Financial Times 18,214 by Leonidas

9 comments on “Financial Times 18,214 by Leonidas”

1. 

   Martyn

   #1 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 00:08

   
   

   I found this very approachable, with a lot to like.

   I ticked RECAP & DIRECTIVE, I thought LOLLIPOP an interesting observation, and BIPLANE a nice surface

   It took a while for me to see AWESTRUCK, never having heard ruck as slang for fight. Otherwise, no issues

   Thanks Leonidas and Pete

2. 

   James P

   #2 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 02:57

   
   

   Yes, and I liked erotica, if you see what I mean

3. 

   Tony Santucci

   #3 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 04:34

   
   

   Thanks Leonidas for a top-notch crossword. This took a bit of head- scratching but I was eventually able to solve & parse everything without any problem. Lots of favourites as usual including EMULSION (LOI), PAKORA, DIRECTIVE, EROTICA, BIPLANE, REPTILIAN, and BONEHEAD, the latter a Spoonerism I actually liked. Thanks Pete for the blog.

4. 

   PostMark

   #4 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 06:40

   
   

   Very smoothly done throughout. Like Martyn, I found this one quite approachable. BOARDING HOUSE, EMULSION, ACCOUNT, BIPLANE, HUNGRY, REPTILIAN and PEERAGE my faves.

   Thanks Leonidas and Pete

5. 

   Eileen

   #5 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 09:20

   
   

   Agreed – another top-notch puzzle from Leonidas.

   Between them, Tony Santucci and PostMark have accounted for all of my favourites – I smiled at the defrocked vicar and the terrible setter.

   Pete – an observation, not a quibble: in 11ac, I took ‘half of PLATYpuses’ as being the first five letters.

   Many thanks to Leonidas ad Pete.

6. 

   Babbler

   #6 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 09:27

   
   

   Others may find it surprising that I couldn’t get REPTILIAN. I missed the indication that there was an anagram and convinced myself the word must end in TION. Also I didn’t know what INTEL is (it’s not in my Chambers) and thinking the meaning would be relevant to the clue, spent hours trying to guess how to parse the clue. I also convinced myself that “pair” would convert to “pr” which didn’t help! It’s strange how missing something fairly obvious can lead you so far astray.
   As a matter of interest what is INTEL? Does it stand for “intelligence”? I thought spies etc shortened it to INT. Don’t be afraid of breaking cover to let me know.

7. 

   Simon S

   #7 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 09:43

   
   

   Thanks Leonidas and Pete

   Babbler @ 6 yes, it’s a reference to military intelligence (and it’s in the Chambers app).

8. 

   Pelham Barton

   #8 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 10:10

   
   

   Thanks Leonidas and Pete

   11ac: I took it the same way as Eileen@5 for the half of “platypuses”. Solving unaided, I originally had PATLY, which slowed me down on 1dn until I found BIPLANE and changed PATLY to APTLY. Collins 2023 p 1461 has patly adv “in an appropriate manner; fitly”, so I think PATLY is a valid alternative answer to this clue taken in isolation.

   16dn: For what it is worth, I found intel as an entry in its own right in Chambers 2014 and 2016 (p 791 each time) – and also in Collins 2023 p 1012 – but I could not find it in Chambers 2011, the oldest edition of which I still have a copy.

9. 

   Leonidas

   #9 - Mon 17th Nov 25, 18:55

   
   

   Thanks Pete and thanks everyone for commenting. See you next time round.

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