Financial Times 17,979 by NEO

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Pleased to see NEO back in the Wednesday slot this week

Some solid and witty clueing made for a very enjoyable solve. A few new words for me, but they were well-clued. 1a is sheer mastery. Thanks to Neo!

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Some of the finest fur coats displayed around here? (6)
CRUFTS

[fine]ST FUR C[oats]< (some, <displayed around) – semi &lit

Crufts is an international dog show held in the UK

5/20/26. Quarrel somewhat drunkenly among the gods? That’s Carol! (4,4,7,2,4)
DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH

DING DONG (quarrel) + MERRILY (somewhat drunkenly) + ON HIGH (among the gods?)

9. Quintessential Englishman can talk nonsense (4,4)
JOHN BULL

JOHN (can) + BULL (talk nonsense)

10. Back yard fencing weak and sagging (6)
DROOPY

(YD (yard) fencing POOR (weak))< (<back)

11. Licentious criminal Blair indicted at last (6)
RIBALD

(BLAIR)* (*criminal) + [indicte]D (at last)

12. Still good to receive Novak’s first service (8)
EVENSONG

(EVEN SO (still) + G (good)) to receive N[ovak] (first)

14/3. Dance article, not serious, sensational with spin applied (4,3,5,9)
TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

THE (article) + LIGHT (not serious) + FANTASTIC (sensational) with TRIP (spin) applied

18. Float in E Med and Corsica, stormy area (3-5,4)
ICE-CREAM SODA

(E MED CORSICA)* (*stormy) + A (area)

22. Muse to incarcerate old woman in scented container (8)
POMANDER

PONDER (muse) to incarcerate MA (old woman)

25. Plato finally co-ordinates knowledge — it’s inspired (6)
OXYGEN

[Plat]O (finally) + XY (co-ordinates, those on a map) + GEN (knowledge)

27. One couple going without sex: daughter followed suit (8)
IMITATED

I (one) + (MATE (couple) going without IT (sex)) + D (daughter)

28. Save friend Romeo stabs, showing cruel aspect (8)
BRUTALLY

(BUT (save) + ALLY (friend)), R (Romeo, NATO alphabet) stabs

29. On level terms with the Spanish team (6)
ELEVEN

EVEN (on level) terms with EL (the, Spanish)

DOWN
2. Eggs to include acceptable one and one green (6)
ROOKIE

ROE (eggs) to include OK (acceptable) + I (one)

4. Memorable phrase in confined area attributed to Spooner? (5,4)
SOUND BITE

BOUND SITE (confined area, attributed to Spooner)

5. US airport over time becomes most dreary (7)
DULLEST

DULLES (US airport) over T (time)

6. Going in starkers is grand way to attract attention (5)
NUDGE

Going in NUDE (starkers) is G (grand)

7. Very easy task bringing in river debris (5)
DROSS

DOSS (very easy task) bringing in R (river)

8. Write article to support nearly-new drink that relieves sorrow (8)
NEPENTHE

(PEN (write) + THE (article)) to support NE[w] (nearly)

13. Where Neagh is, lough showing duck? (3)
NIL

NI (where Neagh is, Northern Ireland) + L (lough, lake)

15. With online scam over, tightwad endlessly cut spending (9)
ECONOMISE

E-CON (online scam) + O (over) + MISE[r] (tightwad, endlessly)

16. Canine say barking no matter what (2,3,4)
IN ANY CASE

(CANINE SAY)* (*barking)

17. Check having to board earlier vessel (8)
SCHOONER

CH (check) having to board SOONER (earlier)

19. Carried by British sailors, American took flight (3)
RAN

Carried by RN (British sailors, Royal Navy): A (American)

21. Dry quarters needed in Pacific (6)
SERENE

SERE (dry) + N, E (quarters, North, East)

23. Inclined to be an idiot having assimilated Pound (5)
ATILT

A TIT (an idiot) having assimilated L (pound)

24. Westminster in cover up getting third degree? (1,4)
D PHIL

(HP (Westminster, Houses of Parliament) in LID (cover))< (<up)

A DPhil is a doctorate degree (Doctor of Philosophy) which would follow a Bachelor’s and then Master’s, hence be a third degree

15 comments on “Financial Times 17,979 by NEO”

  1. On the lighter side for Neo but very enjoyable just the same! Tightly crafted and lovely surfaces overall including those for CRUFTS, JOHN BULL, RIBALD, IN ANY CASE and ATILT. Also liked the misleading ‘float’ in 18A.
    Thanks to Neo and Oriel.

  3. I thought a third degree was a PhD. This was enjoyable apart from never having heard of CRUFTS, doss, NEPENTHE, Neagh, Dulle airport or tit/idiot.

  4. Thanks for the blog , Diane @1 can speak foe me, super puzzle.
    Geoff@3 it is D Phil at traditional universities , the modern ones use PhD .

  5. Superb puzzle from Neo today. Add me to the list of those who considered CRUFTS to be top notch. What a delightful clue. Like so many others, a lovely smooth surface as well as a very neat construction. So many I could tick: trying to see to a manageable number: JOHN BULL, RIBALD, PLATO, IMITATE, ROOKIE, NUDGE, ECONOMISE, IN ANY CASE and SCHOONER. Thing I learned today – that HP is a valid abbreviation for Houses of Parliament.

    GDU @3: I am surprised you’ve never encountered tit/idiot, given how long you’ve been doing GIFT puzzles? It’s a reasonably common synonym and an alternative to anything boob-related.

    Thanks Neo and Oriel

  6. As far as I can see it’s only Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge Universities) use DPhil, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities use PhD, listing the UK’s mediaeval universities.

    I enjoyed the puzzle and agree CRUFTS is a brilliant clue.

    Thank you to Oriel and Neo.

  10. I had similar comments to Diane@1, and GDU@3 (although I had a shorter NHO list than Geoff). I guess by implication, I also had similar comments to MAD Phil@4

    I wonder (and should research) why universities give a MA in a topic that is obviously not the arts and a PhD or D Phil in a topic that this similarly not philosophy.

    But I digress. Thanks Neo for an enjoyable puzzle and Oriel for a great blog.

  11. When I was at the University of Warwick, Maths students could pick having a BSc or a BA (provided that they passed), since Pure Maths is very much on the boundary. I guess ‘philosophy’ means ‘lover of wisdom’ so maybe a better question is why philosophers are called that. Apologies to any philosophers out there.

  12. A most enjoyable solve over mid-afternoon refreshments. The two long answers (5/20/26) and 14/3) went in virtually from enumeration and got the grid fill off to a good start. Favourite, though, was OXYGEN.
    Thanks, Neo and Oriel.
    [Martyn@10: The ‘discrepancy’ between degrees and subject matter dates back to the time when all knowledge was considered one subject; the distinction between arts, science and philosophy is relatively modern in origin.]

  13. Thanks Neo. I found this a blend of straightforward and difficult clues. I revealed the nho CRUFTS, the nho D PHIL as well as SOUND BITE. I also am not familiar with DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH but guessed it when I had all the crossers. Still I found much to enjoy including DROOPY, EVENSONG, OXYGEN, NUDGE, SERENE, and DULLEST. (Having flown from Dulles countless times I believe the surface of this clue accurately describes my experience.) Thanks Oriel for the blog.

  14. I found this to be a lot of fun even though I didn’t know many of the words.. The wordplay was good enough to get me there in most cases. I like OXYGEN and thought that the third degree s going to be z axis! But that took me off on the wrong direction!

    Thanks all

  15. Thank you Oriel, and all for comments.

    I went to see a surgeon today about my Kneo. Your dancing days are not over yet, he lied through his rotten teeth.

    Cheers all!

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