Redshank provides the FT challenge this morning.
I found this to be a puzzle of two halves. The top half was fairly straightforward, and at first I thought I'd complete it quite quickly, but I sat staring at an almost empty bottom half for a few minutes until I saw the two long down answers and PAT ON THE BACK, after which the rest eventually exposed themselves.
This was a challenging puzzle, and I hope I've satisfactorily parsed everything for you, but I'm not entirely convinced by my explanation for 4dn. Can a trough that a horses passing on a journey be called "a passing trough" as the trough is static? Some of the other devices used (TU in STATUTES, for example) are easy enough to see, but not necessarily to explain.
Thanks, Redshank, for giving my diminishing grey cells a jump-start this morning.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PRESS-UPS |
Reporters curb drink and exercises (5-3)
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PRESS ("reporters") curb SUP ("drink") |
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| 5 | TOECAP |
One gets Polish at Aldershot to step back (6)
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TO + <=PACE ("step" back) Aldershot is known as "the home of the British Army" and soldiers there would certainly spend time polishing their toecaps. |
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| 10 | VIS-A-VIS |
Having to deal with two foreign stamps? Not quite (3-1-3)
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VISA + VIS(a) (not quite "two foreign stamps") |
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| 11 | EMIGRES |
European fighters ring about refugees (7)
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E (European) + MIGS (Russian "fighter" planes) ring RE ("about") |
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| 12 | NYLON |
Fabric label on bag briefly indicating transatlantic flight? (5)
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NY – LON on a bag may "indicate" New York to London ("transatlantic"), although neither NY or LON are in fact airport codes. |
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| 13 | INTERVIEW |
Grill Bury before contest with Wolves initially (9)
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INTER ("bury") before VIE ("contest") with W(olves) [initially] |
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| 14 | VEGGIE BURGER |
Bugger Reg! I’ve cooked “healthy” food (6,6)
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*(bugger reg I've) [anag:cooked] |
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| 18 | PAT ON THE BACK |
Praise and thank beat cop after refreshment (3,2,3,4)
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*(thank beat cop) [anag:after refreshment] |
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| 21 | SATINWOOD |
What arboreal picnickers did that’s useful to joiner? (9)
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Arboreal picnickers may have SAT IN WOOD to have their picnic. |
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| 23 | AMAZE |
A feature of Hampton Court floor (5)
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A + MAZE ("feature of Hampton Court") |
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| 24 | ALTHING |
A large item making up Reykjavik diet (7)
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A + L (large) + THING ("item") In this case, diet = parliament, the Althing being the oldest surviving parliament in the world. |
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| 25 | IDIOTIC |
Absurd papers to do with hearing absorb one (7)
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ID (identity "papers") + OTIC ("to do with hearing") absorb I (one) |
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| 26 | YES-MEN |
Poodles long to grab odd bits of jetsam (3-3)
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YEN ("long") to grab [odd bits of] (j)E(t)S(a)M |
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| 27 | AGE GROUP |
Cohort mature twice, shedding weight (3,5)
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AGE + GRO(w) UP ("mature" twice, the second definition shedding W (weight)) |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PAVING |
Violet’s stabbing pain putting down flags (6)
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VI (short form of "Violet") ['s stabbing] PANG ("pain") |
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| 2 | EASILY |
Very probably see round Aussie now and then (6)
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ELY ("see" or diocese in Cambridgeshire) round A(u)S(s)I(e) [now and then] |
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| 3 | SEVENTEEN |
Prime competition watched outside (9)
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SEEN ("watched") outside EVENT ("competition") |
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| 4 | PASSING THROUGH |
Where thirsty horse stops, luring in another one en route? (7,7)
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PASSING TROUGH ("where thirsty horse stops") luring in H (horse indicated by "another one") |
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| 6 | OSIER |
Start off more promising element of basketwork (5)
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[start off] (r)OSIER ("more promising") |
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| 7 | CARRIAGE |
Coach bearing fly trap (8)
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Quadruple definition, three of which refer to vehicles ("coach", "fly" and "trap") |
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| 8 | PASSWORD |
Fool set up foil for one means of access (8)
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<=SAP ("fool", set up) + SWORD ("foil, for one") |
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| 9 | FEATHERBEDDING |
Exploit plot in gathering stock, improving plant conditions? (14)
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FEAT ("exploit") + BED ("plot") in HERDING ("gathering stock") Featherbedding is the (now rare) practice of hiring more workers than is actually required (normally after negotiation with unions), so conditions in a plant or factory would improve, at least temporarily, for workers who may feel less pressure at first. |
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| 15 | UNCEASING |
Nonstop ironing one might say put off Republican (9)
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UNC(r)EASING ("iron, one might say") put off R (Republican) |
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| 16 | APOSTASY |
Leaving party or a job, say, after reorganisation (8)
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A + POST ("job") + *(say) [anag:after reorganisation] |
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| 17 | STATUTES |
Well-known solver in Paris breaking US laws (8)
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TU (informal word for "you" in French, so "in Paris", the "solver" (i.e.you) would be referred to as TU if you were "well-known" to the person greeting you) breaking STATES ("US") |
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| 19 | TATTOO |
Needlework’s rubbish on top of this (6)
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TAT ("rubbish") + TOO ("on top of this") |
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| 20 | TEACUP |
Set erected around each cold stormy location? (6)
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<=PUT ("set", erected (i.e. put up) around EA. (each) + C (cold) Storm in a teacup |
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| 22 | NAIVE |
Green unit fills part of church (5)
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I (one, so "unit") fills NAVE ("part of church") |
I enjoyed this, apart from 26a where I dislike setters using “odd bits” to refer to the even letters. Strictly speaking, it isn’t wrong as “odd” can mean “unpaired” say, but I’m not keen on it.
I particularly liked unraveling 9d as it was an unfamiliar term. The surface for 14a made me chuckle.
I agree with Hovis’ comments above and I took ‘grab odd bits of’ to mean ‘use the odd letters of’ at 26a so this not difficult clue held me up for longer than it should have. I wasn’t convinced by PASSING THROUGH either, but it went in with a shrug.
Otherwise an enjoyable solve. I was able to remember the ‘Reykjavik diet’ thanks to previous appearances and I liked both the def and parsing for FEATHERBEDDING. Last in and highlight was the excellent CARRIAGE quad def.
Thanks to Redshank and loonapick
My reading for 4d was that a thirsty horse may stop whilst passing (a) trough but, a lot more likely, it would make a beeline for it. Nevertheless, I can see why Redshank couldn’t resist this.
My last 2 in were CARRIAGE & TOECAP which were very pleasing to get.
I’ve enjoyed Redshank’s in the past but this one was a disaster. With regret he moves to my “Don’t attempt” list.
I’m not sure why I made heavy weather of this. My experience was the opposite of loonapick’s – the top left corner was last in by a mile – but all enjoyable, as ever.
Like Hovis, I chuckled at 14ac. Other ticks were for ALTHING, AGE GROUP and FEATHERBEDDING. I was a bit flummoxed by PASSING THROUGH, too.
Many thanks to Redshank and loonapick.
Thanks Redshank and loonapick
I agree with Hovis @3’s parsing of 4, but wonder if ‘when’ might have been better than ‘where’?
Thanks for the blog, very thorough indeed.
I agree with above that it should be “When” for 4D .
TU is very good , the well-known makes it very precise.
Thank goodness for the FT now that the Guardian has given up on even pretending to have a cryptic crossword.
That seems a bit harsh Roz – especially given that many of the setters are the same.
This was definitely more taxing than the G today, and I’m still struggling to make 4d work. The bottom left was my last in with APOSTASY leading to the amusing SATINWOOD. I thought STATUTES was brilliant with typically exact clueing. I usually leave “filling in” ones to the end if they don’t fall easily which meant TATTOO was the loi.
Thanks to Redshank and loonapick.
Like Eileen @5, my experience of this stiff but ultimately rewarding grid was the opposite of Loonapick’s in that the right side fell easily enough but the left half really had me scratching my head! Got there in the end after 2 sessions but for ALTHING. Top picks included VIS-A-VIS (surface), SATINWOOD (surface again), FEATHERBEDDING and the impressive CARRIAGE.
Very glad I stuck at it but I’m especially grateful today to Loonapick for such a thorough and illuminating blog.
Thanks, Redshank, for a proper workout.
Thanks to Redshank for a fun puzzle, though I also shrugged at PASSING THROUGH. Particularly amused by “stormy location” as the definition of TEACUP but a number of clues were also very satisfying (eg AGE GROUP). Thanks to loonapick for the detailed explanation of FEATHERBEDDING, of which I was unaware.
Many thanks loonapick.
As a pre-COVID quarterly flyer to New York to see family, I failed on NY LON, as you said the ticket is JFK-LHR.
I think it was an urban myth for a while that nylon was actually named after New York and London. Dupont have always denied this.
It’s always satisfying completing a Redshank crossword even if I need help with some of the parsing — thanks Loonapick for explaining NYLON, TOECAP, AGE GROUP, and STATUTES. Favourites included SEVENTEEN, UNCEASING, and TATTOO. Thanks Redshank for another admirable crossword.
Many thanks for the blog Loonapick as I needed a couple explaining today, even though I had the answers. Last in was PASSING THROUGH as I needed all the crossers seeing I was still looking for some type of coachmans inn!
A lot of smiles through it all though so thanks Redshank.
Great puzzle. Not sure that Aldershot is really nowadays the home of the British army, not that it has time to polish the toecaps of its boots, but the clue worked for me.
Thanks Redshank and loonapick
An early morning solve today in which progress was steady with the only one that wasn’t parsed was the long 4d. Started in the top right and completed the right hand side before moving to the harder left hand side, finishing in the SW corner with ALTHING and APOSTASY the last couple in.
Had the most trouble with TOECAP (even after all of the crossers), the two long ones (needing all of the crossers there too) and had to look up the Icelandic parliament.
Plenty of clues to enjoy, especially SATINWOOD, YES MEN, FEATHERBEDDING and TEACUP.