The monthly geographically themed puzzle. Find it to solve online at ft.com/crossword
Hamilton is this month’s setter. I always enjoy their puzzles and this was no exception, though it was a proper test of my knowledge of all things Californian – even with the help of the internet, I’m not sure of a couple of the thematic links.
Apologies for the blog being a bit rudimentary today, which is due to technical problems with the site (I’ll import the clue text and grid later if I have time).
Thanks for the fun, Hamilton!
ACROSS
*1/27d TRADER JOE’S – anagram (that’s wrong) of JO ARRESTED
Grocery store chain first opened in Pasadena, California in 1967
4 FLASH MOB – SH (quiet) + MO (Maureen) “putting on” FLAB (fat)
*9 GOLDEN GATE – anagram (all shook up) of AGE-OLD GENT
Strait in California connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, famous for its bridge
10 EVANESCE – EV (Tesla) + anagram (makes) of A SCENE
12 INTRIGUE – anagram (awkward) of UNITE “about” RIG (fake)
*14 DISNEY – DI’S (girl’s) + YEN (appetite) reversed (back)
Walt Disney was originally from Chicago but he founded Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio with his brother Roy in Burbank, California, in 1923
16 see 9
*17 LOS ANGELES – ANGEL (benefactor) with LOSES (gives one the slip) “outside”
Most populous city in California
20 CALIFORNIA – the thematic link between all asterisked clues
*21 SMOG – first letters of Swirling Mist Over Glendale
California’s densely populate cities (of which Glendale is one) are well known for their air pollution
24 ADHERE – “AD HERE” = billboard placement
*26 PRESIDIO – first [letter of] People + RESID[e] (live, almost) + IO (moon)
A fortified military base, of which the Presidio de Sonoma in California is a famous example
*28/5d SUMMER OF LOVE – anagram (by arrangement) of VOLUMES FOR ME
Celebration of hippie culture in 1967 mainly focused in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco
*29 BIG SUR – BIG (substantial) and SUR[e] (positive, mainly)
Coastal region of California
31 DUELLIST – sounds like (said to be) “DUALLIST” (in two minds)
32 DODGEM – DODGE (avoid) + M (motorway)
DOWN
1 TAGGING – TAG (kid’s game) + G (George) with GIN (alcohol) “involved”
2 AWL – hidden (discovered) in crAWLey
3 EMETIC – CITE (call) + ME (medical examiner = US doctor) reversed (to come up)
5 see 28
*6 SAN DIEGO – anagram (about) of AGONISED
Coastal city in southern California
*7 MASON – MA + SON (relatives with a close relationship)
Not sure of this one – possibly a reference to Mason Valley in San Diego?
8 BYE-BYES – BYE (going) x2 + first letter of Snore
*11 RUMOURS – RUM (suspect) + OURS (associated with us)
Another I’m not sure of but I’m guessing a reference to the long-running show in Los Angeles that pays tribute to the Fleetwood Mac album Rumours – which coincidentally kept Hotel California by the Eagles off the number one spot when it came out in 1977
13 TOTAL – two definitions, the second a verb
15 CALIBRE – CA (short for California = theme, briefly) + LIBRE (free)
18 LIMED – LIME (fruit) + first letter (initially) of Drink
*19 O’FARRELL – ELL (measure) finally, ie after OF A + RR (Rolls Royce = quality motor)
Jasper O’Farrell, 1817-1875, the first surveyor of San Francisco who designed the city’s famous Market Street, and after whom another street is named; also an urban region of San Diego
20 CLASSED – hidden (coveted) in heroiC LASS EDward
22 GROGRAM – GRO[w] (produce, almost) + GRAM (lightweight)
23 ESKIMO – anagram (thwarted) of MIKE’S + O (love)
25 HOMIE – anagram (manic) of BOHEMIAN with the letters BAN taken out (lifted)
27 see 1 across
30 SAG – GAS (wind) reversed (up)
Hard to start. Then, after Big Sur gave the key, quite a bit easier, then hard again to finish, with several dnks — Flash Mob, Pesidio, Mason, and O’Farrell — and with Trader Joe’s heard of but subliminal. Nice having a geographical puzzle though, makes a change, thanks Hamilton and Widdersbel.
I got stuck on GROGRAM – which I know and use as grosgrain and O’FARRELL felt a bit of a cheat as one word,
The Sue Grafton books helped a lot with this – they are set along the Californian coast near Santa Barbara (Santa Theresa in the novels) and around that area.
Thank you to Hamilton and Widdersbel
Some strange and obscure choices for the theme clues. A couple of new words in the straight clues too
Speaking of which, there is a MASON St in SF. Internet tells me he was an early governor. Less obscure, there are a few Presidios around the place due to the Mexican heritage.
Thanks Hamilton and Widdersbel
The PRESIDIO they have in mind is probably the one in San Francisco, opposite Alcatraz and near the foot of the GOLDEN GATE Bridge. Often filmed.
TRADER JOE’S long ago went national; they’re owned by the same consortium as Aldi, but they market to a different demographic.
RUMOURS, the album, was recorded in California.
Also thinking of DISNEYland in Anaheim.
Thanks Widdersbel for an exemplary blog as always, and to commenters.
Shanne @ 2 – I’ve always taken it as the rule that the apostrophe is ignored in the word count and apply it to the Polymaths I set but maybe it has a role in a part-defined clue such as 19D.
Martyn @ 3 – for Mason I had sources for both the governor and the valley.
Well done, Hamilton; and thanks, Widdersbel. Being American (though on the East Coast) this fell into place a lot easier for me. MrPenny is correct that the most famous Presidio is the one in SF. Personally, I would have liked to find a Zinfandel in the grid!