Financial Times 17,464 by PEDROCK

by

PEDROCK brings a whimsical start to this working week…

I had a few issues with the blogging facility this morning, so I’ve had to biff this out in rather a hurry – apologies if there are any errors,

An enjoyable solve with some neat and concise,clues.

 

Thanks PEDROCK

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. A letter said to have been used in acknowledgement (6)
AVOWAL

“a vowel” (a letter, “said”)

5. Fairly good way to rebuke (8)
MODERATE

Double definition

9. Inappropriate that first person will accompany Timothy, leading journalist (3-5)
ILL-TIMED

I’LL (first person will) accompany TIM (Timothy) leading ED (journalist)

10. Can horseflies be caught in it? (6)
COBWEB

Cryptic definition

A cob being a horse

11. Rubbish bride removed before first Saturday (6)
DEBRIS

(BRIDE)* (*removed) before S[aturday] (first)

12. Patriot melting alloy first (8)
LOYALIST

(ALLOY)* (*melting) + IST (first)

14. Frank stirring rather hot tea (5-2-5)
HEART-TO-HEART

(RATHER HOT TEA)* (*stirring)

18. Inn, central place of worship? (6,6)
MIDDLE TEMPLE

MIDDLE (central) + TEMPLE (place of worship)

One of the two inns of court

22. I had backed minister, one on board (8)
DIRECTOR

(ID)< (I had, <backed) + RECTOR (minister)

25. Engineers unable to withdraw (6)
RECANT

RE (engineers) + CANT (unable to)

26. Said to obtain nothing from poor area (6)
GHETTO

“get 0” (obtain nothing, “said”)

27. Horrible having become a bit taller, we hear (8)
GRUESOME

“grew some” (having become a bit taller, “we hear”)

28. Lent moved forward (8)
ADVANCED

Double definition

29. Senior withheld estimate that had been included (6)
ELDEST

[withh]ELD EST[imate] (included)

DOWN
2. It is higher either side of this depressed area (6)
VALLEY

Cryptic definition

3. Draw these round dividing line (9)
WATERSHED

(DRAW THESE)* (*round)

4. Illuminating cover-up (9)
LAMPSHADE

Cryptic definition

5. Even soft wet earth cannot be seen at high tide (7)
MUDFLAT

MUD (soft wet earth) + FLAT (even) &lit

6. Edward brought up shy bird (5)
DECOY

(ED)< (Edward, <brought up) + COY (shy)

7. Some more belligerently resist authority (5)
REBEL

[mo]RE BEL[ligerently]

8. Revised rate certain to produce wealth (8)
TREASURE

(RATE)* (*revised) + SURE (certain)

13. A small hospital remains (3)
ASH

A + S (small) + H (hospital)

15. Timely work quietly done on alternative melody (9)
OPPORTUNE

OP (work) + P (quietly) on OR (alternative) + TUNE (melody)

16. Used drill with old Penny (9)
EXERCISED

EXERCISE (drill) with D (old penny)

17. Polished all over (8)
FINISHED

Double definition

19. Want most of the resin (3)
LAC

LAC[k] (want, most of)

20. Furious fit of madness in terminus (7)
ENRAGED

RAGE (fit of madness) in END (terminus)

21. Main trouble, American hostility (6)
ANIMUS

(MAIN)* (*trouble) + US (American)

23. Actor’s run without hitting the ball (5)
EXTRA

Double definition

24. Ronald in court bringing up tips for waiters (5)
TRONC

RON (Ronald) in (CT)< (court, <bringing up)

17 comments on “Financial Times 17,464 by PEDROCK”

  1. Thanks, Pedrock and Teacow!
    An excellent puzzle and a detailed blog!

    MODERATE
    I had
    MODE=way, RATE=to rebuke
    Def: Fairly good

  3. nho TRONC – a jorum
    From French tronc des pauvres (“poor box”).
    (Britain) A monetary pool, in which tips are collected and later shared out between all staff, e.g. in a restaurant.
    Thanks P&T

  5. I agree this was excellent, full of wry humour.
    Thanks to Pedrock who is a new setter for me. Blog was up to Teacow’s usual high standard despite the hurry so thank you. One small point in 18ac : there are four Inns of Court. Gray’s and Lincoln’s Inns with the Middle and Inner Temples.

  6. The clue for VALLEY didn’t do much for me — is it even cryptic? I didn’t know a cob is a horse, and know nothing of inns of court, whatever they are. Nor had I heard of a tronc. And I’m not comfortable with “removed” as an anagrind (11a).

    All else fell into place. Thanks Pedrock & Teacow.

  7. Took me a while to get going, especially at the top of the grid. I was mystified by VALLEY too; if there is something more going on than a just cryptic def, I can’t see it. Managed to remember TRONC only to fail on COBWEB, for which I put in a not v. clever “cobnet”, at the end. DECOY for ‘bird’? I suppose so but it’s not the first answer to come to mind.

    Best for me was the cryptic def for LAMPSHADE.

    Thanks to Pedrock and Teacow

  8. But Peter, the letters are moved once, so not “re-moved”. Nice try though. Yes I’ve watched Morse. Don’t remember any inns of court. Must pay more attention.

  9. I am surprised at the non-crypticness of the clue for VALLEY being remarked on, considering the clue for MUDFLAT.

  10. James@10
    MUDFLAT and VALLEY
    I agree with you that the clues for both MUDFLAT and VALLEY do not seem cryptic enough.
    MUDFLAT has a semblance of wordplay but it turns out to be a plain description of the solution.

    Of course, we could be missing something.

  11. KVa@4 – Did I find VALLEY adequately cryptic?
    I suppose Pedrock was alluding to other things apart from height that could be higher outside “this depressed area”:
    standard of living, pay, life expectancy, general well-being…
    “this depressed area” being the UK post-Brexit with Ireland and Europe on “either side” of it.

  12. We didn’t think VALLEY or MUDFLAT were particularly cryptic either. And we’re not particularly keen on devices such as ’first Saturday’ – we think indicating a particular letter in a word should either use ‘of’ or an apsotrophe to indicate the possessive; in the case of DEBRIS the clue could quite easily have read ‘… first of September’. As for LAC, the clue seems to read the wrong way round, asking the solver to shorten a word for resin to give a word for want.
    But those grumbles apart we found this a pleasant enough solve; we liked AVOWAL, WATERSHED and LAMPSHADE. So thanks, Pedrock and Teacow.

  13. Thanks Pedrock. I generally enjoyed this despite the seemingly large number of double and cryptic definitions. (I prefer clues that contain more intricate wordplay and misdirection.) In any event I like the homophone clues like GRUESOME and GHETTO and the anagram clues like HEART-TO-HEART. I had to do a trial-and-error letter trawl to solve MUDFLAT and COBWEB. I think “moved” would have been better than “removed” in 11ac and the surface would still remain intact. Thanks Teacow for the blog.

  14. I enjoyed this. All my favourites and all my doubts & questions have been mentioned, so I will not repeat

    Thanks Teacow and Bedrock

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