Financial Times 18,045 by PETO

PETO kicks off the week…

I think a few of my parsings here are a bit dubious, but I enjoyed the puzzle. Happy bank holiday Monday!

Thanks PETO!

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS

1. Throw away last of lime pickle (6)

SCRAPE

SCRAP (throw away) + [lim]E (last of)

4. Mixed up with Italian-American arrested by FBI agent (8)

CONFUSED

CON (with, Italian) + (US (American) arrested by FED (FBI agent))

10. Struggling American tenor accepting drop of ale showing sudden burst of energy (2,1,4)

ON A TEAR

(A (American) + TENOR)* (*struggling) accepting A[le] (drop of)

11. Princess, interrupting, spoken about earlier as friendly (7)

CORDIAL

(DI (princess) interrupting ORAL (spoken)), C (about) earlier

12. Go well with diamonds perhaps (4)

SUIT

Double (cryptic) definition

13. Downcast university fellow embracing psychic powers against depression (10)

DESPONDENT

(DON (university fellow) embracing ESP (psychic powers)) against DENT (depression)

15. Learn to knit (6)

GATHER

Double definition

16. Bunk about return of report being delayed (7)

BELATED

BED (bunk) about (TALE)< (report, <return of)

20. Deserve on account of enthusiastic approval (7)

ACCLAIM

CLAIM (deserve) on AC (account)

21. In an excited state after explosion in jail (4,2)

BANG UP

UP (in an excited state) after BANG (explosion)

24. Simple for early teen playing without a hint of misgiving (10)

ELEMENTARY

(EARLY TEEN)* (*playing) without M[isgiving] (a hint of)

26. Ms Arterton binning Greene’s first novel (4)

EMMA

[g]EMMA (Ms Arterton, binning G[reene] (first))

28. Customary, for example, in rural sports (7)

REGULAR

EG (for example) in (RURAL)* (*sports)

29. In anticipation of Matt regularly keeping profits (7)

AGAINST

[m]A[t]T (regularly) keeping GAINS (profits)

30. Recall having a tie (8)

WITHDRAW

WITH (having) + DRAW (tie)

31. Shady fellow kicked out of amusement park (6)

UNFAIR

[f]UNFAIR (amusement park, F (fellow) kicked out of)

DOWN

1. Indicate assuming raised location of red light for instance (4,4)

STOP SIGN

SIGN (indicate) assuming (SPOT)< (location, <raised)

2. Pragmatic about the greatest criticism? Largely (9)

REALISTIC

RE (about) + [m]ALISTIC (the greatest criticism, largely)

3. Safe to ignore the first fellow (4)

PEER

PE[t]ER (safe, to ignore T[he] (first))

5. In use in Cuba during violent coup? That’s initially disputed (8)

OCCUPIED

(C (Cuba) during (COUP)* (*violent)) + IE (that's) + D[isputed] (initially)

6. Lost in thought over Dan excited by a great deal (3,3,4)

FAR AND AWAY

FAR AWAY (lost in thought) over (DAN)* (*excited)

7. Lapse in transparency (5)

SLIDE

Double definition

8. Make less forceful Native American support cover-up (6)

DILUTE

UTE (Native American) support (LID)< (cover, <up)

9. Hears of Rex getting into bonds (5)

TRIES

R (Rex) getting into TIES (bonds)

14. Rich indeed being restored to health I hear (4-6)

WELL-HEELED

WELL (indeed) + "healed" = HEELED (restored to health, "I hear")

17. What workaholics exhibit is, therefore, a mental disorder (9)

ERGOMANIA

ERGO (therefore) + MAINA (a mental disorder)

18. Old queen’s carriage (8)

VICTORIA

Double definition

19. Odds on model entering towards the end to make a splash (8)

SPLATTER

SP (odds) on (T (model) entering LATER (towards the end))

22. At this point obtaining book on Welsh language (6)

HEBREW

(HERE (at this point) obtaining B (book)) on W (Welsh)

23. Deal with source of danger Henry dismissed (5)

TREAT

T[h]REAT (source of danger, H (Henry) dismissed)

25. Crew in consequence failing to start (5)

EIGHT

[w]EIGHT (in consequence, failing to start)

27. Piece of steak say (4)

PAWN

Double definition

20 comments on “Financial Times 18,045 by PETO”

Cineraria

#1 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:02

RE (about) + ALI (the greatest) + STIC[K] (criticism, largely)
For PAWN, I would clarify the homophone is “STAKE,” but perhaps that was what you meant.
Otherwise, I think this looks good. Thanks.

Cineraria

#2 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:07

I meant to add that I found this a bit of a struggle to solve. Some of the synonyms were not that obvious.

#3 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:08

Enjoyed this on a chilly Bank holiday . I learnt that the item deposited with the pawnbroker as security for a loan is the stake.

Thanks Peto and Teacow.

KVa

#4 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:12

REALISTIC
Parsed it as Cineraria@1
BANG UP
I think the def is ‘jail’ as a verb.
ON A TEAR
The def should include ‘showing’, I feel.

Liked CONFUSED, BELATED, REALISTIC, FAR AND AWAY and SPLATTER.

Thanks Peto and Teacow.

Roz

#5 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:15

Thanks for the blog , agree with SM@3 , the last clue is partly a soundalike , steak say = stake = PAWN .
Enjoyable puzzle , lots of neat and concise clues .

KVa

#6 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:18

SUIT
The def should include ‘with’, I think.
EIGHT
weight is consequence.

Tried to edit my earlier post, but the timer was faster than me.

Eric E.

#7 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:23

I’ve never heard the expression “On a Tear” before, but then I’m only 72.

#8 - Mon 5th May 25, 14:48

Eric@7
I am 81 and have nho of it either.

Roz

#9 - Mon 5th May 25, 15:04

My Irish students say – On the tear – so similar .

Martin

#10 - Mon 5th May 25, 15:15

I’d never heard of “ON A TEAR” either. ALI was central to me solving 2D. I found this quite heavy going, but fair and rewarding. Thanks PETO and Teacow.

Tony Santucci

#11 - Mon 5th May 25, 15:45

Thanks Peto. I found this challenging at times and I needed a night’s sleep to finish my last six clues this morning. My favourites were SCRAPE, SUIT, REGULAR, WITHDRAW, and PEER. I couldn’t parse SPLATTER & PAWN. ON A TEAR (in Collins & Merriam-Webster but not in Chambers) is very commonly used in the US. Thanks Teacow for the blog.

grantinfreo

#12 - Mon 5th May 25, 17:58

Remembered ‘on a tear’ but not when or whence .. sport commentary maybe .. “so and so’s really on a tear today” .
Agree re 21ac, KVa @4, ‘in jail’ would be ‘banged up’.
Ergomania I’d nho, but I like it, quite fond of the old units like ergs and dynes (plus it has possibilities: ‘I’m’ around, ‘ritin’ article on independent area?)
All good fun, ta Peto and Teacow.