This is going to look different from previously published FT blogs, as the crossword is not currently available as a PDF file which means that it can’t be loaded into PeeDee’s excellent blogging programme. This piece of IT magic formats the blog for us and gives us a copy of all of the clues to the puzzle that we just have to manipulate to show the definition part and then add our parsing. Our esteemed leader is currently negotiating with the FT to reinstate the PDF so this may (fingers crossed!) be a temporary problem.
I can’t talk for my fellow bloggers, but I don’t have the time or the energy to type out all the clues, so, until this issue is resolved, I will simply give you the solution, the definition as it stands in the clue and the parsing. Apologies.
Now to the puzzle – Neo is one of my favourite compilers, as his crosswords normally present a challenge, if not in the solving then certainly in the blogging (took me a while to parse VENOM and VALENTINE today). However, I think some of today’s definitions were a little loose (ABRAHAM defined as “Lincoln” with no question mark or “perhaps”), and I think he may have confused two creatures at 10ac. Finally, I don’t think 25ac works well, either).
Thanks Neo, and once again, my apologies to readers if this format is not as easy to follow.
ACROSS
1. DEMETER (fertility goddess)
ME (“Neo”) brought in to DETER (“discourage”)
5. LASAGNE (Italian dish)
SAG (“bend”) in LANE (“road”)
9. WINGS (band 25 (McCartney) created)
N (“knight”, in chess) in WIG (“hairpiece”) needs S (small)
10. MANTICORE (monstrous riddler)
*(into cream)
I’m no classics scholar, but a quick piece of research leads me to believe that Neo may have confused the manticore with the sphinx. Although similar in appearance, they were two different creatures and it was the sphinx which gave mortals a chance to live by offering them the chance to solve a riddle. I am happy to be corrected on this if anyone can link riddles with the manticore.
11. GREENLAND (country)
GREEN (“common”) + LAD (“youth”) touring N (north)
Wasn’t sure that Greenland could be considered a country, but Wikipedia describes it as “an autonomous constituent country within the kingdom of Denmark”.
12. TEMPI (speeds)
I (one) gets with TEMP (“agency typist”)
13. REEVE (official)
EVE (“woman tempted”) by R.E. (Royal Engineers, so “soldiers”)
15. DOUBLE ACT (performance)
Ac. (account, so “bill”) wears DOUBLET (“close-fitting jacket”)
18. MATRIARCH (leading lady)
MARCH (“protest”) accepting TRIA(l) (short “audition”)
19. ASSET (strength)
SS (steam”ship”) loads <=TEA (“drink”, that’s brought back)
21. RHOMB (lozenge)
RO(w) [endless] about H (horse) + M.B. (Bachelor of Medicine, so “doctor”)
23. VALENTINE (card)
VAIN (“empty”) wrapping LENT (“temporarily given”) + (plac)E [at tip]
25. MCCARTNEY (singer)
*(met rca nyc)
Don’t like this – the mathematics/grammar of the clue is wrong as the “in” gets in the way, not being part of the anagram. The “with” is different as it is a conjunction, informing us that MET and RCA are part of the fodder, but the “in” implies that the NYC should be rearranged and used as a container for MET and RCA. One could even go so far as to say that the “in” separates NYC from the rest of the clue, so that the “explosively” can’t be used as an anagram indicator for MET and RCA at all.
26. CHEST (bust)
Hidden in “NietzsCHE’S Trampendach”
27. ABRAHAM (Lincoln)
BRA (“supporter”) grabbed by A HAM (“an execrable player”)
28. APOSTLE (Judas for one)
ALE (“bitter”) about POST (“situation”)
DOWN
- DOWAGER (rich old girl)
DO (“complete”) + W (with) + AGE (“mature”) + R (Romeo)
2. MINCEMEAT (pie filler)
MINCE (“cut up”) + MEAT (“heart”, as in “heart of the matter”)
3. TYSON (pugilist)
Y (“unknown”, in mathematics) + S (succeeded) stopping TON (“heavyweight”)
4. RAM-RAIDER (one crashing into store)
“Butter” in this clue is “that which butts” (ie a ram)
5. LINED (went along, with rules)
Double definition
6. SCINTILLA (hint)
*(calls it in)
7. GROOM (smarten up)
G (grand) + ROOM (“accommodation”)
8. ELEGIST (serious linesman, ie poet)
LEG (“0n” in cricket) with *(site) without
14. EDINBURGH (city)
ED (editor) + IN + <=H (hot) GRUB (“food”, served up)
16. UP-HELLY-AA (“fiery procession”)
*(paul healy)
17. ABSTINENT (restrained)
TIN (“element”) breaks ABSENT (“away”)
18. MARIMBA (instrument)
R.I. (religious instruction, so “scripture”) claimed by MAMBA (“serpent”)
20. THEATRE (war zone)
HEAT (“pressure”) + RE (“on”) after T (time)
22. OSCAR (fellow)
OS (outsized) + CAR – a stretch limo could be described as an “outsized car”.
23. VENOM (lethal ingredient)
Replacing the M of HAM with VE changes it to HAVE, so in other words VE, NO M.
24. NACHO (snack)
N.C.O. (non-commissioned “officer”) regularly devouring A and H (hot)
VENOM was my LOI but was pleased to parse it. Would never have guessed the correct anagram for 16d so resorted to a word fit.
Lots of tricky clues in the SE. Not sure I have ever seen a construction like 24d where ‘regularly’ relates to the position of the included letters. ‘Ofcar’ didn’t seem very likely.
Hope the print version gets sorted out. I initially tried Safari but the print icon wouldn’t work. I then switched to Chrome, where it did. I then switched to landscape, enlarged to 130% and selected the page with the crossword on. A bit of a palaver.
Thanks to Neo (not NE as in your heading) and loonapick.
You can still get the old version with a few more clicks. When you open the crossword you’ll see that there is a strip across the top of the page, titled “Latest on Crossword”. This has links for the current and previous two puzzles, and also the single word “Crossword” (third in from left). The latter will take you to the old style page with the pdfs. The direct link for this is https://www.ft.com/content/57ae2498-1adf-11e7-a266-12672483791a which may be worth bookmarking, although it may not be a permanent link.
If it ain’t broke…
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. What on earth was he/she thinking of to change what was perfectly OK?
After printing off the crossword, I found I couldn’t read the clues. Finally got a decent copy by clicking on “Crossword” at the top of the screen and selecting today’s offering.
Please can we go back to the previous version?
This follows on from BBC iPlayer not now displaying “schedules” at the top of the radio home page. I now have to go through a long winded process to display the schedule. Woe, woe, thrice woe and angst.
Thank you cruciverbophile. That works.
WHen I tried to print from the main page in Firefox it refused to do anything, and when I tried again in Opera it printed the entire page with the crossword too small for my eye to cope with.
Thanks cruciverbophile@2. This works even with Safari. Don’t mind the few extra clicks. If the direct link is permanent, it may be worth changing the FT link on fifteensquared?
cruciverbophile@2 thanks-this was the first day I noticed a difference.
But as you’ve all said-it werent broke.
Thanks Neo and loonapick
Was able to use SHIFT-CTL-4 on my Mac to screen print the puzzle for today … but good to see that the PDF will still be available in future.
Found it a pretty tough and interesting challenge – exceeding my coffee limit but mopped up quite quickly in the second sitting. Agree with the faulty word play logic with MCCARTNEY, but, gee, there were some cracking clues to be found elsewhere.
I hadn’t heard of the MANTICORE before but found the following definition for it: “(Non-European Myth & Legend): a monster with a lion’s body, a scorpion’s tail, and a man’s head with three rows ofteeth. It roamed the jungles of India and, like the Sphinx, would ask travellers a riddle and kill them when they failed toanswer it.” – so it would appear that Neo was quite correct with it.
Have often seen Lincoln or president used to provide ABE as the full answer or part of a word play before – can that justify his definition here – think that I agree that a ? would have put it beyond doubt all the same.
Finished with that tricky, but very clever, VENOM, VALENTINE (that also took time to get through the word play) and ABSTINENT (which shouldn’t have been as hard as I made it for myself). Really enjoyable crossword !!
Almost needed the magnifying glass to do this as I just printed out what came up after clicking on the ‘Print’ icon on the new page. Only after I’d done this did I notice the workaround suggested by cruciverbophile@2, which was also mentioned by someone who posted on the FT site. Generally negative comments there too. Still, something good may come of it; maybe this is the first uncertain step to having a version which can be completed online.
Anyway back to the puzzle which I thought was a real challenge but ultimately enjoyable. After a few barren periods waiting for inspiration, everything eventually went in, though I ended up with the letters in the wrong order for the guessed 16d. What an improbable sounding term, but fascinating having now looked it up on Wikipedia. The VENOM and VALENTINE combination were difficult and particularly satisfying to work out. Sorry, but I’m out of my depth with the Sphinx / MANTICORE question. I see what you mean about MCCARTNEY which I just gratefully bunged in without thinking after getting WINGS.
Let’s hope this is a temporary hitch and that normal, possibly even better, service will be resumed soon.
Thanks to loonapick and Neo