Puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 21, 2026
I found this puzzle moderately challenging. My first-in was 27 (SAPPER) and it took me several sessions to complete the solve. My favorites are two clues that I think are outstanding: 2 (FLAVOUR) and 8 (SINGLET). Thanks to Guy and to BC for some discussion.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | OFFEND |
Away result hurt (6)
|
| OFF (away) + END (result) | ||
| 5 | SPADES |
Flat place at the rear aboard ship, quarter deck? (6)
|
| PAD (flat) + [plac]E in (aboard) SS (ship) | ||
| 10 | MANGOSTEEN |
Fruit Ann grows regularly collected by mother and child (10)
|
| MA (mother) + [a]N[n] G[r]O[w]S + TEEN (child). I have eaten mangosteens only a couple of times in my life but it may be my favourite fruit. | ||
| 11 | WINK |
Show you’re amused by secret tattoo on fellow’s back (4)
|
| [fello]W + INK (secret tattoo) | ||
| 12 | CONSTITUTIONAL |
Providing rules for a country walk (14)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | TRICKERY |
Magic year after heart’s broken by Romeo (8)
|
| R (Romeo) in (broken by) anagram (broken) of HEART + Y (year) | ||
| 15 | FIESTA |
Bustling city centre safe for holiday (6)
|
| Anagram (bustling) of [b]IT[y] SAFE | ||
| 16 | RUBRIC |
Polish cereal lacking English instructions (6)
|
| RUB (polish) + RIC[e] (cereal lacking English) | ||
| 19 | OPPOSITE |
Friend could be one of the enemy (8)
|
| I am fairly sure that this must be a double definition but I am uncertain about how it works. ‘Opposite’ can mean opponent but how does ‘friend” could clue ‘opposite’? Would this refer to a partner in bridge? | ||
| 22 | DROP IN THE OCEAN |
Very little change in sea level (4,2,3,5)
|
| Cryptic definition? | ||
| 24 | CEDE |
Wallace designed trousers to give away (4)
|
| Hidden word (trousers) | ||
| 25 | ABSTEMIOUS |
Worried about Messi practising self-denial (10)
|
| Anagram (worried) of ABOUT MESSI | ||
| 26 | SOLUTE |
Salt in seawater, say, but missing initially in fish (6)
|
| [b]UT in (in) SOLE (fish) | ||
| 27 | SAPPER |
Military engineer perhaps confused leaving hospital (6)
|
| Anagram (confused) of PER[h]APS | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | FLAVOUR |
A very fine meal is full of ? (7)
|
| A (a) + V (very) together in (is full of) FLOUR (meal) | ||
| 3 | EDGES |
Migrant guessed having cleared US borders (5)
|
| Anagram (migrant) of G[u]ES[s]ED | ||
| 4 | DESPITE |
Even with some sensible tips, Edward capsized (7)
|
| Reverse (capsized) hidden word (some) | ||
| 6 | PONTIFF |
Senior priest continually spat behind piano (7)
|
| P (piano) + ON (continually) + TIFF (spat) | ||
| 7 | DO WONDERS |
Five hundred and one words surprisingly get great results (2,7)
|
| D (five hundred) + anagram (surprisingly) of ONE WORDS | ||
| 8 | SINGLET |
Underwear Peter has but not Matthew? (7)
|
| Peter has a single T while Matthew has a double T | ||
| 9 | BEAUTY CONTEST |
Judge looks for this special case — but not yet (6,7)
|
| Anagram (special) of CASE BUT NOT YET | ||
| 14 | CORPOREAL |
Fleshly pink around sweaty hole (9)
|
| PORE (sweaty hole) in (around) CORAL (pink) | ||
| 17 | UNDRESS |
Nudity PhD covered with university cape (7)
|
| U (university) + DR (PhD) in (covered with) NESS (cape) | ||
| 18 | CLIPART |
Court holds up charge — case of illegal pictures on computer (7)
|
| RAP (charge) + I[llega]L together backwards (up) in (holds) CT (court). Collins tells us that ‘clipart’ is large collection of simple drawings stored in a computer. | ||
| 20 | PEELERS |
Police uncovered Ken Livingstone’s head in the Lords (7)
|
| [k]E[n] + L[ivingstone] together in (in) PEERS (the Lords) | ||
| 21 | TRADUCE |
Speak against bill that blocks peace agreement (7)
|
| AD (bill) in (that blocks) TRUCE (peace agreement). This was a new word for me but intelligence has it that it is spoken in the last line of Othello. | ||
| 23 | CRIMP |
Pinch someone occupying seat after The King and I (5)
|
| CR (the King, i.e. Charles Rex) + I (I) + MP (someone occupying seat) |
Thanks Guy and Pete
13ac: There is no anagram here. It is just TICKER meaning heart.
22ac: I took this as a double definition with “very little” as the usual figurative meaning of (a) DROP IN THE OCEAN, followed by a literal meaning.
FLAVOUR and SINGLET were my top faves too.
Thanks Guy and Pete
MANGOSTEEN
NGOS in MA TEEN
WINK
I took the first def as ‘show you’re amused by secret’ (by secret—>in a secret way)
CONSTITUTIONAL
I took the first def to be ‘providing rules for a country’
FLAVOUR
fine meal=FLOUR
Thanks Guy for a super crossword. I thought I would have to jump ship when first going through the clues but I got a foothold in the SW corner and eventually completed this gem. I had many favourites including WINK, RUBRIC, DROP IN THE OCEAN, SOLUTE, the cleverly hidden DESPITE, PONTIFF (great surface), SINGLET (can’t imagine anyone ‘cold solving’ this one), CLIPART, and PEELERS (another wonderful surface). Thanks Pete for the blog.