Today’s FT challenge is set by Neo.
I struggled with the SE corner of this as I couldn’t work out the parsing of OBSCURED so was looking for another solution. Once I saw what Neo was doing with it, the rest of the corner was fine (although the weak definition for 28 ac was also a “delayer”).
Other than thatm this was a fine puzzle, with some genberal knowledge required (which I like, as I am also into quizzes, so I either get a chance to test my knowledeg (ROWENA eg) or learn something new (PERIWINKLE).
Thanks Neo.
PS – I don’t think there’s a theme, but I’m getting poorer at noting themes, NINAs, pangrams etc, so…
| Across | ||
| 1 | HEADHUNTER | Nut collector with intelligence lacking unearthed supply (10) |
| (wit)H {“intelligence” (wit) lacking) + *(unearthed) | ||
| 7 | PAGE | Send for boy serving knight (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | BENT | Any number in punt that’s leaning (4) |
| N (“any number” in maths or statistics) in BET (“punt”) | ||
| 10 | PERIWINKLE | Mollusc one often encountered in gardens (10) |
| Double definition, although Chambers says that the flower is found in forests rather than gardens? I’m no gardener though, so Neo may be right. | ||
| 11 | ETCHER | Printmaker caught in upper air (6) |
| C (caught) in ETHER (“upper sir”) | ||
| 12 | WANDERER | Staff run round before finding stray (8) |
| WAND (“staff”) + R (run) round ERE (“before”) | ||
| 13 | TACITURN | Performance stopped by another involving one saying little (8) |
| TURN (“performance”) stopped by ACT (“another” (performance)) involving I (one) | ||
| 15 | OINK | Piggish remark no problem around home (4) |
| OK (“no problem”) around IN (“home”) | ||
| 17 | SPOT | Spinners making comeback in nightclub (4) |
| <=TOPS (“spinners”) [making comeback] | ||
| 19 | HABITUDE | Husband, slightly impolite, heading off for convention (8) |
| H (husband) + A BIT (“slightly”) (r)UDE (“impolite” with its heading off) | ||
| 22 | NEAR EAST | Region in secluded place in western Asia (4,4) |
| AREA (“region”) in NEST (“secluded place”) | ||
| 23 | CALIPH | Religious leader shows a brashness in church (6) |
| A LIP (“brashness”) in Ch. (church) | ||
| 25 | WALLFLOWER | Shy person is reveller around Florida (10) |
| WALLOWER (“reveller”) around Fl. (Florida) | ||
| 26 | THOR | God renders Hamlet powerless (4) |
| THOR(p) (“hamlet” without P (power), so powerless) | ||
| 27 | VEGA | Star not quite convert to compassionate eating? (4) |
| [not quite] VEGA(n) {“convert to passionale eating”) | ||
| 28 | SALAD CREAM | Adam clears out – leaves with this on? (5,5) |
| *(adam clears) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | ELECTRA | Complex woman takes ecstasy with sparkling claret (7) |
| E (ecstasy) + *(claret) In psychology, the Electra complex is a girl’s competition with her mother for her father’s attention. | ||
| 3 | DUTCH | European partner (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | UPPERCUT | Blow where meal without starter not totally delightful (8) |
| (s)UPPER (“meal” without starter) + [not totally] CUT(e) (“delightful”) | ||
| 5 | THROW IN THE TOWEL | Quit – what draper might do when you spend lots? (5,2,3,5) |
| A draper may throw in a towel for free? | ||
| 6 | ROWENA | Ivanhoe’s lady in dispute with another woman (6) |
| ROW (“dispute”) with ENA (another “woman”) | ||
| 7 | PENTECOST | Copes with tent destroyed in festival (9) |
| *(copes tent) | ||
| 8 | GALLEON | Sound from kitchen aboard ship (7) |
| Homophone of GALLEY (“kitchen”) + ON (“aboard”) | ||
| 14 | INTER ALIA | Linear A with it for translation among other things (5,4) |
| *(linear a it) | ||
| 16 | OBSCURED | Good news about alumnus who was poorly hidden (8) |
| If an OB’S CURED, it is good news (ie an alumnus is now better) | ||
| 18 | PEERAGE | Aristocracy look to get on (7) |
| PEER (“look”) + AGE (“to get on” (in years)) | ||
| 20 | DIPLOMA | Peacemaker has no time for qualification (7) |
| DIPLOMA(t) (“peacekeeper” has no T (time) | ||
| 21 | DALLAS | Everyone in rush to ditch hotel soap (6) |
| ALL (“everyone”) in DAS(h) (“rush” with H (hotel) ditched) | ||
| 24 | LATER | In a while selling up – one has to leave (5) |
| <=RETA(i)L (“selling” up, with I (one) having to leave) | ||
*anagram
After his previous, somewhat diabolical, offering I thought I was going to finish this one without aids. Unfortunately, I fell down at the crossing PERIWINKLE and ROWENA. I got the former using a word fit then the latter became obvious.
My favourite was OBSCURED and I quite liked “leaves with this on” to describe SALAD CREAM.
Thanks to Neo and loonapick.
As usual, I’m a very happy solver of a Neo crossword – I even remembered Ivanhoe’s lady from O (or possibly A) level. Like Hovis, I did like both 28a and 16d
Thanks to Neo and Loonapick
Some great clues. Headhunter, salad cream and obscured all brought a wry smile and a doh.
“I said salad cream, stupid”
My favorite was UPPERCUT; even though “blow” is the definition,”not totally delightful” can also describe being on the receiving end of one. An added bonus was having THROW IN THE TOWEL nearby. I thought a boxing theme might be in store but that was not to be. Thanks to Loonapick for clarifying — even though I guessed OBSCURED, the parsing remained hidden for me. All in all, this was another gem from Neo.
My favourite was 1a,was very happy when I twigged ‘nut collector’
Thanks Neo and loonapick
Really good puzzle that I was able to get filled in the single sitting, but did take a lot longer to figure out some of the goings on with the word play – failed to see what was happening with OBSCURED (just didn’t see the ‘old boy’) – having seen it now, I’d rate it clue of the day !
Worked out ROWENA but having not read Walter Scott’s classic had to go looking up for confirmation. The flower version of PERIWINKLE, HABITUDE, PENTECOST (as a festival) and WALLOWER (as a reveller) were all new.
Finished in the SE corner as well with HABITUDE and that OBSCURED as the last couple in.