The monthly geographically themed puzzle, this time set for us by Sleuth. Solve it on the FT website or via the smartphone app.
The preamble: “A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular country. The name of the country should be inserted at 14 across. Work out the name of the country by solving the *asterisked clues, all undefined – their solutions have some relevance to the country, such as its places, famous people, culture, language”
Although I twigged the theme quite early, with POUTINE, I don’t mind admitting that this was a real test of my rather limited knowledge of Canadian people and places. But everything was fairly and clearly clued, making it possible to whittle out all the solutions eventually with a bit of thought. I was particularly impressed that Sleuth managed to make all the across clues themed without having to compromise by cramming in lots of obscurities in the downs.
Thanks for the fun, Sleuth.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ONTARIO |
* Working group patrolling area (7)
|
| ON (working) + TRIO (group) containing (patrolling) A (area)
One of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada. |
||
| 10 | POUTINE |
* Comedian’s act making Romeo quiet (7)
|
| rOUTINE (comedian’s act) changing the R (Romeo) for P (quiet)
A Canadian dish of potato chips topped with cheese curds and gravy. |
||
| 11 | LOGAN |
* Record a name (5)
|
| LOG (record) + A + N (name)
The highest mountain in Canada. |
||
| 12 | LIGHTFOOT |
* Delicate element in a poem? (9)
|
| LIGHT (delicate) + FOOT (element in poem)
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter who came to fame in the 1960s and died in May this year aged 84. |
||
| 13 | CHRETIEN |
* Note connection between Switzerland and Norway (8)
|
| [RE (note) + TIE (connection)] between [CH (Switzerland) + N (Norway)]
Jean Chrétien, Canadian Prime Minister 1993-2003. |
||
| 14 | CANADA |
* [See setter notes]
|
| The country linking all asterisked clues here. | ||
| 16 | POST |
* Part of dump, ostensibly (4)
|
| Hidden in (part of) dumP OSTensibly
Canada Post is the country’s national mail service, formerly Royal Mail Canada. |
||
| 18 | COHEN |
* Joel, perhaps, defending hospital (5)
|
| COEN (Joel, perhaps – one half of the filmmaking duo with his brother Ethan) containing (defending) H (hospital)
Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. |
||
| 19 | BEAR |
* Bachelor determined to leave place of retreat (4)
|
| B (bachelor) + EARnest (determined) less NEST (place of retreat)
Canada has a population of around 20,000 bears, with the black bear being the most common species. |
||
| 23 | RAONIC |
* Arts institution largely kept in readiness (6)
|
| RA (Royal Academy, arts institution) + ON ICe (kept in readiness) less the final letter (largely)
Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player, who reached no.3 in the world rankings at his peak in 2016. |
||
| 24 | REYNOLDS |
* Star Wars character followed by northern US car pioneer (8)
|
| REY (main character in the most recent series of Star Wars films) + N (northern) + OLDS (US car pioneer)
Ryan Reynolds, Canadian-American actor, perhaps best known as the title character in the Deadpool series of superhero films. |
||
| 26 | MIKE MYERS |
* Risky meme is broadcast (4,5)
|
| Anagram (broadcast) of RISKY MEME
Canadian comedian and actor, best known as Wayne Campbell in the Wayne’s World films and the title character (plus various other characters) in the Austin Powers films. |
||
| 28 | BUBLE |
* Feature in cartoon one book overlooked (5)
|
| BUBbLE (feature in cartoon, ie a speech bubble) less one B (book)
Michael Bublé, Canadian singer-songwriter. |
||
| 29 | TORONTO |
* Band gripping Howard, maybe (7)
|
| TOTO (American rock band) containing (gripping) RON (Ron Howard, American actor and director)
The most populous city in Canada, capital of 1 across. |
||
| 30 | NIELSEN |
* Different being in square endlessly (7)
|
| ELSE (different) inserted in NINe (a square number) less the final letter (endlessly)
Leslie Nielsen, Canadian actor and comedian, best known for the Naked Gun series of films. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | FOOLSCAP |
Dupe’s top sort of paper (8)
|
| FOOL’S (dupe’s) + CAP (top) | ||
| 2 | STAGER |
Experienced figure in part of rally, right? (6)
|
| STAGE (part of rally) + R (right) | ||
| 3 | GRANITE |
Rushed into French holiday home for hard stuff? (7)
|
| RAN (rushed) inserted in GITE (French holiday home) | ||
| 4 | NO FLIES ON |
Files revised in middle of day, characterising one fully capable? (2,5,2)
|
| Anagram (revised) of FILES in NOON (middle of day) | ||
| 5 | JPEG |
British magistrate, say, has compressed file (4)
|
| JP (Justice of the Peace, British magistrate) + EG (say) | ||
| 6 | NUPTIAL |
Greek character and mate penning this at odd points regarding a union? (7)
|
| [NU (Greek character) + PAL (mate)] containing (penning) odd letters of ThIs | ||
| 7 | PILOTAGE |
Navigational skills shown by international set in part of a book (8)
|
| [I (international) + LOT (set)] in PAGE (part of book) | ||
| 8 | BERTHA |
Deep collar found in October, thankfully (6)
|
| Hidden in octoBER THAnkfully | ||
| 15 | RELEASING |
Liberating general is hazardous (9)
|
| Anagram (hazardous) of GENERAL IS | ||
| 17 | STONKERS |
Old locomotive workers surrounding rear of train, very impressive types (8)
|
| STOKERS (old locomotive workers) containing (surrounding) last letter (rear) of traiN | ||
| 20 | RESEEING |
Viewing again remit regularly held by varied Greens (8)
|
| Alternate letters (regularly) of rEmIt inserted in (held by) an anagram (varied) of GREENS | ||
| 21 | DIAMOND |
Neil, possibly, in baseball field (7)
|
| Two definitions, the first being Neil Diamond the American singer-songwriter | ||
| 22 | SNUBBED |
Taken out of play around November or given a rebuff? (7)
|
| SUBBED (taken out of play) around N (November) | ||
| 23 | REMOTE |
Group of engineers carrying books away from a usual workplace? (6)
|
| REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, corps of the British Army) containing (carrying) OT (Old Testament, books) | ||
| 25 | LOBOSE |
Chuck over very large estimate initially having roundish projections? (6)
|
| LOB (chuck) + OS (outsize, very large) + first letter (initially) of Estimate | ||
| 27 | ETON |
Posh school raised celebrity (4)
|
| NOTE (celebrity) reversed (raised) |
Sort of knew some of these answers, but it felt more an exercise in exposing my ignorance of all things Canadian and reminded me why I don’t often tend to do this crossword (I do like the news one, whicb is why I look).
I now know about RAONIC and that LOGAN is Canada’s highest peak. (I did know Gordon LIGHTFOOT, Leonard COHEN – saw Arthur Smith’s tribute, TORONTO, ONTARIO, BUBLÉ, BEAR, MIKE MYERS and POUTINE)
Thank you to Sleuth and Widdersbel.
Thanks to both. As Widdersbel said all fairly clued although I found the obscurities more in the Canadian clues. LOBOSE was new to me and JPEG was very neat.
I’m not sure ‘limited’ is the word that comes to mind with regard to my knowledge of things Canadian. ‘Negligible’ might be more apt. Eight of the fifteen themed clues were either completely unknown or the Canadian connection was unknown. I made more progress with the downs but was still left staring at horizontal crossers with little idea of what I was aiming for as a solution. I agree the grid is well assembled – it’s nice if there is both vertical and horizontal intersection in a theme but these puzzles, with their need to fit in unusual proper names, probably need cutting some slack. But this was too tough for me. No criticism of the setter; my bad.
Thanks Sleuth and Widdersbel
One tiny quiblet now I think of it: NOTE/ETON seems ambiguously clued. I read it as a clue for NOTE at first but figured out that its first letter probably had to come from the anagram that turned out to be MIKE MYERS and changed my answer.
I agree with the comment above NOTE/ETON.
The puzzle just showed me how many people I didn’t realise were Canadian.
Lobose was new to me but the wordplay said it had to be that.