This morning’s FT challenge is brought to you by Sleuth.
I started well with this puzzle, thinking it was going to be a “write-in”, but a few obstinate answers eluded me for a while, until I worked out DISTILLATION, which eventually allowed me to finish with CINNAMON my LOI.
Some of the surfaces in this puzzle did not make a lot of sense, and there were a few “superfluous” words in the clues that could have been tidied up a bit (eg “of” in 1ac and “in” in 17dn), but in general, this was a fun and challenging puzzle.
Thanks, Sleuth.
| Across | ||
| 1 | MANIAC | Person in charge of restraining a madman (6) |
| MAN (“person”) + IC (“in charge”) restraining A The “of” is superfluous and not necessary for the surface, in my opinion | ||
| 5 | COLD SNAP | Woolly sold before November in top wintry spell (4,4) |
| *(sold) before N (november) in CAP (“top”) | ||
| 9 | OBSTACLE | Backing for musical dividing much of joint is an impediment (8) |
| [backing for] <=CATS dividing [much of] <=ELBO(w) | ||
| 10 | TITIAN | Note repeatedly a name for artist (6) |
| TI TI (“note” repeatedly) + A N (name) | ||
| 11 | ARMADA | Part of body on poster by a set of ships (6) |
| ARM (“part of body”) on AD (“poster”) by A | ||
| 12 | IMPROPER | Emir wrongly receives support? It’s not in order (8) |
| *(emir) receives PROP (“support”) | ||
| 14 | SHEPHERDS PIE | Watch over a lot of agents getting hot dish (9,3) |
| SHEPHERD (“watch over”) + [a lot of ] SPIE(s) (“agents”) | ||
| 18 | DISTILLATION | Inspector with difficulty enters police site for summary (12) |
| DI (detective “inspector”) with ILL (“difficulty”) enters STATION (“police site”) | ||
| 22 | ON THE HOP | Photo then altered with time off making one unawares (2,3,3) |
| *(photo hen) where HEN is (t)HEN with time off | ||
| 25 | ENAMEL | Protective cover taken by celebrity among the Spanish (6) |
| NAME (“celebrity”) among EL (“the” in “Spanish”) | ||
| 26 | EMERGE | Eastern writer with odd bits of regret to come out (6) |
| E (eastern) + ME (“writer”) with [odd bits of] R(e)G(r)E(t) | ||
| 27 | ALEHOUSE | What’s admitted by a worthless type, supplier of booze? (8) |
| EH (“what”) admitted by A LOUSE (“worthless type”) | ||
| 28 | INUNDATE | Overwhelm at home a French girlfriend (8) |
| IN (“at home”) + UN (“a” in “French”) + DATE (“girlfriend”) | ||
| 29 | LEGEND | Was first to carry information for one with reputation? (6) |
| LED (“was first”) to carry GEN (“information”) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | AUBURN | A first sign of untested brand in colour (6) |
| A + [first sign of] U(ntested) + BURN (“brand”) | ||
| 3 | IN TRANSIT | Current trouble in star among conservationists on a journey? (2,7) |
| I (symbol for electrical “current”) + *(in star) among NT (National Trust = “conservationists”) | ||
| 4 | COCKATEEL | Raise support in a league for bird (9) |
| COCK (“raise”) + TEE (“support”) in A L (league) | ||
| 5 | CHERISH | US singer is hard to value (7) |
| CHER (“US singer”) IS H (hard) | ||
| 6 | LET UP | Eastern European, it’s said, before court gets relief (3-2) |
| Homophone of LETT (“eastern European”, it’s said) + UP (“before court”) | ||
| 7 | SET TO | Fight in this way around uncovered pier (3-2) |
| SO (“in this way”) around [uncovered] (j)ETT(y) (“pier”) | ||
| 8 | ACADEMIC | Formal don, say (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | RID | Free journey that’s mounted mostly (3) |
| RID(e) (“journey that’s mounted”, mostly) | ||
| 15 | RAISE HELL | Here is tall criminal with no end of intent to cause trouble (5,4) |
| *(here is all) where ALL is (t) ALL with no [end of] (inten)T | ||
| 16 | SINGALONG | Fake slogan around island no good for communal arts event (9) |
| *(slogan) around I (island) + NG (no good) | ||
| 17 | CINNAMON | One engaged by TV network in the morning working in brown (8) |
| I (‘one”) engaged by CNN (“TV network”) + AM (“in the morning”) + ON (“working”) | ||
| 19 | ICE | Reserve surface for curling (3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | APPEASE | Short ring of bells in part of church – or quiet (7) |
| [short] PEA(l) (“ring of bells”) in APSE (“part of church”) | ||
| 21 | LESSON | By the sound of it, reduce period in school (6) |
| Homophone of [by the sound of it] LESSEN (“reduce”) | ||
| 23 | HERON | Wading bird nesting in heather once (5) |
| Hidden [nesting] in “heatHER ONce” | ||
| 24 | HYENA | Husband longing to attract a wild animal (5) |
| H (husband) + YEN (“longing”) to attract A | ||
*anagram
For me, the NW corner took a lot longer than the rest put together. Managed to eventually finish without cheating with COCKATEEL my LOI (only familiar with the TIEL spelling). Thanks to Sleuth and loonapick.
Started out being a welcome respite from the rigours of yesterday’s Monk (‘Eboracum’ for ‘town’ & even harder ones – Phew!), but the last ones held out for quite a while. DISTILLATION, AUBURN and CINNAMON weren’t write-ins and like Hovis @1, COCKATEEL was my last in, the first crossword-land appearance for this particular psittacine friend as far as I can remember. The EE had to be that from the wordplay but I had also only seen the IE spelling before.
Off to Nimrod. Oh, joy.
Thanks to Sleuth and loonapick
Thanks to Sleuth and loonapick. I struggled with but finally got AUBURN and OBSTACLE, but failed with COCKATEEL (I even found a few cockateiils on line).
One of my favourite setters (much missed elsewhere!) and I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle despite having to agree with our blogger about some of the surface reads.
The Eastern European gave pause for thought but no problems elsewhere.
1a made me smile so gets my vote for favourite.
Many thanks to Sleuth and to Loonapick – also to Cryptic Sue for the heads up on this one.
Thanks Sleuth and loonapick
Quite late to get to this one but enjoyed it once I did. Was able to finish it inside my normal solve time for an FT puzzle and was only held up at the end with this spelling of COCKATIEL with AUBURN actually being my last one in. Took a while to work out the word play for SHEPHERD’S PIE and DISTILLATION.
Also liked MANIAC.