Gaff has produced this morning’s FT crossword.
For the second time this week, my blog has coincided with my “office” day, and for the second time this week, I’m glad I woke up an hour before my alarm. This wasn’t as chewy as the Guardian Boatman I had to blog on Tuesday, but it did take a bit of unpicking, with the parsing of some clues escaping me at first (THEATRES, for example). I ahd a few minor quibbles with the puzzle if I’m honest. For example, I don’t like the clue for REMORSE at 30ac, as “revealing” in the clue is necessary as an indicator of a hidden solution, but the R of “revealing” also appears as part of the solution. I think the setter could be accused of doing something similar in AMNIO (15ac) where “sampling” could be part of the definition as well as indicating the hidden solution, but I worked round that by assuming that “of” is enough to indicate the hidden element. The “are” in 22dn (UNFAIR) is necessary for the surface, but in crossword grammar terms is wrong as “funfair” is singular. There were also some excellent clues such as those for SEAT BELT, YEAR DOT and DREDGE.
On the website, the crossword has the preamble “A festive puzzle” but I can’t see a theme, apart from the three Greek letters appearing as solutions.
Thanks, Gaff
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | LEGENDS |
Stories support conclusions (7)
|
| LEG (“support”) + ENDS (“conclusions”) | ||
| 5 | PYRAMID |
Criminal selling monument (7)
|
| Double definition, the first referring to PYRAMID selling, which is illegal (at least, here in the UK) | ||
| 9 | HEALING |
Repairing hospital damaged in gale (7)
|
| H (hospital) + *(in gale) [anag:damaged] | ||
| 10 | REJUDGE |
Give second opinion concerning disciple around midnight (7)
|
| RE (“conceerning”) + JUDE (“disciple”) around [mid] (ni)G(ht) | ||
| 11 | IOTA |
A little bit of character (4)
|
| Double definition, the second referring to a character (letter) of the Greek alphabet | ||
| 12 | HEADLINING |
Leading on bill for roof insulation (10)
|
| HEAD (top, so “roof”) + LINING (“insulation”) | ||
| 15 | AMNIO |
Brief sampling of retro coin machine (5)
|
| Hidden backwards in [of…retro] “cOIN MAchine”
Amnio is short for amniocentesis in which a sample of amniotic fluid is extracted from the uterus of a pregnant woman to test for fetal abnormalities. |
||
| 16 | AGRIPPA |
Roman general with a hold on his father (7)
|
| A + GRIP (“hold”) on PA (“father”) | ||
| 19 | FUTURES |
What will be risky contracts (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | GREEN |
Inexperienced politician (5)
|
| Double definition, the second referring to a member of the Green Party | ||
| 23 | OXYGEN TENT |
Supporter of aspiration for department to follow animal unknown by man (6,4)
|
| ENT (Ear Nose & Throat “department” of a hospital) to follow OX (“animal”) + Y (unknown, in maths) by GENT (“man”) | ||
| 24 | BETA |
Starts to bring examiners to a test (4)
|
| [starts to] B(ring) E(xaminers) T(o) + A | ||
| 26 | THEATRE |
Where patrons pay to see flats? (7)
|
| Cryptic definition, with “flats” in this case referring to flat pieces of scenery that can be moved on to a stage. | ||
| 28 | AWAITED |
Expected to be astonished about small island (7)
|
| AWED (“astonished”) about AIT (“small island”) | ||
| 29 | YEAR DOT |
Today, were we out-manoeuvred a long time ago? (4,3)
|
| *(today re) [anag:manoeuvred] where RE is (we)RE with WE out | ||
| 30 | REMORSE |
Revolutionary leaves Rome revealing guilty conscience (7)
|
| Hidden backwards in [revolutionary…revealing] “leavES ROME Revealing”
Although it may not bother some solvers, “revealing” is doing double duty here, as the indicator of a hidden clue, and as part of the answer, so I personally don’t like this clue. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | LAH-DI-DAH |
So-called tea cake owned up to being pretentious (3-2-3)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [so-called] of LARDY (cake) + <=HAD (“owned”, up)
Lardy cake is a spiced bread (or teacake) from the south of England. |
||
| 2 | GLASTONBURY |
Place underground beneath cut-glass weight in abbey (11)
|
| BURY (“place underground”) beneath [cut] GLAS(s) + TON (“weight”) | ||
| 3 | NAIL |
Could be filed under clout (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | SIGNET |
Impression of a number of soldiers in retreat (6)
|
| <=(TEN GIs) (“a number of soldiers”, in retreat) | ||
| 5 | PARADIGM |
Level a gibe at Prime Minister, for example (8)
|
| PAR (“level”) + A + DIG (“gibe”) at [prime] M(inister) | ||
| 6 | REJOICINGS |
With terribly jingoistic cheeers, itches to be left out of celebrations (10)
|
| *(jingoi cers) [anag:terribly] where JINGOIS CERS is JINGOI(stic) C(he)ERS with the letters of ITCHES left out | ||
| 7 | MUD |
Regularly misused benchmark of clarity (3)
|
| [regularly] M(is)U(se)D
As in the phrase “as clear as mud” |
||
| 8 | DREDGE |
Dead rose for middle-aged to clean bed (6)
|
| D (dead) + RED (“rose”) + [middle] (a)GE(d) | ||
| 13 | IMPLEMENTER |
One who executes simple men terribly protected (11)
|
| Hidden in [protected] “sIMPLE MEN TERribly” | ||
| 14 | DOCUMENTED |
Demo CD tune was off, so made a record (10)
|
| *(demo cd tune) [anag:was off] | ||
| 17 | SEAT BELT |
He left The Beatles after playing with restraint (4,4)
|
| *(t beatles) [anag:after playing] where T is T(he) with HE having left | ||
| 18 | UNSADDLE |
Remove seat without back, suddenly a problem (8)
|
| *(suddenl a) [anag:problem] where SUDDENL is SUDDENL(y) without back | ||
| 21 | WORTHY |
Valuable plant with hairy edges (6)
|
| WORT (“plant”) with H(air)Y [edges] | ||
| 22 | UNFAIR |
Top amusements are immoral (6)
|
| [top, i.e. remove the top from] (f)UNFAIR (“amusements”) | ||
| 25 | FARM |
Producer of fresh asparagus tips with case of rheumatism (4)
|
| F(resh) A(sparagus) [tips] with [case of] R(heumatis)M | ||
| 27 | ETA |
When one may arrive with letter (3)
|
| Double definition, the first being Estimated Time of Arrival, shortened to ETA, and the second a letter of the Greek alphabet. |
Glastonbury Festival. Worthy Farm. Pyramid Stage. I don’t know about other references.
Cineraria @1 – of course, d’oh!
There is a clear GLASTONBURY theme. WORTHY farm, PYRAMID stage, LEGENDS, HEADLINING, THEATRE (I guess) and, no doubt, many of the performers lurking there. Ah, just beaten to it.
Green Futures. Healing Field. Mud, too, I suspect.
REMORSE
As the def is ‘guilty conscience’, can we not consider the ‘revealing’ only as a part of the wordplay with
no role in the solution?
Another theme wasted on me. I enjoyed this, despite not knowing an ait, lardy, or the flat for the theatre.
For 17D I immediately put in “Pete Best” until the crossers put me right.
I meant to mention that I thought it a shame that this puzzle hadn’t been better proofread. Having a spelling error in 6d which is part of the anagram fodder should have been picked up. Of course, we all know “cheeers” isn’t a word but stranger things can legitimately appear in a cryptic.
Thanks for the blog, good puzzle with neat clues , especially subtractions.
Surely REMORSE is part of the theme, expensive ticket, travel all that way and then have to listen to Coldplay .
Unlike the puzzle of earlier this week that Lookapick is referring to, I loved this one. My favorite clue was 5D for its’ tricky use of EXAMPLE as the definition. In 1D I thought the LAD DI came from LOTTIE, a type of cookie, made popular by missionary Lottie Moon.
Also legends, headlining, dredge (as in cleaning off the mud).
A brilliant crossie. Only slightly spoiled by failure of proof-reading.
James@7, I was another PETE BEST at 17d, especially since I had two Es already in as crossers.
Loonapick, I agree with your quibble about 22d UNFAIR. It could easily have been fixed as “Top amusement park is immoral”, without damaging the surface in any way.
Having got 2d GLASTONBURY right away I figured that had to be the festive theme, but I didn’t twig to any of the other thematic references, with the possible exception of 7d MUD. (Roz@9, I echo your sentiment.)
Thanks, Gaff for the enjoyable puzzle, and loonapick for the clear and helpful blog.