Financial Times 17,888 by STEERPIKE

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Steerpike has provided this morning’s challenge.

I realised early on that this was probably going to be a pangram, but also thought there may have been a theme when the first two across entries indicated military terms, but the theme idea died out quickly. This is the thrid or fourth Steerpike puzzle in a rown to be pangrammatic. I’m not sure of the use of “exalting” in FOCCACIA, unless the setter is asking us to promote the I to above the A? Thoughts, my revered commenters?

Thanks, Steerpike

ACROSS
1 COHORT
Commanding officer given roasting about King’s Regiment (6)
CO (Commanding Officer) given HOT (“roasting”) abour R (Rex, so “King”)
4 SQUADRON
Question a medic working alongside second airborne division (8)
S (seconf) alongside Qu, (question) + A + Dr. (doctor, so “medic”) + ON (“working”)
9 ARYANS
Ancient people, say, ran amok (6)
*(say ran) [anag:amok]
10 AIRTIGHT
Incontrovertible report of beneficiary getting drunk (8)
Homophone/pun/aural wordplay of [report of] HEIR (“beneficiary”) getting TIGHT (“drunk”)
12 SCREW TOP
Company enthralled by revolutionary cooking utensil’s lid (5,3)
CREW (“company”) enthralled by [revolutionary] <=POT”S (“cooking utensil’s”)
13 EUREKA
International organisation exposed fakery around announcement of discovery (6)
EU (European Union, so “international organisation”) + [exposed] <= (f)AKER(y), around
15 CUSS
Swear copper meets suspects on vacation (4)
Cu (chemical symbol for “copper”) + S(uspect)S [on vacation]
16 OSTENSIBLE
Old student’s conclusion in practical is apparent (10)
O (old) + (studen)T [‘s conclusion] in SENSIBLE (“pracrical”)
19 APOLOGETIC
Expressing remorse, writer holding record within agency retired (10)
POET (“writer”) holding LOG (“record”) within [retired] CIA (Criminal Intellingence “Agency”)
20 SNOG
Kiss taken aback by lighting on stage (4)
HIdden backwards in [taken aback by] “lightinG ON Stage”)
23 IN A WAY
Somehow home and not home (2,1,3)
IN (“home”) + AWAY (“not home”)
25 CHAMPION
Advocate hiding heroin in plant (8)
H (heroin) hiding in CAMPION (“plant”)
27 TWITCHER
Benevolent witch eruditely entertains visibly nervous individual (8)
Hidden in [entertains] “benevolenT WITCH ERuditely”
28 FURORE
Pelt doormen regularly in commotion (6)
FUR (“pelt”) + (d)O(o)R(m)E(n) [regularly]
29 RAMPAGED
Servant died after farm animal went berserk (8)
PAGE (“servant”) + D (died) after RAM (“farm animal”)
30 STATUS
Condition of artwork European traded with leader of Sioux (6)
STATU-E (“artwork”) trading S (leader of S(ioux)) for E (European) becomes STATU-S
DOWN
1 CLASSIC
Official essentially supports group of students enduring work (7)
(off)IC(ial) [essentially] supports CLASS (“group of students”)
2 HEY PRESTO
As if by magic, Tory sheep scattered (3,6)
*(tory sheep) [anag:scattered]
3 RENOWN
Celebrity regarding present with nonchalance, initially (6)
RE (“regarding”) + NOW (“present”) with N(onchalance) [initially]
5 QUIT
Somewhat short of energy? Give up! (4)
QUIT(e) short of E (energy)
6 ALTRUISM
The French reflected on commonplace consideration (8)
<=LA (“the” in “fFench”, reflected) on TRUISM (“commonplace”)
7 ROGUE
Rascal chopping ends off shoes (5)
[chopping ends off] (b)ROGUE(s) (“shoes”)
8 NUTCASE
Crackpot can’t use mobile (7)
*(cant use) [anag:mobile]
11 JOUSTED
Accepting nothing, impartial journalist partook in competition (7)
JUST (“impartial”) accepting O (nothing) + Ed. (editor, so “journalist”)
14 ZENITHS
School of Buddhism hits new heights (7)
ZEN (“school of Buddhism”) + *(hits) [anag:new]
17 BANDICOOT
Spooner’s American sweeties kick Australian native (9)
If uttered by the Rev, Spooner, CANDY (“American sweeties”) + BOOT (“kick”) may have been BANDY COOT
18 FOCACCIA
Uploaded carbon copy account of article exalting India’s flatbread (8)
[uploaded] <=(cc (carnon copy + ac. (account) + OF) + A exalting I (international vehicle registration code foe “India”)

Not sure about the use of “exalting” here.
19 AVIATOR
Pilot worked out ratio is below average (7)
*(ratio) [anag:worked out] is below Av. (average)
21 GANDERS
Birds finally extending range across river (7)
[finally] (extendin)G + ANDES (“range”) across R (river)
22 AMOUNT
Sum doctor charges relative (6)
MO (Medical Officer, so “doctor”) charges AUNT (“relative”)
24 AXIOM
Ring after eleven in the morning, it’s fundamental (5)
O (ring) after XI (eleven) in AM (ante meridiem, so “morning”)
26 FETE
Oddly withdrawn after the party (4)
[oddly withdrawn] (a)F(t)E(r) T(h)E

8 comments on “Financial Times 17,888 by STEERPIKE”

  1. I didn’t spot the pangram. I often don’t and, as with many other solvers, J is the letter that might get me wondering if anything will. And today I was beaten by FOCACCIA and JOUSTED. I couldn’t properly parse the first even after revealing. The second is my bad. GANDERS, AMOUNT, NUTCASE and IN A WAY are the clues that earned my ticks.

    Thanks Steerpike and loonapick

  2. I did spot the pangram, not that it helped with the solve. I shrugged on FOCCACIA, because it was the only bread that fitted with most of the letters given. The rest was parsed.

    Thank you to Steerpike and loonapick.

  3. 18d FOCACCIA – Took “article exalting India” to mean “A” lifting up “I” = “IA”, just as you did, loonapick.
    Never spot pangrams, but thought there might be one after my L2i were 14d ZENITHS, then 11d JOUSTED. Fine puzzle. Thanks S&L.

  6. An enjoyable puzzle if a bit challenging in places – FOCACCIA for example where we weren’t sure about ‘exalting’. We started looking for a pangram once Q and Z showed up, and it helped towards the end when we needed B,F,J,K and X to complete it.
    Thanks, Steerpike and loonapick.

  7. Martin@4
    When I was a boy and enjoyed conjuring tricks HEY PRESTO! was a very popular expression, although perhaps not any more. Demanding puzzle with some great clues,well explained in the blog.
    Thanks to both.

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