Puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 2, 2025
I found this puzzle good but a bit challenging. My favourite has to be the fine &Lit. 13 (FELLWALKER).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CRASS |
Stupid rat getting caught for good (5)
|
| GRASS (rat, as a verb) with the ‘G’ (good) replaced by ‘C’ (caught) | ||
| 4 | MARDI GRAS |
Appreciate artist visiting ruins for day of celebration (5,4)
|
| DIG (appreciate) + RA (artist) together iin (visiting) MARS (ruins) | ||
| 9 | POPCORN |
Sorry knight taking copper contents of bucket? (7)
|
| PC (copper) in POOR (sorry) + N (knight) | ||
| 10 | SLEEPER |
Small shelter for every part of track (7)
|
| S (small) + LEE (shelter) + PER (for every) | ||
| 11 | DESSERT SPOONS |
Spy anxious about scooping items? (7,6)
|
| SNOOP (spy) + STRESSED (anxious) all backwards (about) | ||
| 14 | EASY |
Nauseous queen taking leave of child’s play (4)
|
| [qu]EASY (nauseous queen taking leave) | ||
| 15 | ESPERANTO |
Person ate cooked tongue (9)
|
| Anagram (cooked) of PERSON ATE | ||
| 18 | LORGNETTE |
Short message involving gold frame of green specs (9)
|
| OR (gold) + G[ree]N together in (involving) LETTE[r] (short message) | ||
| 19 | SPAR |
Box spring beginning to rust (4)
|
| SPA (spring) + R[ust] | ||
| 21 | ASSAULT COURSE |
Series of obstacles in report of a sailor’s training? (7,6)
|
| Homophone (in report of) of “salt’s course” (sailor’s training) | ||
| 24 | KESTREL |
Bird right by street bisecting part of Hull (7)
|
| ST (street) + R (right) together in (bisecting) KEEL (part of hull) | ||
| 26 | INSPECT |
Check out six-footer nursing Penny (7)
|
| P (penny) in INSECT (six-footer) | ||
| 27 | RESIDENCY |
DIY screen ruined run of regular gigs (9)
|
| Anagram (ruined) of DIY SCREEN | ||
| 28 | ON TAP |
Senior citizen keeping books readily available (2,3)
|
| NT (books, i.e. New Testament) in (keeping) OAP (senior citizen) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | COPY |
Parrot picking out article from treetops (4)
|
| C[an]OPY (picking out article from treetops) | ||
| 2 | ASPIDISTRAS |
Plants reptiles around one officer’s craft going north (11)
|
| I (one) + DIS (officer’s) + ART (craft) backwards (going north) all in ASPS (reptiles) | ||
| 3 | SPOUSE |
Better half of swamp drained at head of river (6)
|
| S[wam]P + OUSE (river) | ||
| 4 | MINCEMEAT |
Sweet infused with eastern mace cracked baker’s filling (9)
|
| E (eastern) + anagram (cracked) of MACE together in (infused with) MINT (sweet) | ||
| 5 | RESIT |
Test edges of rare stone one’s cutting (5)
|
| I (one) in (cutting) R[ar]E ST (stone) | ||
| 6 | INEXPERT |
Clumsy fiancée occasionally cross and cheeky (8)
|
| [f]I[a]N[c]E[e] + X (cross) + PERT (cheeky) | ||
| 7 | RAP |
Standard that’s been raised in music (3)
|
| PAR (standard) backwards (that’s been raised) | ||
| 8 | STRASBOURG |
Grabs second tour running in European city (10)
|
| Anagram (running) of GRABS S TOUR | ||
| 12 | OMNIPRESENT |
Old maiden brought up popular gift that’s everywhere (11)
|
| O (old) + M (maiden) + IN (popular) backwards (brought up) + PRESENT (gift) | ||
| 13 | FELLWALKER |
Chap traversing tops of wild areas lugging kit? (10)
|
| W[ild] A[reas] L[ugging] K[it] in (traversing) FELLER (char) | ||
| 16 | PRECOCITY |
Advanced intelligence of spin over large net-zero town? (9)
|
| PR (spin) + ECO (net zero) + CITY (large town) | ||
| 17 | ENQUIRED |
In conclusion, some papers sought information (8)
|
| QUIRE (some papers) in (in) END (conclusion) | ||
| 20 | FRESCO |
Picture husband abandoning inexperienced firm (6)
|
| FRES[h] (husband abandoning inexperienced) + CO (firm) | ||
| 22 | TALON |
Claw sample of phenolates back (5)
|
| Reverse (back) hidden word (sample of) | ||
| 23 | STOP |
Stay with last of climbers on summit (4)
|
| [climber]S + TOP (summit) | ||
| 25 | SOS |
Relatives rejecting third appeal for help (3)
|
| SO[n]S (relatives rejecting third) |
Pete, I agree with your assessment of “good but a bit challenging”.
It was an excellent start with a tick for 1ac. Also on the favourites list were RESIT, ESPERANTO, SPAR, STOP, and DESSERT SPOONS (quite a reversal!)
I could not parse MARDI GRAS, and reading the blog it took me ages to see that mars = ruins.
One quibble: 9ac contents of bucket = POPCORN is the sort of cryptic definition that I find frustrating. I might feel differently were it funny or were the clue to come with a nice surface.
Thanks Leonidas for an enjoyable workout and thanks Pete for the blog.
Lovely puzzle
My favourite was LORGNETTE
Also liked: EASY, INSPECT, PRECOCITY, ENQUIRED, SLEEPER
Got DESSERT SPOONS from the description and crossers – took me ages to spot how to parse it
Thanks Leonidas and Pete
I share Pete’s admiration for FELLWALKER – my top favourite, too – and I’ll happily go along with Fiona’s favourites, adding the neat little ON TAP, for the surface.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen STRESSED DESSERTS but the spy added an extra smile.
Many thanks to Leonidas for another lovely puzzle and, as always, to Pete for the blog.
Add me to the list of admirers for FELLWALKER, the stand out clue in a quality puzzle. A clutch of faves early on with CRASS, MARDI GRAS, SLEEPER and DESSERT SPOONS.
Thanks Leonidas and Pete
I sometimes think Saturday FT puzzles don’t get the recognition they deserve. This was another delightful one. Thanks, both.
Thanks Leonidas for a remarkably good set of clues. My top picks were CRASS, DESSERT SPOONS, SPAR, COPY, SPOUSE, FELLWALKER, and FRESCO. I couldn’t parse MARDI GRAS or POPCORN (didn’t know PC=copper). Thanks Pete for the blog.
Thanks everyone for commenting and thanks Pete. See you next time.
I just finished it this evening, 7 days of pleasure. Two or three clue each week I manage to solve but have no idea of how i managed, so thanks Pete for your explanations.