Your monthly dose of geography-based cruciverbal fun. Find it to solve online at ft.com/crossword
The usual preamble:
A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular place in the world. Its name should be inserted at 31 across. Work out the place by solving the *asterisked clues, all undefined. Their solutions have some relevance to the place, such as famous people, landmarks, culture and language
A fairly typical Gozo puzzle – light and entertaining. I quickly deduced the place we were after and none of the themed solutions were unknown to me, which made for a pretty quick solve – but no less enjoyable for that.
Thanks, Gozo!
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SHIITES |
Islamic worshippers at camping locations, accepting greeting (7)
|
| SITES (camping locations) welcoming HI (greeting) | ||
| 5/8 | FIRTH OF FORTH |
*Actor Colin’s exertion changing top at start of holiday (5,2,5)
|
| FIRTH (actor Colin) + EFFORT (exertion) “changing top” to O + “start of” Holiday
The estuary of the Forth river, on which Edinburgh stands |
||
| 9 | LAST APRIL |
All tapirs turned out earlier in the year (4,5)
|
| Anagram (turned out) of ALL TAPIRS | ||
| 10 | ON AIR |
Suave young socialite is lost, broadcasting (2,3)
|
| [deb]ONAIR (suave) less DEB (debutante = young socialite) | ||
| 11/6 | HOLYROOD |
*Some say decoration is basic (8)
|
| For some, it sounds like HOLLY (decoration) + RUDE (basic)
Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, found at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. |
||
| 12 | LEITH |
*Castle, I think — only a part (5)
|
| “Only a part” of castLE I THink
The port of Edinburgh, to the east of the city. |
||
| 13 | ITCH |
Long delay — but heading off (4)
|
| [h]ITCH (delay) less the first letter (heading off) | ||
| 16 | RANKIN |
*Managed one’s relatives (6)
|
| RAN (managed) + KIN (one’s relatives)
Ian Rankin, Scottish writer of crime fiction, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels which are mainly set in Edinburgh. |
||
| 17/4 | PRINCES STREET |
*Charlotte, maybe, has to deal with broadcast (7,6)
|
| PRINCESS (Charlotte, maybe) + homophone (broadcast) of TREAT (deal with)
A major street that runs through the middle of Edinburgh. |
||
| 21 | CLEANER |
Cold, thinner daily (7)
|
| C (cold) + LEANER (thinner) | ||
| 22 | FRINGE |
*I left, in grief, tortured (6)
|
| Anagram (tortured) of IN GRIEF less I
The Edinburgh Fringe, which takes place every August, is the world’s largest performing arts festival. |
||
| 24 |
See 32
|
|
| 26/27 | ROYAL MILE |
*Comedians Hudd and Murray not starting to grin (5,4)
|
| Comedians ROY (Hudd) and AL (Murray) + [s]MILE (grin, not starting)
The main thoroughfare of Edinburgh, which runs between the castle and Holyrood Palace. |
||
| 30 | REBUS |
*Conundrum about Routemaster (5)
|
| REBUS (conundrum) & RE (about) + BUS (Routemaster)
Inspector John Rebus, detective in the aforementioned Ian Rankin novels. |
||
| 31 | EDINBURGH |
[See Setter Notes] (9)
|
| The place to which all asterisked clues refer. | ||
| 32/24 | ARTHUR’S SEAT |
*King’s constituency (7,4)
|
| ARTHUR’S (King’s) + SEAT (constituency)
Hill on the outskirts of Edinburgh. |
||
| 33 | GALLEON |
Kitchen unfinished on 1566 vessel (7)
|
| GALLE[y] (kitchen, unfinished) + ON
Not sure of the specific significance of 1566 but galleons were certainly in use at that date. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SULPHURIC |
Chirps and starts to ululate mixing corrosive acid (9)
|
| Anagram (mixing) of CHIRPS + “starts” to ULU[late] | ||
| 2 | INSOLENCE |
The cheek of being the only one in pub and church (9)
|
| SOLE (the only one) in INN (pub) _ CE (Church [of England]) | ||
| 3 | TRAM |
*From Montmartre (4)
|
| The solution comes “from” montMARTre – you could take “mont” (either as the French verb or a variant spelling of mount in English) as the reversal indicator
Trams are a popular way to get about in Edinburgh. |
||
| 4 |
See 17 Across
|
|
| 5 | FELT TIPS |
Writers considered advice (4,4)
|
| FELT (considered) + TIPS (advice) | ||
| 6 |
See 11 Across
|
|
| 7 | HEART |
One in a suit amongst the artillery (5)
|
| Found “amongst” tHE ARTillery | ||
| 8 |
See 5 Across
|
|
| 14 | PIANO |
Joanna and 16 in river (5)
|
| IAN (Rankin, solution to 16) in PO (river)
Rhyming slang, innit. |
||
| 15 | LITRE |
Left Italian red, not finishing content of carafe? (5)
|
| L (left) + IT (Italian) + RE[d] “not finishing” | ||
| 18 | CONCIERGE |
Caretaker replaced cornice, say, from below (9)
|
| Anagram (replaced) of CORNICE + EG (say) reversed (from below) | ||
| 19 | SHERE KHAN |
Literary tiger is quiet before Eastern inn (5,4)
|
| SH (quiet) + ERE (before) + KHAN (Eastern inn) | ||
| 20 | TROOPERS |
Old reports about those who swear, it’s said (8)
|
| Anagram (about) of O (old) + REPORTS
As in the saying “swears like a trooper”. |
||
| 23 | RATING |
Assessing // new recruit (6)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 24 | SYRIA |
Shy arrival oddly in Middle Eastern land (5)
|
| Odd letters of ShY aRrIvAl | ||
| 25 | AMBIT |
Extent of scheme no good (5)
|
| [g]AMBIT (scheme) less G (good) | ||
| 28 | ESAU |
Isaac’s son in the sauna (4)
|
| Solution is found “in” thE SAUna | ||
| 29 | ABEL |
OT victim is skilful, we’re told (4)
|
| Sounds like ABLE |
I think this is the first time the World puzzle has been based on a city rather than a country. I got FIRTH OF FORTH early on and was surprised o find that SCOTLAND wouldn’t go in 31.
I wonder if 1566 was a mistake for 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada.
You and me both Andrew, although my second thought was Edinburgh, which I love.
1566 is the date Mary Queen of Scots returned to Edinburgh and gave birth to James I/VI.
(I saw Mànran last night so my head is tuned into Scottish stuff )
Thank you to Gozo and Widdersbel
11A LEITH and 16A RANKIN (one of my favourite authors) easily gave me 31A.
Then it was pretty simple to complete all but 19D. I remember reading the book many years (decades!) ago but couldn’t remember the tiger. Also KHAN was new to me as an ‘inn”. The only use if this word that I know is preceded by “Genghis”.
Didn’t I comment on 14D a few days ago how “Joanna” and “piano” rhyme? I must start to watch old “The Sweeney” episodes!
Thanks, Widdersbel
Andrew@1
New York – Sunday no. 37
Nice puzzle Tom
33a – 1566 ‘March – The Hanseatic city of Lübeck launches the GALLEON Adler von Lübeck, probably the largest ship in the world at this time.’
[1d SULPHURIC – These days (since 1990) we’re supposed to spell it with an “F”.
Oed.com has the entry as sulfuric | sulphuric, but all the old citations have the “PH”. They need some new ones.]
[18d always reminds me of Madelyn Cates in The Producers (1967): “I’m not a madam – I’m a CONCIERGE!”]
In my crystal ball, I can see no less than four of these solutions appearing in the parse of a single clue in Tuesday’s Indy.