Financial Times 18,133 by MUDD

by

Mudd is the setter of this morning's FT puzzle.

This was a puzzle for those who like double definitions (seven of them). These clues are short, but generally fairly easy to solve. In fact, there were no difficult clues in the puzzle, and no obscure general knowledge. It would make a good Monday Guardian.

Thanks, Mudd.

ACROSS
1 BACKSTAGE
Players shifted gate behind the scenes (9)

BACKS ("players", in rugby, eg) + *(gate) [anag:shifted]
6 STIFF
Formal body (5)

Double definition
9 STUMP
Puzzle piece remaining (5)

Double definition
10 SUPPORTER
Advocate drink, stout (9)

SUP ("drink") + PORTER ("stout")
11 DETERMINED
Identified as resolute (10)

Double definition
12 CROW
Bird: head but no tail (4)

CROW(n) ("head", with no tail)
14 SCOTTIE
Burden once, tether dog (7)

SCOT ("burden, once", scot being an old type of tax)) + TIE ("tether")
15 STEAMER
Something found in the kitchen, large vessel (7)

Double definiton
17 MISTRAL
One removed from invalid procedure — some blow? (7)

I (one) removed from MISTR(i)AL ("invalid procedure")
19 CHEETAH
Predator: adulterer did you say? (7)

Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [did you say] of CHEATER ("adulterer")
20 TOGA
Old garment, article secured from the back (4)

[from the back] <=(A ("article") + GOT ("secured"))
22 ON CRUTCHES
Needing support once hurt, sick oddly given treatment (2,8)

*(once hurt sc) [anag:given treatment] where SC is S(i)C(k) [oddly]
25 MARIJUANA
One Spaniard embracing another drug (9)

MARIA ("one Spaniard") embracing JUAN ("another" (Spaniard))
26 BREVE
Echoing constantly, note: long note (5)

[echoing] <=(EVER ("constantly") + B (note))
27 SPEAR
Sharp weapon, knife’s back in box (5)

(knif)E ['s back] in SPAR ("box")
28 DISPERSAL
Scattering is spread out and left (9)

*(is spread) [anag:out) + L (left)
DOWN
1 BASED
Established when hiding in plot (5)

AS ("when") hiding in BED ("plot")
2 COURTEOUS
Polite company, undergraduate primarily, so true to form (9)

Co. (company) + U(ndergraduate) [primarily] + *(so true) [anag:to form]
3 SUPERSTORE
Seller uses report for development (10)

*(uses report) [anag:for development]
4 AUSPICE
Sign is up, scribbled in card (7)

*(is up) [anag:scribbled] in ACE ("card")
5 EXPRESS
Direct, say (7)

Double definition
6 SPOT
See shirts, say, lifted (4)

[lifted] <=TOPS ("shirts. say")
7 INTER
Cover up a little secret: Nicaraguan uprising (5)

Hidden backwards in [a little… uprising] "secRET NIcaraguan"
8 FORT WORTH
How tango is choreographed: Romeo taking hand, first of all, in Texas city (4,5)

FOR TWO ("how tango is choreographed" as in "it takes two to tango") + R (Romeo, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) + T(aking) H(and) [first of all]
13 DELECTABLE
Charming democrat fit for office (10)

D (Democrat) + ELECTABLE ("fit for office")
14 SOMETIMES
Problem reported on newspaper, not in every case (9)

Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [reported] of SUM ("problem") on TIMES ("newspaper")
16 MATCHLESS
The best unable to play? (9)

Double definition
18 LANYARD
Rope length, an imperial measure (7)

L (length) + AN + YARD ("imperial measure")
19 CARCASS
Line taken on nincompoop overseen by Conservative body (7)

ARC ("line") taken on ASS ("nincompoop") overseen by C (Conservative)
21 GORGE
Yellow and white food served up, filled with gold stuff (5)

<=(EGG ("yellow and white foodstuff", served up), filled with OR ("gold", in heraldry))
23 SWELL
Fine balloon (5)

Double definition
24 AJAR
Open with a jolt (4)

A + JAR ("jolt")

17 comments on “Financial Times 18,133 by MUDD”

  1. A good, honest puzzle with no obscurities or iffy clues is like a breath of fresh air.

    My only head scratch was scot/”burden once”.

    Very enjoyable, thank you Mudd & Loonapick.

  2. I’m rather partial to a good double definition; STIFF and STUMP were favourites today especially since the latter read so neatly.
    Besides those, I enjoyed MISTRAL, MARIJUANA (for the clinching Spaniards) and SPOT.
    Thanks, Mudd, for bringing some much-needed cheer on a filthy day and to Loonapick for a great blog.

  3. Nothing to add to GDU and Diane. I am not sure why it is a filthy day for Diane, but I send best wishes.

    Thanks Mudd and Loonapick

  5. The sky is clearing on the west coast of Scotland and I have just solved this most enjoyable puzzle . I agree with our blogger and the other positive views.
    Thanks Mudd and loonapick.

  6. I saw MUDD and thought oh no, but like others found it a lovely puzzle tho’ I did get a bit stuck in the SE for a while.

    Loved: AUSPICE, MISTRAL, COURTEOUS, CARCASS

    Thanks Mudd and loonapick

  7. I started doing cryptics about a year ago, and have been slowly improving. This was the first one I completed without any reveals or anagram/word solver tools! The explanations on this site have been invaluable for learning the conventions and tricky British slang. Thank you to ALL the bloggers, and the incredibly kind commenters who have answered my questions when I’m confused!

    I especially liked MARIJUANA, CARCASS, and SWELL. AUSPICE was LOI, I was about to give up when ‘card’ = ACE suddenly clicked, and from there it fell in.

    Thanks Mudd and loonapick!

  8. Well done on your landmark, Clueless! Keep it up…it gets easier, I promise, as one who also found this site invaluable when starting out.

  10. All solved without help but we struggled a bit on a few clues. It took us ages to spot (!) SPOT and it was only a last-moment PDM for CHEETAH that enabled us to finish. We did wonder if someting was going on with STIFF and CARCASS but two entries don’t make a theme so nothing doing there.
    Thanks, Mudd and loonapick.

  11. Thanks Mudd and loonapick

    8dn: I had to take the answer on trust when solving, but the wordplay left no room for doubt as to the right answer once I had understood it. I parsed it slightly differently in that I took the R from Romeo together with the T from taking and the H from hand as covered by the indicator “first of all”, but it works equally well either way.

  12. I was stumped by AUSPICE, perhaps because I don’t ever recall seeing it in the singular. My initial reaction (having done latin at school) was to say “That’s not a word. The singular is auspex” but I see the dictionary is happy with auspice. For purists, not a particularly elegant word.
    I’m interested that Loonapick thinks that double definitions are generally easy to solve. I generally find them quite difficult, though not today fortunately.

  13. 100mm in an hour is quite something, Diane@4. I saw the video of water cascading down the midlevel steps and escalators in HK a couple of weeks ago – really something! Stay safe

  14. I also completed this but things are still not as easy for me as the others find it. so found it challenging but satisfying. thank you all

  15. That was a really nice puzzle. Not too difficult to complete. No clue that had to be guessed without understanding the parsing of the wordplay. Just the right level for me. As a French man I like it when there are no cultural references. I am lost when clues involve cricket (beyond OVER), nursery rhymes and homophones (invariably leading to discussion about rhoticity on this site.)

    Thanks, Mudd and loonapick.

  16. [Happily, Martyn @13, I was not in HK during that particular storm which looked awful but thanks for your kind thoughts]

  17. GDU@1 – agree re SCOT.

    A very satisfying puzzle in that I had to work hard on each clue. No gifts for me on this one.

    Martyn@13, Diane@16: the rainstorm last week was the worst I can remember.

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