Financial Times 17,699 MUDD

Mudd is today's setter.

This was a classic Mudd puzzle, if perhaps at the less challenging end of his range, with a good range of devices used, clean surfaces and a touch of humour ("is one catchy", e.g. for LARIAT).

Thanks, Mudd

ACROSS
1	LIMERICK	Green boy in poem (8)
		LIME (green) + RICK ("boy")
5	SHRIFT	Move to claim responsibility initially in confession (6)
		SHIFT ("move") to claim R(esponsibility) [initially]
9	RED GIANT	Star great in first of dramatic plays (3,5)
		(great in d) [anag:plays*] where D is [first of] D(ramatic)
10	SNATCH	Suddenly take a few notes (6)
		Double definition, the second referring to a few notes of a tune.
12	ALLEY	Passage in kitchen unopened (5)
		(g)ALLEY [unopened]
13	ITCHY FEET	The city limits in Florence exciting — desire to see them? (5,4)
		(the city fe) [anag:exciting*] where FE is [limits in F(lorenc)E
14	BOTTLE	Courage — source of the Dutch stuff? (6)
		Dutch courage normally comes from alcohol, which may come in a BOTTLE
16	EXOTICA	Old, old jerk with a curious collection (7)
		EX ("old") + O (old) + TIC ("jerk") with A
18	TOTALLY	Partner behind youngster, 100% (7)
		ALLY ("parner") behind TOT ("youngster")
20	BOYISH	Adolescent drivel downing last drops of dry martini (6)
		BOSH ("drivel") downing [last drops of] (dr)Y (martin)I
22	IN ESSENCE	Effectively visiting German city, outskirts of Cologne (2,7)
		IN ("visiting") + ESSEN ("German city") + [outskirts of] C(ologn)E
23	TAPER	Exercise skirted around by Jack — get to the point! (5)
		PE (physical "exercise") skirted around by TAR (sailor, so "jack")
24	PROTON	Tiny particle supporting great weight (6)
		PRO ("supporting") + TON ("great weight")
25	VINEGARY	Sharp chic, for example, in range (8)
		IN ("chic") + e.g. ("for example") in VARY ("range")
26	DODOES	Effect finishes off old birds (6)
		DO ("effect") + DOES ("finishes off")
27	HEADGEAR	Leader first, say, in hats (8)
		HEAD ("leader") + (first) GEAR (say)
DOWN
1	LARIAT	Song penned by discontented lutenist — is one catchy? (6)
		ARIA ("song") penned by [discontented] L(utenis)T
2	MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD	Average location of cat’s eyes (6-2-3-4)
		Cat's eyes are indeed found in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
3	RAINY	Light coats in wet (5)
		RAY ("light") coats IN
4	CONFINE	Shut up, Tory, OK! (7)
		CON (Conservative, so "Tory") + FINE ("OK")
6	HUNKY-DORY	Fine strapping on swimmer (5-4)
		HUNKY ("strapping") on DORY ("fish")
7	IN THE FIRST PLACE	Originally in tin, half receipts lost (2,3,5,5)
		(tin half receipts) [anag:lost*]
8	TAHITIAN	Islander I see visiting artist (8)
		AH ("I see") visiting TITIAN ("artist")
11	ACRE	Amount of land raised in larger campsite (4)
		HIdden backwards in [raised in] "largER CAmpsite"
15	TELESCOPE	Viewer elects poem that’s short for review (9)
		(elects poe) [anag:for review] where POE is POE(m) [that's* short]
17	STRIPPED	Son saw things, naked (8)
		S (son) + TRIPPED ("saw things" as in hallucinated under the effects of drugs)
19	YANK	King certainly not standing for American (4)
		<=(K (king) + NAY ("certainly not", standing)
20	BEELINE	Shortest route taken by worker and family? (7)
		BEE ("worker") + LINE ("family")
21	PRAYER	Grace, say, consumer buttonholing head of recruitment (6)
		PAYER ("consumer") buttonholing [head of] R(ecruitment)
23	TWEED	River on Scottish border pretty deep at first (5)
		TWEE ("pretty") + D(eep) [at first]

11 comments on “Financial Times 17,699 MUDD”

Geoff Down Under

#1 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 06:51

There were a few synonyms that I didn’t care much for: twee/pretty; vary/range; saw things/tripped. I’d never heard of shrift as a confession; Collins says its archaic. I’ve only ever associated it with “short shrift” which means something else entirely.

Quite enjoyable, and a good level of difficulty for this little black duck. Thank you Mudd & Loonapick.

Roz

#2 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 07:04

Thanks for the blog, good set of clues generally neat and tidy.
Geoff @1 , short shrift originally meant a quick confession before being executed.

Roz

#3 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 07:06

The difficulty level of FT puzzles will vary/range from Mudd to IO .

KVa

#4 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 08:11

Thanks Mudd and loonapick! As Roz@2 says, a good set of clues generally neat and tidy.
A clear blog as we have come to expect from loonapick.

Liked TAPER and LARIAT for their defs.
SHRIFT and PRAYER for their surfaces.
COTD: BOTTLE (I find stuff means ‘alcohol’ as well as ‘stupid actions’. A play with both Dutch courage
and Dutch whiskey?)

ITCHY FEET
Should the whole clue be underlined as the def/extended def (or whatever else one may call it)?

Roz@3
Io at the other end of the spectrum for sure. I think both of us are Io fans.

#5 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 09:47

I agree with the praise for the puzzle and blog.
Short shrift comes from Richard III when Lord Hastings is condemned to be beheaded and told to make a short shrift as the king longs to see your head.
Thanks to both.

Diane

#6 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 10:43

Loonapick’s summing up is a fair one.
Roz @3 beat me to the vary/range illustration. I appreciated SM’s background info for ‘short shrift.
Liked this a lot; my favourites were HUNKY DORY, LARIAT and STRIPPED.
Thanks to Mudd and Loonapick.

#7 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 14:33

Reverting to the shrift discussion .
I remember that the RC Church prohibits the taking of communion by unshriven (past participle of shrive) celebrants.; ie by those who have not made their confession . Not so archaic after all.

Tony Santucci

#8 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 14:41

Thanks Mudd, that was fun with EXOTICA, TOTALLY, PROTON, TAHITIAN, STRIPPED, and BEELINE being my top picks. Thanks loonapick for the blog.

Martyn

#9 - Thu 4th Apr 24, 15:13

It took me a while to get into this one. TOTALLY was my FOI and I had the bottom half finished before completing a single clue in the top half. It all fell into place, but I prefer GDU@1’s description of “a good level of difficulty” to loonapick’s “easy”.

As usual with Mudd, lots of interesting clues with plenty of smiles. My favourites have already been mentioned and I loved learning about shrift. So, thank-you all. And thanks especially to Mudd and loonapick