Financial Times 17,680 FALCON

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Falcon appears in this morning''s FT.

This puzzle had a Monday Guardian feel about it, with more double definitions than the average crossword in it, and nothing terribly challenging as long as you knew about XERXES and had heard of ROSS in Scotland.

My favourite was BLAZE A TRAIL.

Thanks, Falcon.

ACROSS
1 INTREPID
Fearless, popular time traveller papers must follow (8)

IN ("popular") + T (time) + REP (travelling salesman, so "traveller") + ID (identification "papers")
6 JERSEY
Woolly breed of dairy cattle (6)

Double definition
9 STAGED
Put on horse-drawn carriage close to Deadwood (6)

STAGE(coach) ("horse-drawn carriage") + [close to] (deadwoo)D
10 FRICTION
Fake news about Republican arguing (8)

FICTION ("fake news") about R (Republican)
11 UNIT
Briefly join military group (4)

[briefly] UNIT(e) ("join")
12 GINGER BEER
Red-headed porter’s drink? (6,4)

GINGER ("red-headed") + BEER ("porter")
14 ACCIDENT
I would during stress in casualty (8)

I'D ("I would") during ACCENT ("stress")
16 ALAS
An element of political asylum, regrettably (4)

Hidden in [an element of] "politicAL ASylum"
18 PASS
Qualify? I don’t know (4)

Double definition
19 ATHLETES
Long-jumpers, maybe, the least affected (8)

*(the least) [anag:affected]
21 BENEFACTOR
Patron’s complaint involving northern thespian (10)

BEEF ("complaint") involving N (northern) + ACTOR ("thespian")
22 TACT
Changed course, reportedly, as a means of diplomacy (4)

Homophone [reportedly] of TACKED ("changed course")
24 DOGMATIC
Doctrinaire setter, perhaps, starts to mumble about typo in crossword (8)

DOG ("setter, perhaps") + [starts to] M(umble) A(bout) T(ypo) I(n) C(rossword)
26 AMAZON
Astound, no end, regarding very long river (6)

AMAZ(e) ("astound". no end) + ON ("regarding")
27 XERXES
The other king backed Persian ruler (6)

<=(SEX ("the other") + REX ("king"), backed)
28 EYEGLASS
Say about the old girl’s monocle (8)

e.g. ("say") about YE ("the old") + LASS ("girl")
DOWN
2 NOT ON
Unacceptable idea I dismissed (3,2)

NOT(i)ON ("idea" with I dismissed)
3 RIGHTS ISSUE
Share offer rectifies problem (6,5)

RIGHTS ("rectifies") + ISSUE ("problem")
4 PEDIGREE
Family, edgier possibly after training (8)

*(edgier) [anag:possibly] after PE (physical education, so "training")
5 DEFINITE ARTICLE
The precise story (8,7)

DEFINITE ("precise") + ARTICLE ("story")
6 JOINER
Hyphen in ‘cabinet-maker’? (6)

Double definition, the first referring to the function of a hyphen ("that which joins")
7 ROT
Rhubarb crumble (3)

Double definition
8 EXONERATE
Acquit old flame on single charge (9)

EX ("old flame") on ONE ("single") + RATE ("charge")
13 BLAZE A TRAIL
Pioneer in lounge in club bar (5,1,5)

LAZE ("lounge") in BAT ("rail") + RAIL ("bar")
15 CHAPERONE
Governess Taylor initially avoided in Emma’s opening? (9)

T(aylor) [initially] avoided in CHAP(t)ER ONE ("Emma's opening" or indeed the opening to most books)
17 SHORTAGE
Brief period showing deficit (8)

SHORT ("brief") + AGE ("period")
20 CACTUS
Step inside cold American plant (6)

ACT ("step") inside C (cold) + US ("American")
23 CROSS
Meet about historic Scottish province (5)

C (circa, so "about") + ROSS ("historic Scottish province", kept alive in the name of Scottish Premiership football team, Ross County, who play in DIngwall)
25 MIX
Socialise with male on island, 23 (3)

M (male) on I (island) + X (cross, the answer to "23" down)

21 comments on “Financial Times 17,680 FALCON”

  1. Apart from an unknown Scottish island, good fun. I could find no reference anywhere to rot meaning rhubarb. Is it something to do with actors’ stage talk? That’s all I could think of.

    Thanks, loonapick.

  4. For 7d ROT = Rhubarb wiktionary cites: ‘
    2022 January 28, Jon Stone, “‘Total rhubarb’: Boris Johnson again denies he ordered Afghan animal airlift as fresh emails emerge”, in Independent‎:
    Boris Johnson has dismissed new evidence that he ordered the controversial evacuation of dogs and cats from Afghanistan for Pen Farthing’s Nowzad charity as “total rhubarb”…The PM doubled down on Thursday when asked if he had helped to get animals out, telling reporters: “No, that is…this whole thing is total rhubarb”.’
    ‘yeah, yeah’

  5. I’d go along with Loonapick’s favouite, BLAZE A TRAIL, along with ATHLETES in a straight-forward but pleasant solve.
    Thanks both to Falcon and our blogger.

  6. I’ve never heard of rhubarb meaning rot, and as I said, I couldn’t track it down on the internet (Google, Collins). Thank you. Life’s full of surprises.

  7. GDU you might like to see the Wikipedia article on the history of Ross province. The reference is not to an island.

  9. Thanks

    I found this a quick solve of well-constructed, vanilla clues with a couple of dodgy synonyms. If pressed, I think I would name DEFINITE ARTICLE as interesting and therefore my favourite.

    Thanks Falcon and loonapick

  10. Generally straightforward and not too difficult but we got hung up on 15dn – we were misled into thinking it was rel’’ated to a character in Emma; once we got CHAPERONE from a wordfinder the penny dropped. D’oh!
    Thanks, Falcon and loonapick.

  11. Others are saying straightforward but for me this was great and fun. Without one of these sometimes where I can actually complete the puzzle I would give up! But this was just right. Thank you Falcon and Loonapick

  12. Thanks for the blog, good set of neat clues and I am glad the FT provides a range of difficulties. There should be puzzles every week suitable for newer solvers.

  15. I agree with Roz@12. Straightforward is not a criticism. It is great (no, essential) to have approachable puzzles and not just toughies.

    Thanks to Falcon@13 for adding the information about Taylor. I have read it but I hate to think how long ago.

  16. Thanks Falcon for an enjoyable crossword. My top picks were DEFINITE ARTICLE, DOGMATIC, and BLAZE A TRAIL. [I agree with Roz about range of difficulty. When I began attempting FT crosswords Falcon’s work was always penetrable; without such practice I never could have solved (almost) Monk’s cracker this week.] Thanks loonapick for the blog.

  18. Thanks Falcon and loonapick.

    Loved the definite article – not seen it clued that simple way before. For a nice 15 letter answer I am surprised I found that new to me.

  19. Jeff @17: A setter is a breed of dog e.g. English setter or Irish setter; step and act can both be seen as moves to achieve a particular end e.g. ‘took steps’ and ‘acted’ mean similar things.

  21. That was fun and, as others have commented, always good to get a more straightforward puzzle for us newer setters.

    Thanks both

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