Slormgorm has been been a regular setter in the Financial Times series with puzzles appearing about once a month since mid-2018. He also sets as Hoskins in the Independent series where I have more experience of his work.
There were a few cryptic definitions of the complete entry or part entry in today’s puzzle with PLASTER CAST and GUITAR being the stand-out ones. There was also a good mix of other clue types.
I liked the ‘Sun headline’ as the clue for SKIER. I also liked the definition for ELOPERS.
There were a few sporting or performing references in the clues [team, performer, tennis, managers yet to be sacked, shocker, supporter, kicked off and player] but I don’t think they constitute a theme.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | One a team might sign after a break in the season? (7,4)
PLASTER CAST (If a sportsperson breaks a limb during the season, the other members of his / her team might sign the PLASTER CAST placed around the broken limb) cryptic definition, no wordplay PLASTER CAST |
| 7 | Initially going like the wind (3)
GAS (wind) G (first letter of [initially] GOING) + AS (like) G AS |
| 9 | Performers‘ rights (5)
TURNS (performers) TURNS (right [TURNS]) double definition TURNS |
| 10 | One ticked off by roll put on restaurant bill (9)
CHECKLIST (list for verification or action purposes that one ticks off as each item is validated or completed) CHECK (restaurant bill) + LIST (lean; roll) CHECK LIST |
| 11 | Tennis ear needs treatment… seriously? (2,7)
IN EARNEST (seriously) Anagram of (needs treatment) TENNIS EAR IN EARNEST* |
| 12 | Slormgorm is mature? That’s something to see! (5)
IMAGE (likeness or representation of a person or thing; something to see) I’M (I am, Slormgorm, the setter of this puzzle, describing himself) + AGE (mature) IM AGE |
| 13 | Kent fruity types which make you go to get drugs (7)
SEDATES (calms; tranquilizes; drugs) SE (South East. Kent is situated in the South East of England) + DATES (fruit that can act as a laxative; fruity types that make you go) SE DATES |
| 15 | One possibly spotted in river next to tree (4)
RASH (outbreak of red spots or patches on the skin; one possibly spotted) R (river) + ASH (a tree) R ASH |
| 18 | A telegram that doesn’t start with great skill (4)
ABLE (skillful; with great skill) CABLE (telegram) excluding the first letter (that doesn’t start) C ABLE |
| 20 | Pole men turned round energy conductor of renown (7)
MAESTRO (an eminent musical conductor; conductor of renown) (MAST [pole] + OR [other ranks; men] reversed [turned]) containing (round) E (energy) MA (E) ST RO< |
| 23 | Finally toga party held for a stiff gets lively (5)
AWAKE (aroused; lively) A (last letter of [finally] TOGA) + WAKE (party held after a funeral; party held for a dead person [stiff]) A WAKE |
| 24 | Continually preoccupied bosses I’ve bent out of shape (9)
OBSESSIVE (continually preoccupied with a specific interest or task) Anagram of (bent out of shape) BOSSES I’VE OBSESSIVE* |
| 26 | Number plate nurse found by a Spanish port (9)
CARTAGENA (port city and naval base in the Murcia region of southeast Spain) CAR TAG (descriptive of a number plate) + EN ([enrolled] nurse) + A CAR TAG EN A |
| 27 | Russian leader sends two at rear to front to get data? (5)
INPUT (data entered into a computing device) PUTIN (reference Vladimir PUTIN [born 1952], current President of Russia) with the final two letters [two at the rear] IN moved to the beginning [to front] to form INPUT) INPUT |
| 28 | Young man with central part in 70s glam rock band (3)
LAD (young man) LAD (middle letters of SLADE, an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s) LAD |
| 29 | State of old managers yet to get sacked (4,7)
EAST GERMANY (former country [state] that existed from October 1949 to October 1990) Anagram of (to get sacked) MANAGERS YET EAST GERMANY* |
| Down | |
| 1 | Is the tip rambling most succinct (8)
PITHIEST (most succinct) Anagram of (rambling) IS THE TIP PITHIEST* |
| 2 | Affectations put on by principal or idiots (8)
AIRHEADS (idiots) HEAD (principal) contained in ([worn by] put on) AIRS (affectations) AIR (HEAD) S |
| 3 | Some upset as error is a shocker (5)
TASER (small gunlike device which fires electrified darts or barbs, used to immobilize or stun an attacker; shocker) TASER (hidden word in [some] UPSET AS ERROR) TASER |
| 4 | Uproars after supporters originally kicked off (7)
RACKETS (uproars) BRACKETS (supporters, for a shelf for example) excluding the first letter [originally kicked off] B) RACKETS |
| 5 | A superior criminal accomplice (7)
ABETTER (criminal accomplice) A + BETTER (Superior) A BETTER |
| 6 | Disagree with what the Thief of Time might do (4,5)
TAKE ISSUE (disagree with) TAKE ISSUE (“procrastination is the thief of time” is an old saying. A procrastinator will seek to delay a decision by TAKing ISSUE with it and debating it for as long as possible) double definition TAKE ISSUE |
| 7 | One fretted with a player’s hand around neck? (6)
GUITAR (a GUITAR is a musical instrument with a fret [any of the wooden or metal ridges on an instrument which divide the fingerboard into spaces producing different notes] accessed by the player’s hand around the neck of the GUITAR]) cryptic definition, no wordplay GUITAR |
| 8 | Slormgorm some might say, is kind of a dog (6)
SETTER (Slormgorm is the setter of this puzzle) SETTER (breed of [kind of] dog) double definition SETTER |
| 14 | One scoffing with you at lame bet made in error (9)
TABLEMATE (one eating [scoffing] with you at the same TABLE) Anagram of (made in error) AT LAME BET TABLEMATE* |
| 16 | Dodgy opiate I injected with heroin in a state (8)
ETHIOPIA (country [state] in Africa) Anagram of (dodgy) OPIATE I containing (injected with) H (heroin) ET (H) IOPIA* |
| 17 | Group likely to cast Endeavour in an English city (8)
COVENTRY (English city) COVEN (group of witches likely to cast spells) + TRY (endeavour) COVEN TRY |
| 19 | Small soldiers and European flipping love runners (7)
ELOPERS (lovers who run away secretly, usually to get married; love runners) (S [small] + RE [Royal Engineers; soldiers] + POLE [European]) all reversed (flipping) (ELOP ER S)< |
| 20 | Nag raised problem with Brown and German leader (7)
MUSTANG (horse; nag) SUM (problem) reversed (raised; down entry) + TAN (brown colour) + G (first letter of [leader] GERMAN) MUS< TAN G |
| 21 | Scrap in part of church sent husband packing (6)
CANCEL (scrap) CHANCEL (the eastern part of a church, originally separated from the nave by a screen of latticework to prevent general access to the altar, sanctuary and choir) excluding (sent packing) H (husband) CANCEL |
| 22 | Enmity in Balmoral? Heads to roll every day! (6)
HATRED (enmity) HAT (a Balmoral is a round flat Scottish bonnet with a pompom; type of HAT) + RED (first letters of [heads to] each of ROLL, EVERY and DAY) HAT RED |
| 25 | Sun: “Stomach-turning Starmer is one going downhill” (5)
SKIER (one going downhill) S (sun) + KEIR (reference Sir KEIR Starmer [born 1962], current UK Prime Minister) with the central letters (stomach) EI reversed (turning) to form KIER) S KIER |
17D – I solved this as “group” = “set”; “cast” as an anagrind; and “Endeavour” meaning “Morse” as in John Thaw’s detective. I solved the anagram of “morse” and “set” to reveal “Somerset”. I immediately thought that someone had made a mistake as Somerset is a county, not a city.
I eventually twigged when the cross letters didn’t work. Just a little anecdote that I thought that I would share…
Nice approachable Slormgorm for the first week back. I agree with our blogger ref the nice definition for ELOPERS, my LOI. I was undone by assuming the initial E was the European so needed the crossers to set me right. TAKE ISSUE and the Thief of Time made me smile although I took that phrase as simply referring to someone nicking a magazine in a newsagents.
Thanks Slormgorm and duncan
I enjoyed this puzzle which was a quick solve. I would, however, take issue with the Americanism that crept into 10ac. Is this still a British crossword or not?
Thanks to both.
SM – I agree with you about the spelling of 10A. I am not really sure why a bill in a restaurant is called this anyway. Here in Australia we have a political party called the “Labor” party. I cringe every time that I see it.
Oh, and I forgot to thank the setter and the solver in my earlier post. Where are my manners?
SM@3
Dictionaries treat check in different ways. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary, and Collins Dictionary indicate that the use of check for a restaurant bill is ‘chiefly United States’. The Oxford Dictionary of English says ‘North American English’.
On the other hand, Chambers English Dictionary, often the most quoted dictionary for crosswords, does not put an American qualification on it all.
I don’t know which dictionary the Financial Times uses as its authority.
Liked PLASTER CAST, TAKE ISSUE and TABLEMATE.
Thanks Slormgorm and duncan
TAKE ISSUE
TAKE ISSUE with=disagree with
The ‘with’ in the clue is a link word?
I find I am more often distracted than assisted by indications of American usage, so I wouldn’t take issue with CHECK.[It would be a waste of time] I agree with PostMark about the magazine theft. Very enjoyable. Thanks, both.
Compliments to Duncansheil for the style of the blog. Best I’ve seen. And thanks to Slormgorm for an easy ride. Have a good day, all.
ludosmoll @8
I agree with you on the grid layout!
After the top right went in fast I thought this was going to be easy, but never got 1a, 2d or 13a. First half of 1a is very clever, but don’t see what “in the season” is doing there. The hat, nag, running lovers and port never fell either, so not very good on my part.
Liked the wordplay for coven in 17d, having originally tried to work with Anglers
Was baffled by the 7d wordplay, so thanks for the excellent blog explaining there isn’t any, and various other mysteries.
Parsed 6d as PostMark@2, with the Thief TAKEing an ISSUE of Time Magazine.
10a CHECKLIST: oed.com has an entry for “cheque | check noun” and a separate one for “check interjection & noun”.
The latter includes: “…14.c. 1868– A restaurant bill. Chiefly U.S.”
[Sketches in the BBC’s Goodness Gracious Me use the Americanism “Check Please!” but Auntie insists on spelling it the right (wrong) way, So the restaurant writes you a cheque at the end of your meal?]
Thanks Slormgorm and Duncan
6dn: I originally took the capital T in “Time” to indicate the magazine. However, on rethinking, the capital T on “Thief” belongs more naturally to the proverb. Perhaps I am overinterpreting the presence of these capital letters.
Duncan@5: I hope you will not mind me pointing this out, but it is going to eat away at me until I do. I have the three most recent editions of the “big red book”, and the covers all say The Chambers Dictionary, being 12th Edition (2011), 13th Edition (2014), and Revised 13th Edition (2016). In all three of these, the page opposite the contents page (presumably page iv) carries this statement:
First published as Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary in 1901; published as Chambers English Dictionary in 1988; first published as The Chambers Dictionary in 1993.
My interpretation of the above is that the edition numbers are counted from the first edition in 1901, and that the publishers regard the two name changes as merely cosmetic and not indicating a completely new publication. Nonetheless, I think one should only refer to Chambers English Dictionary under that name when it is the 1988 edition that is meant.
May I claim the above comment as an early entrant for the 2025 Pedantry of the Year award?
I found this approachable, but like others the NW corner took a while to yield
Liked GAS, IN EARNEST, ABETTER, OBSESSIVE best.
There were a few clues that just did not hang together for me. In particular, I found a few of the cryptic clues so cryptic that they took for ever to understand. It looks like Will W@10 may have been in the same boat. I also needed the blog to understand how to parse MAESTRO
SM@3 – I do not think this is an English crossword. it is a cryptic crossword in a global paper (sorry to those who have seen me on this hobby horse before).
Finally, two random comments. LAD: Slade is a bit old and a bit unknown outside UK for me to know much about, but they keep cropping up in crosswords so I am getting more familiar with them. SEDATES: dates do not have that effect on me. The things this hobby teaches me!
Thanks Slormgorm and duncanshiell
I got about 3/4s of this, which I’m fairly happy with. I usually need a few anagrams to get my juices going and get some letters for the trickier clues.
I enjoyed 26A, 7D (so obvious when you think of it but it took me a while), 17D and plenty of others.
Today’s puzzle made me smile, which is nice.
Pelham Barton @ 12
A crossword website can’t count itself among the best if it doesn’t welcome a good helping of pedantry. Fifteensquared has proved its credentials in this respect over many years.
I’m certainly not going to argue with you, as you make a viable case for insisting that only the 1988 edition of the ‘Big Red Book’ can be referred to as Chambers English Dictionary.
I have copies of the 11th and 12th editions in my house, but I have not purchased the hard copy 13th or revised 13th editions.
Nowadays, I use electronic versions of Chambers – my main two sources being the old Chambers App dating back to 2002 and Word Web Pro based on the 13th Edition. Word Web Pro provides updates on a regular basis. Word Web Pro also allows access to the latest versions of Collins Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English. Word Web Pro is commercial software and requires payment for add-on dictionaries. I also have some other Apps on the Ipad and the phone which access some versions of Chambers.
In future, I will try to remember to drop the word ‘English’ from any reference to Chambers and use the edition or date if I can. I note Azed uses the phrase ‘The Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended’ for his puzzles, so he omits the word English in support of your argument.
I have what I commonly call Chambers93 . This is the first edition of The Chambers Dictionary . A complete revision and update from Chambers English Dictionary with 25000 new entries.
I loved how Duncan Sheil formatted the blog. Thank you.
Thank you for an excellent blog. Shame about the crossword – Kent = SE is not acceptable, nobody ever clues SW as Devon or Cornwall do they – number plate = car tag? – A sum isn’t a “problem” it is a piece of straightforward arithmetic.
Will setters ever stop using ‘men’ to indicate OR? It is outmoded, obscure, and tedious.
26ac: Meanings of tag include “a vehicle licence plate (US)” in Chambers 2016 p 1585 and “US the licence plate of a motor vehicle” in the Oxford Dictionary of English (2010 p 1810). Perhaps this is the same issue as with check in 10ac.
20dn: For sum, we have “a problem in addition, or in arithmetic generally” (Chambers p 1557) and “3 an arithmetical problem, especially at an elementary level” (ODE p 1782).
Duncan@15: Thank you for your response. When I am quoting dictionaries, I give page numbers mainly to indicate that I am using the printed edition.