The October edition of the FT’s puzzle based on topical events. Solve it on the FT website or via the smartphone app.
I always enjoy a Leonidas puzzle and this was well up to the usual standard with tidy clueing throughout and lots of fun ideas. Hard to pick a favourite but I’ll go for 12a HIP JOINT for the clever surface.
I think I’ve got most of the topical references but may well have missed some, so please mention any omissions in the comments below.
Thanks, Leonidas!
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | GAMBON |
Country welcomes master actor (6)
|
| GABON (country) containing (welcomes) M (master)
Actor Michael Gambon, famous for many roles over a long and illustrious career, died this month at the age of 82. Younger folk will probably know him best as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies but to me he’ll always be Philip Marlow in The Singing Detective. |
||
| 5 | BIG SHOT |
Influential person‘s GSOH frayed in part (3,4)
|
| Anagram (frayed) of GSOH in BIT (part) | ||
| 9 | AGLITTER |
How Keir looked in centre of staged rubbish (8)
|
| Central letters of stAGed + LITTER (rubbish)
Keir Starmer was showered with glitter by a protestor as he was about to start his speech at the Labour party conference in Liverpool this month. Some might say that “staged rubbish” is a waspish comment from Leonidas but I couldn’t possibly comment. |
||
| 10 | AILED |
Troubled with retirement of Cook (5)
|
| Reversal (retirement) of DELIA (cook, as in Delia Smith)
Cricketer Alastair Cook, who played as an opener for Essex and England and was England captain for 59 tests, announced his retirement from the game this month. |
||
| 11 | HECKLE |
Jeer the man with caught deer heading west (6)
|
| HE (the man) + C (caught) + a reversal (heading west) of ELK (deer) | ||
| 12 | HIP JOINT |
Clue holds origins of POTUS Joe’s often inane articulation (3,5)
|
| HINT (clue) containing (holds) first letters (origins) of Potus Joe’s Often Inane
The surface of the clue alludes to claims from his adversaries that US President Joe Biden is increasingly unable to speak coherently. |
||
| 13 | TYPHOID |
Hospital in error: setter had fever (7)
|
| H (hospital) in TYPO (error) + I’D (setter had) | ||
| 16 | EVER SO |
Wild rose fringing edges of vase. Really? (4,2)
|
| Anagram (wild) of ROSE containing (fringing) first and last letters (edges) of VasE | ||
| 17 | KANSAS |
State Ukraine’s cause periodically (6)
|
| Alternate letters (periodically) of uKrAiNe’S cAuSe
After 613 days, we probably do need reminding occasionally, with other news stories bumping the ongoing war in Ukraine down the page. |
||
| 20 | MADONNA |
One fellow plugging another American singer (7)
|
| DON (one fellow) inserted in MAN (another [fellow]) + A (American)
The former Queen of Pop (see 27) began her Celebration world tour this month, which had been delayed by serious illness. |
||
| 23 | ROSEBANK |
Wine embargo by King is a controversial field (8)
|
| ROSE (wine) + BAN (embargo) + K (king)
The UK Government announced this month that it had approved drilling to go ahead in the Rosebank oil and gas field, which lies around 80 miles northwest of Shetland. |
||
| 25 | BEDBUG |
Hidden mic on teacher, it’s unwelcome in a couchette (6)
|
| BUG (hidden mic[rophone]) on BED (B.Ed = Bachelor of Education = teacher)
A plague of bedbugs has infested Paris and other cities in France, including its transport systems. |
||
| 27 | SWIFT |
Bird that’s stolen 20’s crown? (5)
|
| Two definitions.
The second is referring to pop singer Taylor Swift who recently kicked off her mammoth 146-date Eras tour. The “crown” she has stolen from Madonna is the unofficial title of Queen of Pop, putatively awarded in 2019 when she won a record-breaking six American Music Awards. |
||
| 28 | CHARLTON |
Children regularly carry lute on for great player (8)
|
| CH (children) + alternate letters (regularly) of cArRy LuTe + ON
Man United and England footballer Bobby Charlton, widely regarded as one of the all-time greatest players of the game, died this month at the age of 86. |
||
| 29 | LARGESS |
Girl screening bits of rugby gets expensive gifts (7)
|
| LASS (girl) containing (screening) first letters (bits) of Rugby Gets Expensive | ||
| 30 | DISUSE |
Neglect contingent of Saudi’s US envoys (6)
|
| Hidden in (contingent of) sauDI’S US Envoys | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | AUGMENT |
Good folk in half of this season grow (7)
|
| [G (good) + MEN (folk)] in half of AUTumn (this season) | ||
| 3 | BLINK |
Flash US Secretary of State short of space (5)
|
| BLINKen (Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State) less EN (in printing, a space the width of the letter n) | ||
| 4 | NET ZERO |
Tree zone mostly mistaken as a target (3,4)
|
| Anagram (mistaken) of all but the last letter (mostly) of TREE ZONe
Referring to the net zero carbon emissions goal that the UK Government claims is still a target despite going ahead with controversial plans such as allowing new oil and gas drilling at Rosebank. |
||
| 5 | BERTH |
British saving energy with essentially another hour in bed (5)
|
| BR (British) containing (saving) E (energy) + middle letter (essentially) of anoTher + H (hour)
Hope all of you (in the UK at least) remembered to lie in this morning after the clocks went back last night. |
||
| 6 | GRAPPLE |
Seize Greek company headed by Cook (7)
|
| GR (Greek) + APPLE (company headed by [Tim] Cook) | ||
| 7 | HALLOWEEN |
Whole lane off to see film (9)
|
| Anagram (off) of WHOLE LANE
The 1978 original is still one of the best horror films ever made. Halloween itself is still a couple of days away. |
||
| 8 | TIDINGS |
Note rows about government news (7)
|
| TI (note) + DINS (rows) containing (about) G (government) | ||
| 14 | POSTERIOR |
Spin about old Tories slipping behind (9)
|
| PR (spin) containing (about) an anagram (slipping) of O[ld] TORIES
The surface of the clue is no doubt alluding to the latest opinion polls on voting intentions at the UK’s next general election. |
||
| 15 | DIM |
Vladimir somewhat two kopecks short of a ruble (3)
|
| Hidden (somewhat) in vlaDIMir
Many rumours are doing the rounds regarding the Russian president’s mental and physical health. |
||
| 18 | AROUSAL |
So excited with aural stimulation (7)
|
| Anagram (excited) of SO + AURAL | ||
| 19 | SEATTLE |
Put roots down around a psychiatrist’s former patch (7)
|
| SETTLE (put roots down) around A
US sitcom Frasier returned this month with the eponymous psychiatrist now living back in Boston (the setting for Cheers, the series that first introduced the character). The original series of Frasier was set in Seattle. |
||
| 21 | DAB HAND |
Expert worker aboard a fishing vessel? (3,4)
|
| A groansomely fun punning definition, a dab being a type of fish | ||
| 22 | AQUEOUS |
Watery area queen finally gave to our people (7)
|
| A (area) + QU (queen) + last letters (finally) of gavE tO + US (our people) | ||
| 24 | KICKS |
28 was gifted in the delivery of such thrills (5)
|
| Two definitions
The first is a reference to Bobby Charlton’s abilities in passing and shooting. |
||
| 26 | DOLTS |
Mark’s getting to grips with Latin for Idiots (5)
|
| DOT’S (mark’s) containing (getting to grips with) L (Latin) |
Thanks, Leonidas and Widdersbel!
A super puzzle-blog combo once again.
DIM
I have come across ‘two bob short of a pound’ and ‘two pennies short of a shilling’ somewhere.
The kopeck-ruble idiom could be understood in this context though I hadn’t heard that expression
before.
DAB HAND
I agree with your observation in the blog.
Why isn’t this appearing on the FT site?
I solved it online. It’s there.
On a phone or a laptop?
laptop
I click Widdersbel’s FT website link above and there’s only Sunday 19 & 18 appearing.
Checked Widderbel’s link. Shows Sunday No.20 🙂
Sorry, I didn’t check the link before posting the blog – that’s where it usually appears but it seems not to be there at the moment. It is available via the iphone app.
KVa – interesting, it’s not showing for me!
Yea. Quite.
It’s there now. “A series of special FT crosswords – News, World,US, Numbers. Published in rotation each Sunday.”
But there’s a gap of three weeks between 18 & 19. And what’s a “Numbers” crossword anyway?
And so back to the puzzle …
Another splendid offering from Leonidas, for what must have been a difficult month to select news and an equally splendid blog from Widdersbel.
I’m with Widdersbel in choosing HIP JOINT as top favourite. I also admired 1ac GAMBON (‘master actor’, indeed), 9ac AGLITTER, for the smile, 25ac BEDBUG, 5dn BERTH and 26dn DOLTS for more witty surfaces.
Many thanks to Leonidas and Widdersbel – you make an excellent team.
For HECKLE there was this – https://www.itv.com/news/2023-10-03/this-is-trash-heckler-removed-from-braverman-speech-says-shes-a-bully
Thanks to Widdersbel and those who have commented today. I don’t know if just the thought of the current news cycle at the moment has put folk off from solving/ commenting, but hey-ho, I actually quite enjoyed setting this once I’d made the decision not to include that-which-shall-not-be-mentioned. I’m down for this gig again in February, so lord only knows where we will be then. Lovely time at the S&B in York this weekend, met lots of friends and made some new ones. Thanks John, Jane and Tess as ever.
Well, Leonidas had quite a few comments from not many people. It’s quite annoying that, I have to say, as it’s becoming a regular feature around here. Perhaps it could be termed ‘attrition trolling’.
Over from my rant to the puzzle, and another very well-executed monthly summary, I thought, chock-full of contemporary references. I hope the unmentionable thing is brought to a halt soon, but I’m not holding out too much hope.
Thanks L and W.
It’s a great pity that there have not been more comments so far on this excellent puzzle – so disappointing for both Leonidas and Widderspell, when they have put in such effort.
It wouldn’t be surprising if there was some reluctance to turn again to this month’s news but, following lady gewgaw, I wonder if some commenters might have been put off by the flurry of comments which really had nothing to do with the puzzle and could have been posted under General Discussion.
However that may be, all credit to you, Leonidas, for putting together an enjoyable puzzle despite it all.
[And it was lovely to meet you again yesterday in York.]
And great to meet you again too, Eileen. Hope you got back okay via our increasingly unpredictable railway system.
Smooth as silk journey home, thanks, Leonidas. 😉
Perhaps the FrankieG/KVa nexus could be investigated by 225. It’s becoming very obstructive, and annoying. There’s often little of substance in ‘their’ remarks, and I’m sure others are put off by it all.
I love these crosswords and was sad not to find one the last couple of months.
I thought of the Bibby Stockholm for BERTH as the residents are required to take their berths again, plus there’s a reference to the Rugby World Cup in LARGESS, and a certain lack of TIDINGS from the DOLTS in Government, whose announcements around HS2 were missing actual new spending on real capital projects they’d promised as replacements.
Thank you to Leonidas and Widdersbel.
@ paul b
Not at all. It seems odd to complain about a lack of comments from other people and blame that on people who have done the puzzle, show an interest and do comment.
There are other irritations, such as sock puppetry, which go unmoderated despite being explicitly against site rules.
A sock puppet , according to Wikipedia , is a false online identity used for deceptive purposes. I did not know the term nor that it was common on Fifteen Squared. We live and learn.
Good puzzle and blog so thanks to both.
Great crossword, which I enjoyed all the more now that I know how to pronounce “Leonidas”.
I’m pleased to see I’m not the only late poster to this blog though I suspect the late comments go unnoticed. I was delayed in getting to the puzzle by the return journey from York, the difficulty in finding the puzzle (I thought I was going mad) and then need to catch up on the rugby. However, I’m glad I did this, particularly having met the setter. A nice density of themed solutions and surfaces – just about right – BERTH, HALLOWEEN and SEATTLE were my podium and I’m with Shanne, Widdersbel, in nominating LARGESS as a tangential themer with its reference to the rugby which has certainly been a feature of the month. And the suggestion of BERTH/Bibby Stockholm is certainly interesting.
No problem for me with plenty of comments; not that long ago both FT and Indy seemed to attract far fewer posts than the setters/puzzles deserved so it’s nice to see more activity. And one can always skim through, rather than read everything, if the content doesn’t appeal. Only real downside from my perspective is that it might represent more work for the blogger/Admin.
Thanks Leonidas and Widdersbel
PM @24 – the blogger always gets a notification of comments, however late, so I’ll see it even if no one else does. 🙂
Leonidas @14 / Eileen @16 – I suspect the technical glitches may also have had an impact on the number of solvers/commenters. But I think it’s fair to say that everyone who did find this puzzle has enjoyed it!