Puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 16, 2024
I had to write my blog for this puzzle twice. Once taking my time over it and then once hurriedly to get it posted late but as soon as I could easily manage. My apologies for the delay.
I enjoyed the puzzle especially 22d (BROAD) and also applaud 3 (STEAM), 5a (CORNCOB), 10 (PATAGONIA), 22a (BIG CHEESE) and 26 (PRAISED).
Thank you, Leonidas.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | NEMESIS |
Withdrawn males resist naked goddess (7)
|
| MEN (males) backwards (withdrawn) + [r]ESIS[t]. Nemesis being the Greek goddess of retribution and vengeance. | ||
| 5 | CORNCOB |
Bit of ear from river eaten by gull and swan (7)
|
| R (river) in (eaten by) CON (gull) + COB (swan) | ||
| 9 | AISLE |
Basil sulked regularly in part of church (5)
|
| [b]A[s]I[l] S[u]L[k]E[d] | ||
| 10 | PATAGONIA |
Old man lost goat in a South American region (9)
|
| PA (old man) + anagram (lost) of GOAT IN A | ||
| 11 | BAIN MARIE |
Sailor recalled popular soldier leaving new vessel (4-5)
|
| AB (sailor) backwards (recalled) + IN (popular) MARI[n]E (soldier leaving new) | ||
| 12 | SPARK |
Flash bikers finally stop in bay? (5)
|
| [biker]S + PARK (stop in bay) | ||
| 13 | KEYHOLE SURGERY |
It may prevent dramatic openings in theatre (7,7)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 18 | INTERMEDIARIES |
Note records introduced by Bury brokers (14)
|
| INTER (bury) + ME (note) + DIARIES (records) | ||
| 20 | HINDI |
Tongue of deer beginning to inflame (5)
|
| HIND (deer) + I[nflame] | ||
| 22 | BIG CHEESE |
VIP from India bowled over by child feeding birds (3,6)
|
| I (India) + B (bowled) together backwards + CH (child) in (feeding) GEESE (birds) | ||
| 24 | CHAPERONE |
Drink with a single escort (9)
|
| CHA (drink) + PER (with a) + ONE (single) | ||
| 25 | MOSES |
Prophet in ecstasy among mass of plants (5)
|
| E (ecstacy) in (among) MOSS (mass of plants) | ||
| 26 | PRAISED |
Plastic diapers given good reviews? (7)
|
| Anagram (plastic) of DIAPERS | ||
| 27 | TUNISIA |
Fish split by two traversing southern country (7)
|
| S (southern) in (traversing) II (two) in TUNA (fish) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | NEARBY |
Supporter in Asian capital up close (6)
|
| BRA (supporter) in YEN (Asian capital) all backwards (up) | ||
| 2 | MISDIRECT |
Wrongly address officer about Charlie in fog (9)
|
| DI (officer) + RE (about) C (charlie) all together in MIST (fog) | ||
| 3 | STEAM |
Power Nick ultimately increased 20-fold (5)
|
| STEAL (nick) with the’L’ replaced by ‘M’ (ultimately increased 20-fold….if read as Roman numerals) | ||
| 4 | SUPERGLUE |
Adhesive plug re-used almost carelessly (9)
|
| Anagram (carelessly) of PLUG RE-USE[d] | ||
| 5 | CUTIE |
Sweet sort outside of quadrant reportedly? (5)
|
| Homophone (reportedly) of “Q T” (outside of quadrant) | ||
| 6 | REGISTRAR |
Skills one German raised with king’s record keeper (9)
|
| ARTS (skills) + I (one) + GER (German) all together backwards (raised) + R (king) | ||
| 7 | CONGA |
Dance in centre of Bangor wearing short fur (5)
|
| [ba]NG[or] in (wearing) COA[t] (short fur) | ||
| 8 | BLACK EYE |
Bruise footman covered with edges of bandage (5,3)
|
| LACKEY (footman) in B[andag]E | ||
| 14 | HARDINESS |
Husband with game cycling to show resilience (9)
|
| H (husband) + SARDINES (game) circularly shifted one place to the left (cycling) | ||
| 15 | STINGIEST |
Least generous and most waspish? (9)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | ELEVENSES |
Snack from sheds oddly adjoining the Spanish fair (9)
|
| EL (the Spanish) + EVEN (fair) + S[h]E[d]S | ||
| 17 | NIGHT CAP |
Sir barely close to agreement about final dram? (8)
|
| [k]NIGH[t] (sir barely) + PACT (agreement) backwards (about) | ||
| 19 | GEISHA |
Entertaining lady crossing lounge is half-cut (6)
|
| Hidden word (cut) | ||
| 21 | NYALA |
Northern place reared American antelope (5)
|
| N (northern) + LAY (place) backwards (reared) + A (Ameican) | ||
| 22 | BROAD |
Minor highway suitable for large vehicles? (5)
|
| B-ROAD (minor highway). I think Americans tend to use ‘highway’ to mean a superior road while, for us Brits, it means simply the public road. I love the apparent self-contradictoriness of this clue. | ||
| 23 | HE-MAN |
Virile type taking point from ex-tennis player (2-3)
|
| [Tim] HE[n]MAN (taking point from ex-tennis player) |
It’s a shame that this page has obliterated the previous one notifying the delay, which included some interesting exchanges.
Thanks Leonidas and Pete.
I agree that this is unfortunate but I thought it might be confusing to leave original in place. And I do not know how I could move the comments from one to the other.
Thanks Leonidas and Pete
17dn: I think the agreement is PACT, with “close to” simply meaning “followed by”.
most enjoyable puzzle.
I was pleased to finish it, although i couldn’t parse 3D – too complex for my modest intellect 🙂
Thank you, Pelham. I am with you on 17dn and have revised the blog.
Top faves: K SURGERY, CUTIE, NIGHTCAP and BROAD.
Thanks Leonidas and Pete.
Lovely Saturday puzzle.
Favourites included: CORNCOB (which took me ages to get – I was thoroughly misled by the surface trying to work out what part of my ear was meant), BAIN-MARIE, CUTIE, CHAPERONE, INTERMEDIARIES, KEYHOLE SURGERY, BROAD
Did not parse STEAM
Thanks Leonidas and Pete Maclean
I struggled a bit with NIGHTCAP coming to the same conclusion as above. Strange that NIGH = ‘close to’ and PACT = ‘agreement about’ but then ‘sir barely’ played no part. The clue would work without these two words (better imo but that’s maybe just me).
Sorry to hear of your travails, Pete
The top came easily enough, but I struggled in places in the bottom half.
I found this puzzle a bit of a drag, heavy on complicated charades and short on variety. Please note, I am describing my experience, not criticising. I am also beginning to think Leonidas and I operate on different wavelengths.
I have ticks against KEYHOLE SURGERY and GEISHA. I needed Pete’s help to parse STEAM. It is quite a clever clue now I understand it, although rather remote.
Thanks Leonidas for the puzzle and an big thank you to Pete for the blog and the extra effort
Martyn popped in. Hi.
I enjoyed this puzzle immensely when it came out, as I was pleased to advise m’colleague when I met him and others in the traditional rout of my liver and other organs yesterday. I was able to attend because I had put the date inter me diaries.
Okay. Bye.
Thanks Leonidas. I’m with those who liked this crossword and also with those who couldn’t parse STEAM. Clues I admired included INTERMEDIARIES, BIG CHEESE, PRAISED, NEARBY, CUTIE, and BLACK EYE. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Another gem from The Lark (rapidly) Ascending of the crossworld. Cryptic parsings of clues as tight as a mallard’s fundament, and entertaining, silky-smooth surface readings. And not a single redundant linkword in sight. Clear evidence of knowing what to do, how to do it, and when. Bravo Leonidas, and keep ’em coming just like this.
Managed to parse 3d but failed to spot the very obvious hidden word at 19d. Go figure! A most enjoyable crossword.