Financial Times 17,719 by Rosa Klebb

12 comments on “Financial Times 17,719 by Rosa Klebb”

1. Another splendid puzzle from Rosa Klebb with her signature smooth surfaces, like SHADOW and EARLINESS.
   I share Pete’s favourites of CALUMNY and TAXIDERMY which was so well done, along with JALOUSIE (reminded me of a Robbe-Grillet novel) and LUCRE (always love a reference to Poirot).
   All done with an admirable economy of words too.
   Thanks to Rosa and Pete.

2. Diane put it nicely and I echo what she wrote. I had slightly different favourites, they being SPINE, INFRA DIG (such a great expression!), and then several from the back stretch – OBSCURE, MANGE, and BOORS. Almost all clues had great surfaces, and these ones struck me as particularly clever

   A couple of questions. I have never met or heard of a Calum. Is it a common name anywhere? And is CRUMPLE the same as crease?

   Finally, this week’s puzzle required knowledge of weaponry, shield design, interior decoration, mining technique and Roman history. I felt a bit like a librarian who reads the books that no-one borrows. In the end, it is always good to learn.

   Thanks to Rosa Klebb for a very pleasing puzzle and to Pete for another great blog

3. Liked MUMBO JUMBO, PITPROP and TAXIDERMY (an all-round beauty).
   Liked several surfaces.

   Thanks Rosa Klebb and Pete Maclean!

   Martyn@2
   CRUMPLE
   Chambers has this entry:
   crumple noun
   A crease or wrinkle

4. I think CRUMPLE as a verb also should work in the sense of ‘to crease’.

   CALUMNY
   CALUM: Waiting to hear from someone soon.

5. CALUM is a variation of Callum, a reasonably well known boy’s name, I suspect originally Scots from who I know with the name, but there are a few boy’s currently wandering in and out of youthwork called CALUM or Callum.

   Crumpled / creased clothes need ironing, don’t they?

   JALOUSIE I recognised as a word, but not that it was a blind, so I looked that up.

   Not that anyone has mentioned it so far, but it is a pangram. Love the surfaces with Rosa Klebb as always, and enjoy admiring the composition and surface when I’ve solved clues, so I don’t find I speed through her puzzles.

   Thank you Pete Maclean and Rosa Kleb.

6. Thanks Shanne and KVa for the responses and guidance. I almost wrote “I am sure someone will quote Chambers to me” and I was not disappointed.

7. As always a lovely puzzle from Rosa Klebb. A bit easier than her recent ones I thought or maybe I was just on the wavelength.

   Favourites: SHADOW, LUCRE, PITPROP, HEFTY, STARBOARD, MANGE

   Thanks Rosa Klebb and Pete Maclean

8. Thanks for the blog, very neat, precise and concise clues. Quite a few words that I only know from crosswords.
   Cal(l)um slowly on the rise I think , both spellings, especially among the Scottish students.

9. I echo what Diane said @1. Rosa Klebb is one of my absolute fave setters and the economy and precision of the cluing is a joy to experience. SHADOW, AFFABLE, MUMBO JUMBO, CALUMNY, PITPROP, EARLINESS, TAXIDERMY, STARBOARD and MANGE were my faves today.

   Thanks Rosa Klebb and Pete M

10. Thanks RK and Pete

    Shanne @ 5 Pangram? I can see none of K Q or Z.

11. Thanks Rosa for another splendid example of clear and concise setting. It’s always a treat to have so many smooth surfaces in one crossword. My top picks were SHAVEN, SHADOW, JALOUSIE, TAXIDERMY, and MANGE. My only misstep was CALUMNY, being unaware of ‘Calum’ as a man’s name. Thanks Pete for the blog.

12. Simon @10 – you’re right, it wasn’t Rosa Klebb’s. And apologies for the mistype earlier of her name

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