Financial Times 17,551 by GOLIATH

by

Thanks to Goliath for this morning’s challenge.

A very enjoyable and cleverly crafted puzzle.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Who will look after the children of golden couple? (2,4)
AU PAIR

AU (golden) + PAIR (couple)

4. Creatively themed about the Spanish wearing something more protective than a sombrero (8)
HELMETED

(THEMED)* (*creatively) about EL (the, Spanish)

9. Makes a noise like some bees (6)
DRONES

Double definition

10. Certain muscle needed in sci-fi production (8)
SPECIFIC

PEC (muscle) needed in (SCI-FI)* (*production)

12/3. Options include cold starter and desserts (4,4)
CHOC ICES

CHOICES (options) include C[old] (starter)

13. Again, making things is fun (10)
RECREATION

Double definition

15. Altogether prepared omelette buns (4,8)
TOUT ENSEMBLE

(OMELETTE BUNS)* (*prepared)
I think ‘all together’ would be more correct than ‘altogether’ 

18. Don’t ask me, I’ve failed you (1,6,1,4)
I HAVEN’T A CLUE

Cryptic/double definition
Playing on the literal interpretation of a setter not having a clue, i.e. having failed the solver

21. Popular mother swimming? (10)
MAINSTREAM

MA (mother) + IN STREAM (swimming?)
Swimming is one example of something one might do in a stream, hence the ‘?’

22/23. Last city twerp set lost all clothing, so to speak (2,2,4)
AS IT WERE

[l]AS[t] [c]IT[y] [t]WER[p] [s]E[t] (lost all clothing)

24. Basic talk a linesman comprehends (8)
ALKALINE

[t]ALK A LINE[sman] (comprehends)

25. Poles have always crossed river (6)
SEVERN

S + N (poles, i.e. South and North) have EVER (always) crossed

26. Innocent footwear may be a tool found in designer dress (3,5)
RED SHOES

HOE (shoe) found in (DRESS)* (*designer)
A reference to papal shoes

27. Tenant using a smaller quantity of drugs (6)
LESSEE

LESS (smaller quantity) + EE (drugs)
E = ecstasy

DOWN

1. Step down having brought up police officers in decline (8)
ABDICATE

CID< (police officers, <brought up) in ABATE (decline)

2. Delay legislation for scoundrel (8)
PROROGUE

PRO (for) + ROGUE (scoundrel)

5. Unproven old friend keeping entire Motörhead collection (12)
EXPERIMENTAL

EX (old) + PAL (friend) keeping (ENTIRE + M[otor] (head))* (*collection)

6. First term of claim has me foxed (10)
MICHAELMAS

(CLAIM HAS ME)* (*foxed)
The Michaelmas term in the UK is the first academic term at university, starting in Sep/Oct

7. Where one might find lunch or chocolate (6)
TIFFIN

Cryptic definition
Playing on the two meanings of ‘tiffin’ – it can mean a light meal, or a chocolatey dessert

8. Transfer presenters usually in a different order (6)
DECANT

DEC + ANT (presenters usually in a different order, i.e. ANT + DEC)

11. Each division’s hard work (12)
PERSEVERANCE

PER (each) + SEVERANCE (division)

14. Goliath, so healthy, turned very old man (10)
METHUSELAH

ME (Goliath) + THUS (so) + HALE< (healthy, <turned)

16. Problem with tight shoes of celebrities (8)
BLISTERS

B-LISTERS (celebrities)

17. Time for a few words (8)
SENTENCE

Double definition
The first being in the sense of a prison sentence / doing time

19. Weaken setter’s brace (6)
IMPAIR

I’M (setter’s) + PAIR (brace)

20. No good as a candle (6)
WICKED

Double definition

13 comments on “Financial Times 17,551 by GOLIATH”

  1. Just when I was thinking I hadn’t seen Goliath for a while, he appears today, as if by magic, and I’m all the happier for it.
    The grid was playful, witty and creative, as illustrated by MAINSTREAM, BLISTERS and 18A.
    I had many other ticks besides but suffice to say, I found this good fun.
    I did wonder, however, what the umlaut was doing in “Motörhead” (5d).
    Thanks to Goliath and Oriel for clearing up that ‘Innocent footwear.

  3. Thanks, Goliath and Oriel!
    Enjoyed the puzzle and the blog!

    Diane@1
    EXPERIMENTAL
    The rock band Motorhead has an umlaut. Adding value to the surface with no compromise of the wordplay, I think.

  4. I keep forgetting about Ant & Dec, who seem to pop up quite frequently in Crossword Land. Still no idea who they are. TOUT ENSEMBLE was new to me, and only discovered after all the intersecting clues and a bit of help. TIFFIN too is new to me — I knew neither meaning. The chocolatey confection looks similar to rocky road, but without the marshmallow and nuts. Is rocky road in the UK, or is it an Aussie (or American) thing?

    An enjoyable experience, thanks Goliath & Oriel.

  6. I agree with Diane@1 about a Goliath puzzle. Full of clever and witty clues. Loved the papal shoes.Excellent blog.
    I see that Cadburys are resurrecting the Tiffin chocolate bar by popular demand. The meal is an Anglo-Indian word.

    Thanks Goliath and Oriel

  7. Another great (I endorse all Diane’s epithets) puzzle from Goliath.

    My favourites were 1ac AU PAIR, 10ac SPECIFIC, 18ac ISIHAC, 1dn ABDICATE, 5dn EXPERIMENTAL, 8dn DECANT and 14dn METHUSELAH.

    Thanks to Goliath for the fun and Oriel for the blog.

  9. Thanks for the blog, agree with Diane overall as usual.
    I thought the Innocent bit was clever for RED SHOES , hide the capital at the front, also the Playtex bit for Motorhead in experimental .
    Geoff@4 you are lucky if you can forget Ant and Dec . Sid James was keen on TIFFIN in the classic film – Carry On Up The Khyber .

  11. Thanks Goliath for a well constructed and enjoyable crossword. My top picks were CHOC ICES, MAINSTREAM, ALKALINE, EXPERIMENTAL, and METHUSELAH. I had no chance with TIFFIN, not knowing either meaning of the word. I could not parse DECANT even though I’ve heard of Ant & Dec by now nor did I understand RED SHOES as I was thinking of Dorothy’s slippers, not papal footwear. Thanks Oriel for the blog.

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