Puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 28, 2024
Another fine pangram from Zamorca. My first-in was 28 and last was 27. My favourites are 1a (BLOW FLY), 1d (BASSIST), 8 (SAPIENT) and 24 (PIQUE).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BLOW FLY |
Boy’s run fast to catch poor bluebottle (4,3)
|
| B (boy) + LOW (poor) + FLY (run fast). “Nah, you deaded poor Bluebottle”. | ||
| 5 | JEALOUS |
Envious of Joel travelling first-class within America (7)
|
| A (first-class) in (within) of anagram travelling) of JOEL + US (America) | ||
| 9 | SWEAR |
Promise Sunday by the river in Durham (5)
|
| S (Sunday) + WEAR (the river in Durham) | ||
| 10 | SLIPPED UP |
Made a mistake having sports day during pupils’ trip (7,2)
|
| PE (sports) + D (day) together in (during) anagram (trip) of PUPILS | ||
| 11 | IMPLEMENT |
Use tool (9)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | EYRIE |
Great lake has osprey finally inhabiting nest (5)
|
| [ospre]Y in (inhabiting) ERIE (Great Lake) | ||
| 13 | TOWER |
High rise in interest ultimately getting debtor behind (5)
|
| [interes]T + OWER (debtor) | ||
| 15 | DISCREDIT |
Shame glory’s coming after most of team retired (9)
|
| SID[e] (most of team) backwards (retired) + CREDIT (glory) | ||
| 18 | LORD MAYOR |
Way ex-PM interrupts ladies beginning to rile dignitary (4,5)
|
| RD (way) + MAY (ex-PM) together in (interrupts) LOO (ladies) + R[ile] | ||
| 19 | EASES |
Relaxes when kids head off (5)
|
| [t]EASES (kids head off) | ||
| 21 | BATON |
Stick label back on (5)
|
| TAB (label) backwards (back) + ON (on) | ||
| 23 | CHEAP RATE |
Low price for box with lots inside (5,4)
|
| HEAP (lots) in (inside) CRATE (box) | ||
| 25 | TAXI STAND |
Pressure island to put up with becoming transport hub (4,5)
|
| TAX (pressure) + I (island) + STAND (to put up with) | ||
| 26 | QUACK |
Question account circulated by country doctor who’s a bit dodgy (5)
|
| Q (question) + AC (account) in (circulated by) UK (country) | ||
| 27 | RICHEST |
In Germany I invested in holiday that’s most luxurious (7)
|
| ICH (in Germany I) in (invested in) REST (holiday) | ||
| 28 | ROE DEER |
Endlessly reordered nuts for wild animal (3,4)
|
| Anagram (nuts) of [r]EORDERE[d] | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BASSIST |
Band leader has to help guitar player (7)
|
| B[and] + ASSIST (to help) | ||
| 2 | OVERPOWER |
More potential in defeat? (9)
|
| OVER (more) + POWER (potential) | ||
| 3 | FURZE |
Prickly heathland plants caught fluffy coats (5)
|
| Homophone (caught) of “furs” (fluffy coats) | ||
| 4 | YESTERDAY |
In the past year, lost dearest and last of family (9)
|
| Y (year) + anagram (lost) of DEAREST + [famil]Y | ||
| 5 | JOINT |
Jack’s off into sleazy bar (5)
|
| J (Jack) + anagram (off) of INTO | ||
| 6 | APPLE TREE |
Program enabled unlimited free energy for fruit grower (5,4)
|
| APP (program) + LET (enabled) + [f]RE[e] + E (energy) | ||
| 7 | OLDER |
More mature wine served up after ordinary’s left (5)
|
| O (ordinary) + L (left) + RED (wine) backwards (served up) | ||
| 8 | SAPIENT |
Wise to have posted a private detective on board (7)
|
| A (a) + PI (private detective) together in (on board) SENT (have posted) | ||
| 14 | REMINISCE |
Think back on church restricting short skirts (9)
|
| RE (on) + MINIS (short skirts) + CE (church) | ||
| 16 | SURRENDER |
Tear into certain regimental leader for yielding (9)
|
| REND (tear) in (into) SURE (certain) + R[egimental] | ||
| 17 | DISPARAGE |
Criticise detective’s parking, acceleration and gear changing (9)
|
| DIS (detective’s) + P (parking) + A (acceleration) + anagram (changing) of GEAR | ||
| 18 | LOBSTER |
Large store negotiated to bring in British seafood (7)
|
| L (large) + B (British) in (to bring in) anagram (negotiated) of STORE | ||
| 20 | SPEAKER |
Lecturer uses clip from Dante’s Peak eruption (7)
|
| Hidden word (clip from) | ||
| 22 | TOXIC |
Pernicious blood-sucker’s mostly biting farm animal (5)
|
| OX (farm animal) in (biting) TIC[k] (blood-sucker’s mostly) | ||
| 23 | COAST |
Company relaxed sat by the seaside (5)
|
| CO (company) + anagram (relaxed) of SAT | ||
| 24 | PIQUE |
British astronaut expressed annoyance (5)
|
| Homophone (expressed) of “[Tim] Peake” (British astronaut) |
Enjoyable puzzle, with minimal obscurities. The only NHOs were a couple of new British references.
I think I made fairly steady progress, and I am surprised to find I did not mark any favourites. As just mentioned, I do remember enjoying it.
Thanks Zamorca and Pete
Like Martyn, I found this a steady and swift solve over morning coffee. Surfaces were often smooth like those for BATON and BASSIST and I think I arrived at the pangram fairly early on.
Very enjoyable, as always.
Thanks to Zamorca and Pete whose comments I share.
Liked LORD MAYOR, TAXI STAND, BASSIST, SAPIENT and TOXIC.
Thanks Zamorca and Pete.
I also remember really enjoying this puzzle.
Favourites included: LORD MAYOR, FURZE, BLOWFLY, SAPIENT, APPLE TREE
Thanks Zamorca and Pete
Thanks for the blog, good set of neat and concise clues.
I think the grid helped a lot, every first letter is checked.
28a ROE DEER — REORDERED needs to be endless at both ends — [r]EORDERE[d]*
Enjoyable. May is always eminently forgettable even in crosswords.
Truss on the other hand…
Thank you, FrankieG for pointing out my slip in 28a, now fixed.
An enjoyable solve, helped by being pretty sure we had a pangram when our FOI was JEALOUS. We did come unstuck for a while putting ‘dishonour’ for 15ac but APPLE TREE and SAPIENT soon put us right.
Thanks, Zamorca and Pete.