 | ANGOLAN |
African from Lubango landed (7)
|
| Hidden in [Lub]ANGO LAN[ded]
Lubango is a city in Angola. |
||
| 55 | TIE-DYE |
Even the old make clothes more colourful (3-3)
|
| TIED (even) + YE (“the old”) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | ARSON |
Minister without portfolio at first gives serious offence (5)
|
| [p]ARSON (minister, in the church sense) less the P (“without portfolio at first” = remove the first letter of portfolio) | ||
| 3 | TENNIS ELBOW |
Possible excuse for missing court appearance? (6,5)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 4 | REHEARSE |
Participate in show trial? (8)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 5 | AMPLE |
Liberal role model wants former lover evicted (5)
|
| [ex]AMPLE (role model) with EX (former lover) subtracted (evicted) | ||
| 6 | AYN RAND |
Objectivist writer always given new currency (3,4)
|
| AY (always, poetically speaking) + N (new) + RAND (currency)
20th century Russian-American writer and creator of Objectivism, a system of thought based around what she called “rational self-interest”. |
||
| 7 | DEATH VALLEY |
End with long depression in hottest place on Earth? (5,6)
|
| DEATH (end) + VALLEY (long depression)
An area of the Mojave Desert in California where temperatures can exceed 50ºC. |
||
| 8 | NICHE |
Horse stayed in lovely position (5)
|
| H (horse, slang terms for heroin) contained by (stayed in) NICE (lovely) | ||
| 9 | GRAPEVINE |
Go to press with items from this news source? (9)
|
| Two definitions – Go to [wine] press with items from this // news source? | ||
| 10 | DITCH |
Dig this — or discard unceremoniously! (5)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 11 | ORIGINAL SIN |
Eccentric people in error in the first place? (8,3)
|
| ORIGINALS (eccentric people) + IN
I don’t know if this was Neo’s intention, but I thought the “first place” in the clue could be taken to mean the Garden of Eden, being the site of the original sin that led to the Fall. Or it could be simply “in the first place” meaning “originally”. Works either way, I think. |
||
| 12 | KNEADER |
Masseur perhaps, Kelvin at hand around Delaware (7)
|
| K (Kelvin, temperature scale) + NEAR (at hand) containing (around) DE (postal code for Delaware) | ||
| 19 | REASSURES |
Confining 37 god, prophet from the south offers comfort (9)
|
| A reversal (from the south) of SEER (prophet) containing (confining) ASSUR (Assyrian [answer to 37] god) | ||
| 20 | AIRHEAD |
Was Dowding once this stupid? (7)
|
| Two definitions – Was Dowding once this // stupid?
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding was head of RAF Fighter Command at the time of the Battle of Britain. |
||
| 22 | PARNASSUS |
Girl accepting small criticism about creative centre (9)
|
| [SUSAN (girl) containing (accepting) S (small)] + RAP (criticism), all reversed (about). (SU(S)SAN+RAP)<
In Ancient Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus was the home of the Muses. Also gave its name to Montparnasse, the artistic quarter in Paris. |
||
| 23 | HOSTILES |
Those opposing army on French islands (8)
|
| HOST (army) + ILES (French islands) | ||
| 26 | MIDINETTE |
Nice worker maybe one seen in mass eating area (9)
|
| I (one) inserted in (seen in) [M (mass) + DINETTE (eating area)]
Traditionally, a midinette was a milliner’s female shop assistant, so-called because they took their lunch at midday. It’s a French term, hence “Nice worker” (as in the French city) and is a portmanteau of “midi” and “dînette”. More detail at word histories. Having never knowingly come across the term before, I was amused to see it turn up in another crossword just a few days later. The “eating area” in the clue is a small dining area, eg in a kitchen, originally an American usage. |
||
| 28 | DISSOLUTE |
Degenerate is loudest when drunk (9)
|
| Anagram (when drunk) of IS LOUDEST | ||
| 29 | EDGEHILL |
Advantage sitting on mount in battle (8)
|
| EDGE (advantage) + HILL (mount)
Battle of the English Civil War that took place on 23 October 1642. |
||
| 32 | REREADS |
For a second time studies are reorganised in Liverpool? (7)
|
| Anagram (reorganised) of ARE inserted in REDS (Liverpool [Football Club nickname]) | ||
| 34 | ANYTHING BUT |
Naughty BT in for a caning? Certainly not! (8,3)
|
| Anagram (for a caning) of NAUGHTY BT IN | ||
| 35 | REPRODUCING |
Elbow used by United, hosted by City in league, creating issue (11)
|
| [PROD (elbow) + U (united)] contained by (hosted by) EC (City [of London]), all contained by (in) RING (league). More succinctly: R(E(PROD+U)C)ING | ||
| 36 | TYRANNICIDE |
Woman one with Spanish hero in Lebanese port — despot’s killer? (11)
|
| [ANN (woman) + I (one) + CID (Spanish hero)] inserted in TYRE (Lebanese port)
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, was an 11th-century Spanish knight. |
||
| 38 | NONCE WORD |
Unrepeated utterance regarding church in rising flood (5,4)
|
| [ON (regarding) + CE (Church of England)] inserted in DROWN (flood) reversed (rising)
A term coined by Scottish lexicographer James Murray (editor of the New English Dictionary, aka the Oxford English Dictionary) to describe words and phrases invented “for the nonce”, ie for a single specific use – something like “easily turn-off-and-onable“, perhaps. Nonce words differ from neologisms in not (usually) transferring into more general use. |
||
| 41 | DOWNCAST |
Irish county players despondent (8)
|
| DOWN (Irish county) + CAST (players) | ||
| 43 | IRON AGE |
Exasperation about working with silver at this time? (4,3)
|
| IRE (exasperation) containing (about) [ON (working) + AG (silver)]
I’ve marked “this time” as the definition, but really the whole clue is a sort of whimsical extended definition. |
||
| 44 | DUTIFUL |
Devoted daughter attractive? Not Beatrice! (7)
|
| D (daughter) + [bea]UTIFUL (attractive) less BEA (“not Beatrice” = subtract Bea, diminutive form of Beatrice) | ||
| 46 | TITHE |
Money short then endlessly given in tax (5)
|
| TI[n] (money, short) + THE[n] (then, endlessly) | ||
| 48 | HYDRA |
One renewed despite cuts put an end to by Labour? (5)
|
| Cryptic definition
The second of the 12 Labours of Heracles was to kill the Hydra of Lerna, a many-headed serpentine monster that grew two new heads every time one was cut off. |
||
| 49 | RESIN |
Sulphur found in check for tree exudation (5)
|
| S (sulphur) inserted in (found in) REIN (check) | ||
| 50 | BUNNY |
1’s animal posh with two names, appearing in Times (5)
|
| [U (posh) + NN (two names)] inserted in (appearing in) BY (times, in the maths sense) |
I preferred the guardian one.
Thanks to Neo for the great entertainment, which I spread over two days, and to Widdersbel for the mammoth task of blogging it.
I’m used to seeing Gozo for this sort of puzzle and there were times when I thought Neo”s style was somewhat similar. As Widdersbel says, the puzzle was very witty throughout , for instance, the ‘confiscated papers’ of a ‘cow”. I also share a favourite in MICHELANGELO., along with the Easter theme, TENNIS ELBOW, RENMENBI and NONCE WORD. There were many others.
I didn’t know NEATHERD and needed a crossword solver for that but I was pleased with a 99% solve.
Roll on next Easter!
Thanks Neo. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a crossword last weekend and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I never got NEATHERD and I also missed REREADS because I carelessly mispelled RESURRECTION (too much Easter wine, I guess.) Anyhow I had many favourites including GADZOOKS, SANCHO PANZA, INTIMATE, ADROITNESS, TIE-DYE, GRAPEVINE, TYRANNICIDE, and NONCE WORD. Thanks Pete for tackling the herculean task of writing this blog.
[It’s the wine again. Thanks goes to Widdersbel, Pete was the other Saturday blogger.]
Bit of a treat, and very welcome. I hope the FT keeps doing these.
As blogger says a very entertaining puzzle. I think, again as the blogger opines, the reference at 11 must be to Eden (the ‘first place’), and I’d nudge GADZOOKS in as an Easter reference, being ‘God’s hooks’, i.e. the nails on the Cross.
Thanks FT, Neo and Widdersbel.
Forgot to mention 35A as chuckle of the day.
Ui Imair @5 – thanks, I hadn’t considered GADZOOKS but you’re right, it does tie in with the Easter theme – as long as you accept that slightly dubious etymology (OED is not 100% convinced).
Thanks all, and thanks W for the blog. It was a lot of fun setting this one, so I’m glad solving it was an enjoyable experience.
Cheers
Neo
Thanks Neo and Widdersbel. Getting back to solving cryptics after a while and this was a good multi-day challenge, but I solved it with a little help from Chambers Word Wizard. Clever wordplay in clues for RESURRECTION and NEATHERD. RABBIT FOOD is sort of a themed clue too. Agree about ORIGINAL SIN. Easter and the Resurrection in Christian thought are God’s solution to humanity’s original disobedience, the death of Jesus atoning for our sin.
I live in Chicago and the EAST SIDE is a small, often-ignored part of town, as you said, on the south side. It’s said that we have South, West, and North Sides, but “Lake Michigan is always east”. Congrats to Neo for knowing this!