Financial Times 16,696 by BRADMAN

12 comments on “Financial Times 16,696 by BRADMAN”

1. Nice puzzle, Bradman, and thanks, Turbolegs, for clarifying a couple of solutions. I didn’t know MINA, so only got 21a SEMINARIES from the definition and the crossers. For 17d READIEST, I guessed that Kate was Adie because it seemed more likely than Eadi. 8d ROESTI was a dnk, but so well clued that it was fairly deducible.
   Favourites were 13a GENERALIST and 18 ACQUAINTANCE for their constructions and their excellent surfaces. And it was good to see a journalist who wasn’t an editor, ed, or reporter.

2. Normally, I sprint through Bradman’s crosswords but I came to a shuddering halt less than half way through. Guessed 18a must be ACANCE around some word for “charming” but had to resort to a thesaurus to find it. Managed to nearly complete but was stuck on thinking 11d began with STUD (the usual “boss” in crosswordland). Another cheat (word find) and then completed.
   The anagram in 1d is a bit weak – just a swap of the M & W – but I felt it worked well here. Thanks (I think) to Bradman and Turbolegs.

3. I meant to say that I took VEGGIE as an &lit or COD if you prefer.

4. Was slow getting started and slipped up on SCAD, where I’d initially put ‘char’ (22a) and could only see ‘sly’ for surreptitious (1a) not ‘fly’…unless ‘fly by night’ or some such but did know LIEF. Also used a cheat for SEMINARIES.
   Liked KNICKERS and CORSET in the SE, and PANNA COTTA and ROESTI in the NE corner.
   I always expect a tough challenge from Bradman and so it proved today but not without pleasing moments.
   Thanks to him and Turbolegs.

5. Three comments:

   1 Thank you for nice things said –always pleasing!
   2 The VEGGIE clue is an & lit. in which all elements are doing double duty
   3 I think that ‘down’ in the extraterrestrial clue is fine, so long as our ET friend is within the scope of earth’s gravitational field (rather than in outer space) and specially so if he is coming down to meet us!

6. Just noticed I typed COD instead of CAD @3 (Clue As Definition). Whoops! Thanks to Bradman for making an appearance. Always appreciated.

7. Bradman, FWIW, I was about to make the same comment concerning the extraterrestrial clue, but you beat me to it. Thanks for a fun puzzle.

8. Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs

   I enjoyed this, though I’m not convinced by the equivalence of stir and whisk. The latter is more energetic, I would have said.

9. Thanks to both for the afternoon entertainment.
   I wasn’t happy with VEGGIE but it couldn’t be anything else.
   Um, SimonS, you can stir things with a whisk – that is the kitchen utensil.

10. Um, Mystogre, for me you whisk things with a wiry implement to emulsify them, which requires speed. You stir things with a bladed implement like a wooden spoon or spatula to mix/blend them, which has no speed requirement.

    If you’re making, say, scrambled eggs, you don’t stir them till they’re in the pan after you’ve whisked them.

    You wouldn’t whisk the ingredients for a fruit cake.

11. Point taken Simon S. I guess I was using a much wider definition of the word “stir”. Whatever, it is clear the clue could have been improved a little if it causes us this discussion.

12. Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
    Enjoyable puzzle that kept one busy when we were receiving 50mm of rain in a day down here. Immediately recognised Don Quixote at 1d and was able to steadily ply my way through the rest of the puzzle from there. Didn’t appreciate the &lit-ness of 7d until it was explained here … and that makes it a neat clue. Hadn’t seen LIEF or SCAD before, nor this particular spelling of ROSTI and had to look up Kate ADIE.
    Finished in the SW corner with SEMINARIES (that took a while to see the word play), DISPENSE and MERCANTILE.

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