My first Buccaneer puzzle.
According to fifteensquared, this is Buccaneer's second outing in the FT. If the setter is a new setter rather than an established one with a new pseudonym, he/she has hit the ground running. Although not terribly difficult, this puzzle was challenging enough to get the gears moving on a dull March morning, and had just enough a-ha moments to leave this blogger satisfied. My favourite clue was PREPOSITIONS, but there were no bad clues.
Let's have more Buccaneers!
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | WOLFSKIN |
Family behind bolts hide from predator (8)
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KIN ("family") behind WOLFS ("bolts") |
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| 5 | HOT TUB |
Where bather may be twirling backside – gosh! (3,3)
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[twirling] <=(BUTT ("backside") + OH ("gosh")) |
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| 10 | TOPMAST |
Spar with Boris amid cheers, perhaps (7)
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PM (Prime Minister, so "Boris" (Johnson)) amid TOAST ("cheers") |
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| 11 | MANDATE |
Order first of Mondeos and an Escort (7)
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[first of] M(ondeos) and AN + DATE ("escort") |
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| 12 | EMEND |
Revise pieces penned by journalist (5)
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MEN ("pieces") penned by Ed. (editor, so "journalist") |
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| 13 | ROOSEVELT |
Ex-president lost vote – loser! (9)
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*(vote loser) [anag:lost] |
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| 14 | A PIECE OF CAKE |
Something to eat for a picnic (1,5,2,4)
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Double definition, something that is very easy could be described as "a picnic" or "a piece of cake" |
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| 18 | PREPOSITIONS |
They may be in and around parking places again (12)
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P (parking) + REPOSITIONS ("places again") |
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| 21 | ENDOMORPH |
Person who is round pond, home built round river (9)
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*(pond home) [anag:built] round R (river) |
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| 23 | ADAPT |
Alter Alfred’s jacket fitting (5)
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A(lfre)D ['s jacket, i.e. outer layer] + APT ("fitting") |
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| 24 | CORNICE |
I’m amazed by delightful ornamental moulding (7)
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COR! ("I'm amazed") by NICE ("delightful") |
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| 25 | ELITIST |
Fond of the cream filling for caramel? It is tasty (7)
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Hidden in [filling for] "caramEL IT IS Tasty" |
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| 26 | TIERED |
Match Liverpool player on many levels (6)
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TIE ("match") + RED ("Liverpool player" – Liverpool are known as "the Reds") |
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| 27 | AT HEISTS |
They don’t believe robbers may be seen here (8)
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"robbers may be seen" AT HEISTS |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | WITHER |
Shrivel up in old age, like queen’s consort? (6)
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A "queen's consort" could be described as being "WITH E.R. (Elizabeth Regina)" |
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| 2 | LOPPED |
Was a turkey topped and sliced? (6)
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(f)LOPPED ("was a turkey", topped) |
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| 3 | STAND UP TO |
Resist comedian, too devoid of content (5,2,2)
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STAND UP ("comedian") + T(o)O [devoid of content] |
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| 4 | INTERMEDIARIES |
When schools work on e-journals for negotiators (14)
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IN TERM ("when schools work") on E-DIARIES ("e-journals") |
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| 6 | OUNCE |
Jump, missing black cat (5)
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(b)OUNCE ("jump", missing B (black)) |
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| 7 | TRADE GAP |
Publicity, say, in region reversed business deficit (5,3)
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AD ("publicity") + E.G. ("say") in <=PART ("region", reversed) |
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| 8 | BREATHER |
Silly Herbert welcoming a break (8)
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*(herbert) [anag:silly] welcoming A |
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| 9 | IMPOVERISHMENT |
Enraged voter in Memphis having no bread left (14)
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*(voter in Memphis) [anag:enraged] |
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| 15 | FANTASIZE |
How big a fizzy drink is, maybe, in daydream (9)
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SIZE of a FANTA ("how big a fizzy drink is, maybe"), so FANTA-SIZE |
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| 16 | UPPERCUT |
Drug diluted, which is a blow (8)
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UPPER ("drug") + CUT ("diluted") |
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| 17 | GENDARME |
Melt and merge copper from abroad (8)
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*(and merge) [anag:melt] |
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| 19 | CARIES |
Decay that is running through vehicles (6)
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I.E. ("that is") running through CARS ("vehicles") |
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| 20 | STATUS |
Sculptures Philistine ultimately leaves standing (6)
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(philistin)E [ultimately] leaves STATU(e)S ("sculptures") |
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| 22 | MAINE |
Buccaneer’s received in a drunken state (5)
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ME ("Buccaneer") received *(in a) [anag:drunken] |
A very good puzzle which I enjoyed as much as this setter’s first outing in the FT. Yes, he is an established setter (see the “Setters” page here) whose other pseudonyms are related to this new one.
Everything went in fairly steadily, but then I put in ‘undercut’ for 16d which meant I had no hope of solving 18a. After a frustrating half an hour or so, I eventually cottoned on to UPPERCUT and then PREPOSITIONS followed in soon after. Not surprisingly this was my clue of the day, but plenty of other good ones too.
A big thanks to Buccaneer and loonapick
Yes, Buccaneer’s early promise fulfilled, as they say in sport [I had the privilege of blogging his debut].
PREPOSITIONS was very neat, CORNICE compact little classic and ‘fond of the cream’ a wily def.
Thanks very much to both.
Delighted to see Buccaneer back again.
PREPOSITIONS was the stand-out clue for me, too. I also liked the clever anagram at 9dn IMPOVERISHMENT and was amused by the copper from abroad, the spar with Boris, the person who is round, the backside-twirling bather and Buccaneer in a drunken state.
Many thanks to Buccaneer for the fun and to (lucky, as crypticsue would say) loonapick for the blog.
Great to see our pirate wearing three different hats in Graun, Indy and FT
Always great value
Chapeau JB
Rattling through them today – comeuppance tomorrow no doubt. PREPOSITIONS cotd for me as well, and I really liked the Alfred’s jacket clue – concise and elegant. Maybe time for the Indy as well today? Many thanks to Buccaneer and lucky loonapick.
Just like to add-the ROOSEVELT clue was special!
What Eileen said
Super puzzle, as always, from JB.
I initially had HARESKIN in 1a, but soon realised 1d wouldn’t work.
I can only add to the kudos in today’s comments and blog. I was surprised to see Fantasize. Is Fanta a drink only in the US, hence the “z” instead of the “s” without any other hint of US spelling?
Great thanks to both Buccaneer and Loonapick.
Yes, very witty and amusing, as others have said, with ‘fond of the cream’, ‘Alfred’s jacket’ and what Eileen said among my favourites, but top marks go to the sign left on the robbers’ door, where others would say ‘out to lunch’: AT HEISTS!
EdK@USA – to my surprise and chagrin, since I eschew the z option in all such words (not because – as I thought – it’s American, but because I think it’s ugly-looking), I find that fantasize is the first spelling in both Collins and Chambers – neither with any mention of an Americanism!
PS: sheffield hatter – yes, I meant to include Alfred’s jacket. 😉
Got there steadily, but, alas, with a mistake.
Bah.
My loi was Prepositions, where I put Premonitions. I couldn’t see why the answer was Premonitions, but it fitted and I couldn’t think of anything else.
Hmmm.
But a very good puzzle.
Thanks
This took some time but it was ultimately satisfying — like others my COTD was PREPOSITIONS. I also liked UPPERCUT, WOLFSKIN, LOPPED, and STATUS. Thanks to both.
Only started today, but just came by anyway to say how much I enjoyed the wit in this puzzle. Thanks to Buccaneer and Loonapick.
Thanks Buccaneer and loonapick
A great puzzle that I spoiled for myself by clicking on this blog by mistake (when checking on the weekend Mudd puzzle) and seeing WOLFSKIN when I only had the —-SKIN and then by spelling FANTACISE wrongly and not checking it !
Many great clues as have been pointed out – and especially agree with copmus@6 for the surface of 13a. Finished in the SW corner with the clever GENDARME and ENDOMORPH (which I hadn’t seen with that meaning before).