Financial Times 18,307 by MUDD

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MUDD kicks off the week…

A fun puzzle, with a few pleasing misdirections in the surfaces.

 

Thanks MUDD!

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Light-heartedness, that thing constrained by duty (6)
LEVITY

IT (that thing) constrained by LEVY (duty)

4. Watch muscle shown in government (8)
SPECTATE

PEC (muscle) shown in STATE (government)

9. On mother’s ruin, a Latin queen (6)
REGINA

RE (on) + GIN (mother’s ruin) + A

10. Obvious name fits criminal (8)
MANIFEST

(NAME FITS)* (*novel)

12. Blue clothes back in fashion — that’s light beige (4)
SAND

SAD (blue) clothes [fashio]N (back in)

13. Easter animal, cakey? (5)
BUNNY

Double (cryptic) definition

14. I had crusts on large loaf (4)
IDLE

ID (I had) + L[arg]E (crusts on)

17. Surprisingly hot, perhaps — and resistant to pepper, might one say? (12)
UNSEASONABLE

Double (cryptic) definition

20. Pedagogue rude, charmless too (12)
SCHOOLMASTER

(CHARMLESS TOO)* (*rude)

23. Clue within these boxes (4)
HINT

[wit]HIN T[hese] (boxes)

24. Female copper? (5)
PENNY

Double (cryptic) definition

25. Join fool in conversation? (4)
KNIT

“nit” = KNIT (fool, “in conversation”)

28. Made public, plant in which meat hidden (8)
REVEALED

REED (plant) in which VEAL (meat) hidden

29. Tacky — and warm, it’s suggested? (6)
UNCOOL

Double (cryptic) definition

30. I go along with gang, thieving (8)
BANDITRY

(I + TRY (go)) along with BAND (gang)

31. Somewhat cunning cutting thickness of rope, say (6)
PARTLY

ART (cunning) cutting PLY (thickness of rope, say)

DOWN
1. Plant bird on egg (8)
LARKSPUR

LARK (bird) on SPUR (egg)

2. Pushing the beastly things aside, Ming vase smashed (8)
VEGANISM

(MING VASE)* (*smashed)

3. Container for fish was whiffy when surface skimmed off (4)
TANK

[s]TANK (was whiffy, when surface skimmed off)

5. Prairie’s struggling, it’s simple (5,7)
PLAIN SAILING

PLAINS (prairie’s) + AILING (struggling)

6. 24 Across, say, one invested in scam (4)
COIN

I (one) invested in CON (scam)

7. Schedule a female, for example, announced? (6)
AGENDA

A + “gender” = GENDA (female, for example, “announced”)

8. Book: there’s novel! (6)
ESTHER

(THERES)* (*novel)

11. Twitching too, as neurone fired (3,2,4,3)
OUT ON ONES EAR

(TOO AS NEURONE)* (*twitching)

15. Fresh — as sriracha? (5)
SAUCY

Double (cryptic) definition

16. Punctured tyre hampers old delivery vehicle (5)
FLOAT

FLAT (punctured tyre) hampers O (old)

18. Be easily visible, also in bold (5,3)
STAND OUT

Double (cryptic) definition

AND (also) in STOUT (bold)

19. Anything but sweet, collaborator with a dose of cruelty (8)
BRUTALLY

BRUT (anything but sweet) + ALLY (collaborator)

21. Angel fish swallowing old sovereign (6)
CHERUB

CHUB (fish) swallowing ER (old sovereign)

22. Full of potholes, perhaps — is that odd? (6)
UNEVEN

Double (cryptic) definition

26. Country music Americans love is always taking the lead (4)
MALI

M[usic] A[mericans] L[ove] I[s] (always taking the lead)

27. South American once in Spain, Catalonia (4)
INCA

[spa]IN CA[atalonia] (once in)

4 comments on “Financial Times 18,307 by MUDD”

  1. KVa
    #1 - Mon 2nd Mar 26, 02:42

    STAND OUT
    There seems to be a WP
    also=AND
    bold=STOUT
    AND in STOUT

  2. Teacow
    #2 - Mon 2nd Mar 26, 02:52

    Thanks KVa@1 I’ve amended

  3. Geoff Down Under
    #3 - Mon 2nd Mar 26, 03:23

    Couldn’t parse REGINA, but since coming here AI has filled me in on the relevant moment in British history.

    I learnt a new sauce.

    Nothing too taxing, and good fun, as usual for Mudd.

  4. Tony Santucci
    #4 - Mon 2nd Mar 26, 03:25

    Thanks Mudd for a great set of clues. I found this difficult to start and I finally made headway in the SE corner. After that, the rest gradually fell into place with my top picks being MANIFEST, SAND, PENNY, and BANDITRY. I thought STAND OUT was a weak double definition until I saw the parsing by KVa. Thanks Teacow for the blog.

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