Guy is today's FT setter.
I found this one tougher than the normal Thursday FT fare, although now that I have finished it, I'm not sure why. Apart from LORGNON and EXORDIA, there's nothing terribly obscure. A bit of general knowledge was required, especially for the BEYONCE KNOWLES clue, but again, nothing I didn't already know. My LOI was stanchion, which is unforgivable for a football fan, but I got there in the end. I thought there may have been a theme emerging when I saw CORAL, RAW SIENNA and APRICOT, especially given VINCENT VAN GOGH was one of the first entries I put in, but I can't see anything else relating to the "theme".
Thanks, Guy.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | VINCENT VAN GOGH |
Oil worker changing oven after refurb, keeping the box (7,3,4)
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*(changing oven) [anag:after refurb] keeping TV ("the box") Vincent Van Gogh was a painter who used oils, therefore an "oil worker" |
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| 10 | ALTER |
Wally loses weight for doctor (5)
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(w)ALTER ("Wally") loses W (weight) |
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| 11 | MOTIVATED |
Ply date with Vimto, feeling an urge (9)
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*(date vimto) [anag:ply] |
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| 12 | EGG FLIP |
Drink that’s mixed for one girlfriend with sauce (3-4)
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e.g. (for example, so "for one") + GF (girlfriend) with LIP ("sauce") |
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| 13 | LORGNON |
Possibly reading in diary, Pierre’s no spectacles (7)
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R (possibly reading, in the three Rs of education) in LOG ("diary") + NON ("no" in French, so "Pierre's no") |
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| 14 | ADAMS |
Third term president America prevents from running (5)
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A (America) + DAMS ("prevents from running") John Adams was the second President of the US, but George Washington served for two terms, so Adams would have been the "third term president". |
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| 16 | ACTUARIES |
Risk judges covering court with gold stars? (9)
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Ct. (court) covered with Au (chemical symbol for "gold") + ARIES (a constellation, so "stars") |
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| 19 | PREVALENT |
Before Dell, books commonly used (9)
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PRE ("before") + VALE ("dell") + NT (New Testament, so "books") |
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| 20 | DEMOS |
The people protest, with NHS scrapping new hospital (5)
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DEMO ("protest") with (nh)S scrapping N (new) + H (hospital) |
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| 22 | APRICOT |
An orange koi carp drifts, changing ends in tank (7)
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*(toi carp) [anag:drifts] where the T of TOI is achived by changing ends in T(an)K Think of apricot as a colour, a shade of orange, rather than a fruit. |
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| 25 | EXORDIA |
Introductions essential for sex, or dialogue (7)
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Hidden in [essential for] "sEX OR DIAlogue" |
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| 27 | RAW SIENNA |
Naked old queen is turning yellowy brown (3,6)
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RAW ("naked") + <=(ANNE IS) ("old queen is", turning) |
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| 28 | BLASE |
Over-confident learner curbed by HQ (5)
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L (learner) curbed by BASE ("HQ") |
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| 29 | BEYONCE KNOWLES |
British seek new colony abroad, country’s latest act? (7,7)
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B (British) + *(seek new colony) [anag:abroad] Beyoncé Knowles, more commonly known as Beyoncé, recently released a country album called Cowboy Carter. |
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| DOWN | ||
| 2 | INTEGRATE |
Unify people, target Nixon reversed to some extent (9)
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Hidden backwards in [reversed to some extent] "peoplE TARGET NIxon" |
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| 3 | CORAL |
Sea creatures start to realise fossil fuel sucks (5)
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COAL ("fossil fuel") sucks in [start to] R(ealise) |
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| 4 | NAMEPLATE |
Sleep too long, keeping ‘chronic fatigue’ sign on the door (9)
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NAP LATE ("sleep too long") keeping ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis, a disease also known as "chronic fatigue") |
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| 5 | VITAL |
Last bit of malt in bottle needed badly (5)
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[last bit of] (mal)T in VIAL ("bottle") |
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| 6 | NEVERLAND |
No light in Peter’s home (9)
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NEVER ("no") + LAND ("light") Neverland is the home of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. |
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| 7 | OFTEN |
Sons departing become tender, usually (5)
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S (sons) departing (s)OFTEN ("become tender") |
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| 8 | HIDINGS |
Corporal punishments kept secret in Grammar School (7)
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HID ("kept secret") + IN + GS (Grammar School) |
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| 9 | CAMERA |
Creator of true likeness showed up painter (6)
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CAME ("showed up") + RA (member of the Royal Academy, so "painter") |
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| 15 | STANCHION |
Post from China’s not interfered with (9)
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*(chinas not) [anag:interfered with] |
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| 17 | TITHE BARN |
Silly chicken guards local grain store (5,4)
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TIT (a "silly" person) + HEN ("chicken") guards BAR ("local") |
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| 18 | IMMEDIATE |
Guy’s drug gets rid of cold without delay (9)
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I'M (the setter's, so "Guy's") + MEDI(c)ATE ("drug") getting rid of C (cold) |
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| 19 | PEA CRAB |
A little shellfish Spanish footballers brought up after training (3,4)
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<=BARÇA (Barcelona, a Spanish football team, so "Spanish footballers", brought up) after PE (physical exercise, so "training") |
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| 21 | SHAKEN |
Dismayed finding tin full of fish (6)
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Sn (chemical symbo for "tin") full of HAKE ("fish") |
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| 23 | ROWDY |
Very noisy seats quite near the front, close to Fury (5)
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ROW D ("seats quite near the front") + [close to] (fur)Y |
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| 24 | TENSE |
Full marks on Strictly, couple finally perfect? (5)
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TENS ("full marks on Strictly") + (coupl)E [finally] |
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| 26 | OX-BOW |
Bend over and kiss short child, then wife (2-3)
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O (over, in cricket) + X (kiss) + [short] BO(y) ("child") then W (wife) |
Another super puzzle from Guy (a firm favourite of mine now).
I have to laugh; a couple of days ago HIS NIBS (Moo, I think?) was seen as old-fashioned. Well, with Queen Bey (29a), today’s grid is bang up-to-date! Personally, I think Guy hits the sweet spot for solvers young and old alike. WALLY was among my picks but then there were several.
Thanks to him and Loonapick.
A poster recently mentioned a friend called Walter who was put out by the regular negative use of his name; he’d be delighted today to see it properly used. And properly done certainly describes this excellent offering from Guy which I thoroughly enjoyed. Neat cluing throughout and, as loonapick says, what seemed like a reasonable level of GK required (though I will confess to needing to be reminded of the singer’s surname). That clue and the one for VINCENT at the top were among my faves, together with MOTIVATED, ADAMS, ACTUARIES, RAW SIENNA, NAMEPLATE, VITAL, HIDINGS and the amusing TITHE BARN.
Thanks Guy and loonapick
Top faves: V V GOGH (hot and slick surface), ADAMS (for the third term and the brilliant surface), HIDINGS (nice all-round one) and ROWDY (For the ROW D trick; seen it before probably. Still liked it).
Thanks both!
NAMEPLATE
Does it work better if we take NAP and LATE separately?
‘sleep too long’ might mean NAP UNTIL LATE.
I must echo Postmark’s fave MOTIVATED if only for the happy childhood memories of my sisters and I sipping VIMTO – or Otmiv as we called it!
This was my pick of the day
Thanks all,
A great puzzle. Finished in good time. Good clues, particularly liked “Alter” and the surfaces of “Coral” and “Beyonce Knowles”.
Couldn’t parse Adams (thought perhaps John had served two terms and his son John Quincy had served one, so put together, an Adams had served 3 terms. I was terribly mistaken)
Thank you to Guy and to Loonapick for the blog
Brutal crossword. Love it! I can’t see how to go from “fury” or “close to fury” to just “y” in 23d though – what am I missing?
Agree that this was a great puzzle. I Googled Vimto and discovered it has a big international market especially in the Arabian peninsula where it is the drink of choice during iftar.
Thanks to both
Wesley@7
ROWDY
The ‘close to Fury’ is to be read as ‘the closing/the last letter of Fury’.
KVa @7: (Slaps forehead) Of course! Thank you!
Enjoyed this even though I missed Adams.
I found this very difficult too. I was having trouble seeing the definitions in many of the clues – all the cryptic definitions I think were causing the issue (ADAMS third term president, for example). Some still have me wondering. And quite a few obscure words for me.
After I realising how long it had taken to get the right half out, I decided to stop with most of the left unfinished. I cannot say I enjoyed this one.
Thanks Guy, and thanks loonapick for a great blog
Thanks for the blog, really enjoyed this, very near set of clues.
Liked the Ancient Greek DEMOS and the Latin plural EXORDIA. Liked OXBOW, too, even though I never did Geography – a serious gap in my education.
Missed the nuance in ADAMS. Found out that neither John nor Quincy was re-elected for a second term. FDR the only three-termer…
(…so far – Trump’ll probably declare himself President for life next year).
A fine puzzle. Thanks G&L
FDR won four elections , his fourth term sadly very short. The rules were changed after .
Roz@15 Yep, and I cannot tell you how much time I wasted trying to see how FDR fitted into the answer. To temper my annoyance with the real answer, I consoled myself with the thought that John Adams was VP to Washington for 2 terms so his presidency “might” be his third term. But, it did not help much given there are quite a few people whose had three terms under that definition. I much prefer loonapick’s interpretation, which never crossed my mind. I repeat what I wrote above – a great blog
Far too difficult. It just pissed me off.
Never heard of LORGNON.
Never heard of an EGG FLIP.
Van Gogh was an oil painter not an oil worker.
Sharon@17, too bad you don’t seem to be open to learning new words, and I’m sorry you don’t seem to enjoy deceptive wordplay (e.g., VVG working in oils). Better luck next time.
I had never heard of 25 EXORDIA, but was happy to be introduced to it – I will try to introduce it into my next speech.
Thanks Guy and loonapick for the puzzle and blog.
Fabulous crossword. Thanks Guy. 29A Beyoncé Knowles is a stunning clue.
I generally prefer to solve online so a rare FT sortie for me. But I was completely charmed by the this so I’ll be back for more. And thanks for the blog.
Cellomaniac@18: I see what you did there with EXORDIA. Chuckle…