Puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 28, 2024
I found this to be a fairly quick and easy solve in spite of its including several terms that I was not familiar with (FUNDI, ANTA, OCKER and GURN). My first-in was 11 (OF AGE) and last was 21 (FUNDI). My favourites are 12 (SAN MARINO), 14 (CYCLE PATH), 22 (DEFER) and 26 (DAYLIGHT ROBBERY).
Thanks to Julius and best wishes for 2025 to my readers.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | VEGETABLE GARDEN |
Where to expect the green shoots of growth domestically? (9,6)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 9 | NIRVANA |
Band wagon stuck in terrible rain (7)
|
| VAN (wagon) in (stuck in) anagram (terrible) of RAIN | ||
| 10 | GROMMET |
Ring Madame found in rubbish (7)
|
| MME (madame) in (found in) GROT (rubbish) | ||
| 11 | OF AGE |
Old enough to have cigarette in foyer occasionally (2,3)
|
| FAG (cigarette) in [f]O[y]E[r] | ||
| 12 | SAN MARINO |
Small country hospital injecting famous plumber with last of penicillin (3,6)
|
| SAN (hospital, short for sanatorium) + [penicillin) in (injecting) [Super] MARIO (famous plumber) | ||
| 13 | VADE MECUM |
‘Mad Dave’, Julius, Charlie & Mike pen university guide (4-5)
|
| Anagram (mad) of DAVE + ME (Julius) + U (university) in (pen) C (Charlie) and M (mike). A vade mecum is a handbook or similar carried on one’s person for immediate use when needed. | ||
| 15 | CIRCA |
Acrylic rolls short of 50 yards (roughly) (5)
|
| ACR[yl]IC (short of 50 yards) backwards (rolls) | ||
| 16 | RISEN |
Restored to life, druids seen regularly (5)
|
| [d]R[u]I[d]S [s]E[e]N | ||
| 18 | COCKROACH |
Sat in bus, vulgar Aussie removes electronic bug (9)
|
| OCK[e]R (vulgar Aussie removes ‘E’ for electronic) in (in) COACH (bus) | ||
| 20 | SHEFFIELD |
Swear in defence here for trials from Wednesday? (9)
|
| EFF (swear) in (in) SHIELD (defence). While I fully understand the relevance of ‘Wednesday’ I do not understand the definition as a whole. | ||
| 23 | YODEL |
Call of the highlands found in 17 ode, lyrically (5)
|
| Indirect hidden word with ’17’ summoning the answer to 17d (SHELLEY) | ||
| 24 | ATLANTA |
Georgian city — Bath — discovered large pilaster (7)
|
| [b]AT[h] + L (large) + ANTA (pilaster), ‘Anta’, a new word for me, refers to a support pillar beside the entrance to a temple in classical architecture. | ||
| 25 | FROWNED |
Father had made a disapproving face (7)
|
| FR (father) + OWNED (had) | ||
| 26 | DAYLIGHT ROBBERY |
Glaring extortion facilitated by The Sun? (8,7)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | VANCOUVER ISLAND |
Here, north of the border trafficking involved a US narc (9,6)
|
| Anagram (trafficking) of INVOLVED A US NARC | ||
| 2 | GURNARD |
Pull a face cutting head off fat fish (7)
|
| GURN (pull a face….new to me!) + [l]ARD (cutting head off fat), A gurnard is a bottom-dwelling fish found in coastal waters. | ||
| 3 | TRADESMAN |
Merchant called Garfunkel turned up to welcome son (9)
|
| ART (Garfunkel) backwards (turned up) + S (son) in NAMED (called) backwards (turned up) | ||
| 4 | BRASS |
Section of band runs into singer (5)
|
| R (runs) in (into) BASS (singer) | ||
| 5 | ERGONOMIC |
Of efficient design, hence without microphone (9)
|
| ERGO (hence) + NO (without) + MIC (microphone) | ||
| 6 | AGORA |
Range-bound gold market (5)
|
| OR (gold) in (bound) AGA (range) | ||
| 7 | DUMPIER |
Dorset’s No. 1 referee runs in last place, being more rotund (7)
|
| D[orset] + UMPIRE (referee) with the ‘R’ (runs) moved to the end | ||
| 8 | NATIONAL HOLIDAY |
North American hit, a No.1 Dolly composed about a Thanksgiving? (8,7)
|
| NA (North American) + A (a) in (about) anagram (composed) of HIT A NO I DOLLY. Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the USA and (on a different date) in Canada. | ||
| 14 | CYCLE PATH |
Caught unknown chap let loose in car-free zone (5,4)
|
| C (caught) + Y (unknown) + anagram (loose) of CHAP LET | ||
| 15 | CURRYCOMB |
Groom might use this Indian food firm memsahib gutted (9)
|
| CURRY (Indian food) + CO (firm) + M[emsahi]B | ||
| 17 | SHELLEY |
Poet that woman will enjoy on vacation? (7)
|
| SHE (that woman) + ‘LL (will) + E[njo]Y | ||
| 19 | ANDANTE |
Article on Florentine poet is a piece coming along moderately slowly (7)
|
| AN (article) + DANTE (Florentine poet) | ||
| 21 | FUNDI |
Amusing senior detective, an expert from South Africa (5)
|
| FUN (amusing) + DI (senior detective). ‘Fundi’, a word used in East and South Africa, refers to an expert mechanic. | ||
| 22 | DEFER |
Delay/cancellation for more than half of French railway? (5)
|
| [chemin] DE FER (cancellation for more than half of French railway) |
Thanks Julius and Pete
20ac: I took the definition as saying that Sheffield is the place you would expect to go for a trial to test your suitability as a player for Sheffield Wednesday football club.
Strike me down with a feather. A reference to a northern border that is not England/Scotland. Good to see
A quick solve up to a point for me. I ripped through this then found the SW corner a challenge.
I most liked NIRVANA, TRADESMAN (clever reversal), and FROWNED. I could add so many more – clues from Julius really hit the spot for me.
VADE MECUM, CURRYCOMB and FUNDI were jorums.
A few thoughts: 10 grot is not rubbish; like you Pete I thought 20 a bit remote; and I thought COCKROACH clumsy, particularly as “ocker” is not vulgar in Aus. Then again ocker is vulgar in the sense of being slang.
Thanks Julius and Pete
NY wishes to Pete, Julius and all the contributors who have tolerated me and helped me better understand this strange interest we share.
10ac: Among the meanings of grot, we have “n slang rubbish; dirt” (Collins 2023 p 864), or “Something or someone grotty; esp. rubbish, dirt.” (SOED 2007 p 116).
18ac: For ocker, Collins p 1378 defines it as a noun meaning “an uncultivated or boorish Australian” and, as adjective or adverb, “typical of such a person”. SOED p 1979 only gives the definition as a noun “A rough, uncultivated, or aggressively boorish Australian man (esp. as a stereotype)”. Both these dictionaries mark the word Austral slang.
Thanks PB@3.
So grot can mean rubbish: not in my vocabulary, but it is good to learn.
I am afraid that the dictionaries are just wrong about Ocker. It simply means an Australian – at least it did when I lived in Australia. Perhaps SOED watched Barry McKenzie? Julius is off the hook but it still does not mean it is correct.
Delighted to have solved this quickly with minimal checking! My best ever cryptic – and a great end to the year which started with me saying to my dad, in hospital on 1 January, oh go on then, tell me how you do them. Thanks Julius and all here – the explanations have been invaluable.
A pleasant way to round of Sunday evening. Favourites were SAN MARINO and VADE-MECUM.
Thanks, Julius and Pete.
Hmmmm, where was this hidden? The FT weekend had the big Buccaneer, which we enjoyed over Sunday brunch and then just now. Couldn’t see one of these, in a Sat edition which lacked the normally excellent mag.
Anyway, on the content, as an Owl let me tell you all that 20 makes perfect sense: our defence is indeed a trial for the long suffering faithful.
I liked the fact that both long Down entries had enough American references in the clues that separate indicators that you were in North America (for Thanksgiving and the border) weren’t needed. I don’t think Dolly Parton has yet written a song about Thanksgiving–I could be wrong as she’s very prolific–but it’s probably coming.
Thanks for the blog, dear Pete, and thanks to those who have left a comment. Best wishes for 2025 to all FT solvers.
@Andrew B – the ed did mention that this puzzle would be online only – I assume there was a slimmed-down crew working on that weekend edition.
I’m a Blade actually, although I bear no animosity to the Owls. When I were a lad I couldn’t afford to go to away games and was always happy to get the bus to Hillsborough and the 5-4 win against Manchester United in 1968 after being 4-2 down still ranks as one of the best games I’ve seen. The goalscorers for Man Utd were some mugs named Best, Law and Charlton.
Warmest regards, Rob/Julius
Thanks Julius for reliably excellent crosswords all year & to Pete for top-drawer blogs. Happy 2025 to both!
@julius ah, before my time: but my late father often spoke of that game.
Quite agree about the animosity. I do feel that friendly banter between supporters is fun, and when it spills into nastiness a good thing becomes rather spoiled.
Like all FT readers, I greatly enjoy your puzzles!