Mudd has set this morning’s FT puzzle.
This was a pretty straightforward solve, which would havebeen over in a flash had I not hesitated over AT FIRST BLUSH because I thought there had to be something going on but all it was was an error on my part as I had entered AT FIRST FLUSH (thanks to early commenters for putting me right). My LOI was EGGS BENEDICT although once you see it, it’s pretty obvious. Some of the definitions are a bit loose, such as “companion” for PLAYFELLOW, but nothing outrageously so.
Thanks, Mudd.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MAGNA CARTA |
Document juggling act with anagram (5,5)
|
| *(act anagram) [anag:juggling] | ||
| 6 | OVER |
Cricketing term, extra (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | PLAYFELLOW |
Performance dropped: that hurt companion (10)
|
| PLAY (“performance”) + FELL (“dropped”) + OW (“that hurt”) | ||
| 10 | ICED |
If cakes essentially decorated, topping on those — what are they? (4)
|
| [topping on] I(f) C(akes) E(ssentially) D(ecorated) | ||
| 12 | DRESSING DOWN |
Relish drink in lecture (8,4)
|
| DRESSING (“relish”) + DOWN (“drink”) | ||
| 15 | PALATABLE |
Satisfactory partner on a board (9)
|
| PAL (“partner”) on A TABLE (“a board”) | ||
| 17 | SKIMP |
Forget holding in tum ultimately, tighten belt (5)
|
| SKIP (“forget”) holiding in (tu)M [ultimately] | ||
| 18 | LEVEL |
Scores tied, the same from both sides? (5)
|
| LEVEL is a palindrome, so “the same from both sides” | ||
| 19 | DISREPUTE |
Shame tripe used in a stew (9)
|
| *(tripe used) [anag:in a stew] | ||
| 20 | SQUASH RACKET |
Nullify noise in item of sports equipment (6,6)
|
| SQUASH (“nullify”) + RACKET (“noise”) | ||
| 24 | EXIT |
Little green man maintaining side parting (4)
|
| ET (extraterrestrial, so “little green man”) maintaining XI (eleven, so (cricket or football) “side”) | ||
| 25 | IDEALISTIC |
Italicised letters recollected in Utopia, seemingly? (10)
|
| *(italicised) [anag:letters recollected] | ||
| 26 | TOGO |
Country on the way out? (4)
|
| TO GO (“on the way out?”) | ||
| 27 | STREET CRED |
Barking red setter fed first of chocs, approval on the way? (6,4)
|
| *(red setter) [anag:barking] fed [first of] C(hocs) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MOPE |
Shock ending in heartache for brood (4)
|
| MOP (“shock” of hair) + [ending in] (heartach)E | ||
| 2 | GNAT |
Somewhat benign, a tiny insect (4)
|
| Hidden in [somewhat] “beniGN A Tiny” | ||
| 3 | AT FIRST BLUSH |
Ostensibly when newborn baby’s cheeks glow? (2,5,5)
|
| A newborn baby’s first blush would involve glowing cheeks. | ||
| 4 | ATLAS |
A mariner brought up reference useful to traveller (5)
|
| A + <=SALT (“mariner”, brought up) | ||
| 5 | TWO-TIMERS |
Pair of watches for Casanova and Lothario? (3-6)
|
| TWO (“pair”) + TIMERS (“watches”) | ||
| 7 | VICTORIOUS |
First rock collected by savage (10)
|
| TOR (“rock”) collected by VICIOUS (“savage”) | ||
| 8 | RED SNAPPER |
Fish, last of salmon consumed by soldier after wine (3,7)
|
| [last of[ (salmo)N consumed by SAPPER (“soldier”) after RED (“wine”) | ||
| 11 | EGGS BENEDICT |
Dish for example ingested with tips on basic cooking (4,8)
|
| e.g. (“for example”) + *(ingested bc) [anag:cooking] where BC is [tips on] B(asi)C | ||
| 13 | OPALESCENT |
Milky old white trail (10)
|
| O (old) + PALE (“white”) + SCENT (“trail”) | ||
| 14 | FLAVOURING |
Condiment possibly left, preferring sandwiches (10)
|
| FAVOURING (“preferring”) sandwiches L (left) | ||
| 16 | BAD CREDIT |
Financial status proving unreliable, bet ID card has been forged (3,6)
|
| *(bet id card) [anag:has been forged] | ||
| 21 | CEASE |
Stop patient pinching nurse’s rear (5)
|
| CASE (“patient”) pinching (nurs)E [‘s rear] | ||
| 22 | STIR |
Porridge served up in slammer, it seems (4)
|
| Hidden backwards in [served up in] “slammeR IT Seems” | ||
| 23 | SCUD |
Race across the sky heading for Cannes in south of France? (4)
|
| [heading for] C(annes) in SUD (“south” in “France”) |
I’m happy with AT FIRST BLUSH for 3d…
3D: I am with Tank on this: the expression that I know is “at first blush”. Sorry loonapick but thanks for the blog anyway.
Re 5D: The two cited gentlemen were reputedly more than “two” timers! But a great clue anyway.
Thanks, both – I honestly don’t recall ever hearing at first blush, but I may just have been mishearing/misremembering all my life…
I agree with Tank@1. EXIT took me a minute to figure out.
I am with the “blush” team.
Holidaying in Australia, so enjoying an early crack at this.
Yes, I parsed 3d AT FIRST BLUSH, with the definition as “Ostensibly”.
Liked the four-letter words: 6a OVER, “extra” being another “Cricketing term”
and especially 24a EXIT for the ‘lift and separate’ of “side parting“. (ET has no hair, but he does wear a blonde wig in the movie)
[Note that 24a EXIT is placed directly 6a OVER its meaning 26a TO GO.]
A steady and enjoyable challenge. Favourites were SKIMP and OPALESCENT for their surfaces, IDEALISTIC for the neat anagram and STREET CRED (amusing def)
Thanks to Mudd and .Loonapick.
Ken F, welcome to Australia. I just hope that you’re not in South East Queensland at the moment. It’s rather wet and wild.
3D: loonapick, there is an expression “in the first flush of youth” which means when a boy/girl starts turning into a man/woman and probably more examples of pivotal moments when one thing turns to another.
FrankieG: I don’t understand your reference to “lift and separate” but that was a phrase used in an advertisement for bras, here in Australia some years ago.
Frieda@9: In this context, “lift and separate” refers to the fact that the words “side parting” form a phrase in the surface reading of the clue, but have to be (lifted and) separated for the cryptic reading. Some people also use the phrase for the unsignalled requirement to split a clue word for the cryptic reading. The device of splitting a clue word has widespread approval, but I will always regard it as a ghastly device. The reference to the bra advertisement is deliberate, and you will find people on this site referring to the splitting of a clue word as Playtex as if that were standard crossword terminology.
Thank you PB. I do not fully understand your explanation but I am in awe of your knowledge of Australian Playtex ladies’ wear advertisements. If I had been asked, I would have guessed “Berlei” but then I am not a native Australian.
One thing that I learned when I first moved here was that “HESTIA” – another Australian ladies’ underwear brand was known as “Holds Every Size T*t In Australia”.
Oops, I do hope that my comment is not deleted.
Thanks to all who contributed and especially loonapick.
Frieda@11: I was not meaning to refer specifically to Australian bra advertisements, but rather to ones that I have seen in England.
I first thought that 3d was At First Slaps. I had it in mind that at birth babies used to have the backsides gently slapped, thus the glowing cheeks. For why I can’t remember.
Reminded me of a comedian/enne who said that his/her mother was so ugly that at birth the nurse slapped the mother.
My comments are similar to those above
Favourites were BAD CREDIT & RED SNAPPER for their surfaces. I usually do not like wordy clues, but I did like EXIT, which made me think, and ICED which made me pause.
I am surprised there has not been a racket vs racquet discussion by now.
Thanks Mudd and loonapick
Thanks Mudd, that was fun with my favourites being SQUASH RACKET, VICTORIOUS, and CEASE. Thanks loonapick for the blog.
I really enjoyed this. I forgot that FLAVORING has a u and struggled after putting in my favorite answer: SQUASH RACKET. I thought there might be some uk condiment I didn’t know about! Thanks Loonapick and Mudd
I found this delightfully Quiptic & a fun solve throughout. That said EXIT was a bung in & rather wished I’d given the why a bit more thought as it was a great clue. Am fairly new to FT puzzles so hadn’t realised Mudd was John Halpern – this one was much more Dada than Paul
Thanks both
All this back and forth about blush vs. flush reminds me of Keats’s “O Blush Not So!”
“There’s a blush for want, and a blush for shan’t,
And a blush for having done it;
There’s a blush for thought, and a blush for nought,
And a blush for just begun it.”