Buccaneer returns as the setter for the September edition of the monthly News Puzzle. Solve it on the FT website or via the smartphone app.
As we expect from Buccaneer, this is a puzzle packed with wit and clever wordplay – some of it quite elaborate but if you follow the instructions given in the clue to the letter, it all unravels nicely. There are, of course, plenty of references to recent events woven throughout both the solutions and clues – including one rather unlikely sounding story that I was able to deduce from the clear wordplay, making it a kind of newsy equivalent of what we call a jorum round these parts.
Edit: there were a couple of other topical references I missed – thanks to commenters for pointing them out. Please mention any others you spot.
Many thanks to Buccaneer.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | MUGSHOT |
Idiot with attempt to get image of Trump? (7)
|
| MUG (idiot) + SHOT (attempt)
Trump’s mugshot was released to the press after his arrest in Atlanta last month. |
||
| 8 | DORRIES |
Order is reissued for MP ‘taking the Chiltern Hundreds’ (7)
|
| Anagram (reissued) of ORDER IS
‘Taking the Chiltern Hundreds’ is the antiquated process for a sitting MP to resign their seat, which Nadine Dorries finally did on 29th August. |
||
| 10 | BRAND |
Stigmatise media personality accused of being a 17 (5)
|
| Two definitions
Russell Brand is the media personality in question, of course, accused of numerous sexual offences against women over many years. I think there’s a wee typo in the clue – it should reference 21 rather than 17. |
||
| 11 | PRIGOZHIN |
Hip Ring cycles round Australia for Wagner conductor (9)
|
| Anagram (cycles) HIP RING round OZ (Australia)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, former head of the Wagner paramilitary group, was killed in a plane explosion last month, though some conspiracy theorists have recently claimed he wasn’t on the plane and is now living in the Caribbean. Next door to Elvis, presumably. |
||
| 12 | WEARIED |
Tired of cannabis, inhaling fresh air (7)
|
| WEED (cannabis) containing (inhaling) an anagram (fresh) of AIR | ||
| 13 | EDWARD |
Journo getting place for patient prince who’ll visit Erdogan (6)
|
| ED (journo) + WARD (place for patient)
This story had passed me by but however bizarre it sounds, it’s apparently true – King Charles’s younger brother is heading to Turkey to discuss defence and trade relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. |
||
| 16 | VERSE |
Believer seemingly embraces Pope’s work? (5)
|
| Hidden (embraces) in belieVER SEemingly
Pope being the poet Alexander rather than the chap with the hat. |
||
| 18 | ROC |
Mythical flier stripped off dress (3)
|
| [f]ROC[k] (dress) with first and last letters removed (stripped off) | ||
| 20 | NAOMI |
I express displeasure when back in Osaka, say (5)
|
| I MOAN (express displeasure) reversed (when back)
Former world tennis no.1 Naomi Osaka, currently on maternity leave from the game. |
||
| 21 | ABUSER |
Maybe 17, as his accusers say, rating American head of state once (6)
|
| AB (rating = sailor) + US (American) + ER (head of state once = Queen Elizabeth)
Apparently, the Rubiales kiss was only the tip of the iceberg – his accusers say there have been many other incidents. |
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| 23 | NASTASE |
Mostly awful case of anomalous drug for Romanian tennis player (7)
|
| NAST[y] (awful, mostly) + first and last letters (case) of A[nomalou]S + E (drug)
Ilie Nastase, who was the world no.1 tennis player for a spell in the 70s. Edit: The clue also references two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep, who has been banned since 2022 for a doping offence. An independent tribunal recently published its report showing that her use of a banned substance was deliberate. (Thanks to ub @3 for spotting this one.) |
||
| 26 | ENAMELLER |
One puts pretty coat on? In France, she runs round VIP (9)
|
| [ELLE (in France, ‘she’) + R (runs)] containing (round) NAME (VIP) | ||
| 28 | OVERT |
Ultimately, Djoko-Medvedev finale right for Open (5)
|
| Last letters (ultimately) of djokO medvedeV finalE + RT (right)
Another tennis themed clue – Novak Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in the final of the US Open earlier this month. |
||
| 30 | THE KISS |
Sculpture which caused problems for 17 (3,4)
|
| Two definitions
The kiss that caused problems for Rubiales was the one he gave Spain player Jenni Hermoso after her team won the World Cup last month. The sculpture is the famous one by Auguste Rodin. |
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| 31 | TOTALLY |
Child, someone who supports minorities completely (7)
|
| TOT (child) + ALLY (someone who supports minorities) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | IGUANA |
Temperature dropping in Antigua affected reptile (6)
|
| Anagram (affected) of ANtIGUA dropping the T (temperature) | ||
| 2 | SHODDINESS |
Poor quality rum loaded into Polish ship (10)
|
| ODD (rum) inserted (loaded) into [SHINE (polish) + SS (ship)] | ||
| 3 | STUPIDER |
Dimmer switch I’d put in empty space close to door (8)
|
| Reversal Anagram (switch) of ID PUT inserted in SpacE with the middle letters removed (empty) + last letter of (close to) dooR | ||
| 4 | ADVICE |
US lawyer turned up, failing to give counsel (6)
|
| DA (US lawyer) reversed (turned up) + VICE (failing) | ||
| 5 | ARVO |
Aussie PM involved in unclear vote (4)
|
| Hidden (involved) in uncleAR VOte
Aussie slang term for afternoon (PM). Edit: this clue is a reference to the forthcoming referendum in Australia to decide whether to enact an Indigenous Voice to the country’s parliament, which would recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution. (Thanks to KVa @1 and paddymelon @5 for comments on this story.) |
||
| 6 | HITHERTO |
Strike by hospital doctor to resume, not content as yet (8)
|
| HIT (strike) + H (hospital) + anagram (doctor) of TO ResumE (not [the] content = remove the middle letters) | ||
| 7 | MOB |
Irate crowd heads for ministry of Braverman (3)
|
| First letters (heads) of Ministry Of Braverman | ||
| 9 | SUNK |
PM wanting article dropped (4)
|
| SUNaK (PM) less A (wanting article)
Maybe he can drop it in one of his seven bins. |
||
| 12 |
See 25
|
|
| 14 | WANDSWORTH |
Staff’s value in setting for Prison Break (10)
|
| WAND’S (staff’s) + WORTH (value)
Former soldier Daniel Khalife escaped from Wandsworth prison by hiding under a laundry truck. |
||
| 15 | MIKE |
Yarwood’s stage equipment (4)
|
| Two definitions
Comedian and impressionist Mike Yarwood, a staple of British Saturday night TV in the 70s, died this month aged 82. |
||
| 17 | RUBIALES |
One in Belarus attacked sacked football boss (8)
|
| I (one) in an anagram (attacked) of BELARUS
Luis Rubiales was ousted from his job as president of the Spanish Football Federation earlier this month. |
||
| 19 | CONCRETE |
Real problem in many schools (8)
|
| Two definitions
Many UK schools currently have classrooms closed due to unsafe ‘reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete’ aka RAAC. |
||
| 22 | RELISH |
Enthusiasm about Labour’s leader? To some extent (6)
|
| RE (about) + L (Labour’s ‘leader’) + ISH (to some extent) | ||
| 24 | AGE-OLD |
European wearing a medal that’s antique (3-3)
|
| E (European) ‘wearing’ A GOLD (a medal) | ||
| 25/12 | HEATWAVE |
Celeb mag greeting early September weather (8)
|
| HEAT (celeb mag) + WAVE (greeting)
According to the Met Office, the UK experienced seven consecutive days of temperatures above 30C in September for the first time ever this month. |
||
| 27 | EXIT |
Leave Spain football team boycott finally (4)
|
| E (Spain) + XI (football team) + last letter (finally) of boycotT
A number of Spanish players had vowed to boycott the national team while Rubiales remained in charge but have now ended their protest. |
||
| 29 | TRY |
Right-winger losing ball gets rugby score (3)
|
| ToRY (right-winger) less the O (losing ‘ball’)
It was more like a cricket score for England against Chile yesterday, with Henry Arundell scoring five tries on his debut. |
Thanks, Buccaneer and Widdersbel!
A very topical puzzle with some excellent wordplay from Buccaneer.
A thorough and informative blog as usual from Wibbersbel. And it
makes such a wonderful read!
VERSE
Pope Francis visited Mongolia earlier this month…unable to connect though.
ARVO
Is this news being referred to?
Australians will vote on October 14 on whether they want to change the constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait island people, a defining moment in the struggle for Indigenous rights in the country.
NASTASE
His nickname is NASTY (almost there in the clue) 🙂
MOB
No need to check any newspaper, I guess. It’s always topical.
STUPIDER
‘switch ID PUT’ looks like a ‘mild’ anagram(not a reversal)
STUPIDER
tup=to have sex with (wiktionary)
switch (slang)=to have sex with (not sure of its authenticity).
If so, switch=TUP
TUP ID put in SE +R.
At 23A, Ilie Nastase was a good misdirection for the answer because the news in the clue refers to the suspension of Simona Halep, also from Romania.
IGUANA
Read somewhere:
Iguanas were once native to Antigua but have been extinct locally for some time.
ARVO (Australian PM), as a clue, has been recycled a couple of times recently. I can only concur with Buccaneer and KVa that it’s very as to what the outcome will be of a referendum in Australia in October about recognising our First Nations peoples in the constitution. Well, I’m afraid it’s becoming clearer by the day.
MOB . This may not be the intention of the clue, but ‘mob’ is, apart from the name of their group in ”language”, one of the ways our First Nations people identify themselves, depending on where they live. eg My mob is xxxxxx.
PRIGOZHIN very good!
EDWARD who’d a thunk it? I just can’t understand why the Brits and the Aussies allow unelected personages of accidental birth and lineage to represent them on the world stage.
KVa @1 – yes, of course, an anagram rather than a reversal for STUPIDER. Thanks for the other possible topical references – I’m sure I’ve missed some…
ub @3 – good spot, thanks!
For once, I noticed the blog in time to do this puzzle with a wake up coffee. A remarkable gridfill to be able to incorporate so many relevant solutions. The surfaces, of course, are splendid in their referencing. All in all, quite a feat of setting.
Favourites include PRIGOZHIN, WEARIED, SHODDINESS, STUPIDER, HITHERTO (COTD), CONCRETE (sadly clean and simple DD), AGE-OLD and HEATWAVE.
Thanks Bucaneer and Widdersbel
Impressive!
These puzzles, along with their blogs, have become a real treat to look forward to each month and this one was well up there with the previous ones.
So many witty and topical clues, including some remarkable anagram spots and brilliantly apt surfaces. I couldn’t possibly list them all – paul b @8 has summed it up admirably.
Many thanks to Buccaneer for an excellent and highly enjoyable puzzle and to Widdersbel for a blog which does it full justice – you’re a great team!
I really enjoyed this one, (after a week of struggles with the Grauniad ones)- first FT crossword! Will do more ??How clever is Prigozhin!
Yes indeed, this is a great series the FT has come up with, and all the puzzles so far have been top-notch. Great work by Buccaneer.