Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 4, 2021
I found this an easy but impressive puzzle. My first-in was 12ac (UNIT) and I went on the finish the top-left corner in a couple of minutes. Completing the rest took some time but, armed with the theme of billionaires from 2dn, it came together very smoothly. We have named billionaires at 11ac (Elon Musk), 27ac (Warren Buffett), 29ac (Steve Jobs), 1dn (Donald Trump), 6dn (Bill Gates), 14dn (Rupert Murdoch), 15dn (Mark Zuckerberg) and 23dn (Jeff Bezos). And other references to extremely rich people at 1ac (NABOBS), 2dn (BILLIONAIRES), 9dn (MOGUL), 18dn (MAGNATES) and 22dn (FORBES).
In my original posting of the blog I noted that, “while Donald Trump is very rich, he is not on Forbes’ list of billionaires.” It now seems that I was mistaken and Forbes credits The Donald with being worth a couple of billions. Sorry for this error.
My favourite clues are 4ac (STACCATO), 10ac (TALLY-HO) and 2dn (BILLIONAIRE). Thank you Buccaneer for what must have been a lot of work stuffing so much wealth into this puzzle!
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | NABOBS |
Perhaps 2s from North America with two shillings (6)
|
| NA (North America) + BOB (one shilling) + S (a second shilling) | ||
| 4 | STACCATO |
Way of playing then, carrying pet back and forth (8)
|
| TAC CAT (pet back and forth) in (carrying) SO (then) | ||
| 10 | TALLY-HO |
Friend in hot pants gives encouraging cry (5-2)
|
| ALLY (friend) in (in) anagram (pants) of HOT | ||
| 11 | MUSKRAT |
2 with desert rodent (7)
|
| [elon] MUSK (2) + RAT (desert, in the sense of abandon) | ||
| 12 | UNIT |
One taking part in community (4)
|
| Hidden word (taking part in) | ||
| 13 | EUROVISION |
Distressed or envious, boxing one in contest (10)
|
| I (one) in (boxing) anagram (distressed) of OR ENVIOUS | ||
| 16 | PENT-UP |
Confine sheep that’s unable to be released (4-2)
|
| PEN (confine) + TUP (sheep) | ||
| 17 | PALADIN |
Knight’s suffering, punched by youth (7)
|
| LAD (youth) in (punched by) PAIN (suffering). A paladin is a knightly champion. | ||
| 20 | SICK PAY |
Curiously picky, as it’s claimed with a complaint (4,3)
|
| Anagram (curiously) of PICKY AS | ||
| 21 | SEAMEN |
Crew spotted touring America (6)
|
| AM (America) in (touring) SEEN (spotted) | ||
| 24 | OVERRUNNER |
Invader across river, say (10)
|
| OVER (across) + RUNNER (river, say) | ||
| 25 | BRIO |
Dash or run through life (4)
|
| R (run) in (through) BIO (life) | ||
| 27 | BUFFETT |
Time after meal for 2 (7)
|
| BUFFET (meal) + T (time) | ||
| 29 | ODD JOBS |
Casual work of 2 on rum (3,4)
|
| ODD (rum) + JOBS (2) | ||
| 30 | SLUGGISH |
Slow drinks of alcohol keeping soldier hot (8)
|
| GI (soldier) in (keeping) SLUGS (drinks of alcohol) + H (hot) | ||
| 31 | TETHER |
Lead, say, in tango number (6)
|
| T (tango) + ETHER (number) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | NO TRUMPS |
Boy about to limit 2’s bid (2,6)
|
| TRUMP (2) in (to limit) SON (boy) backwards (about) | ||
| 2 | BILLIONAIRE |
Advert that is plugged by broadcasting tycoon (11)
|
| BILL (advert) + ON AIR (broadcasting) in (plugged by) IE (that is) | ||
| 3 | BUYS |
Acquires vehicle crossing yard (4)
|
| Y (yard) in (crossing) BUS (vehicle) | ||
| 5 | TEMPORAL |
Worker given test is concerned with time (8)
|
| TEMP (worker) + ORAL (test) | ||
| 6 | CASTIGATES |
Ticks off Conservative 2 drinking wine (10)
|
| ASTI (wine) in (drinking) C (conservative) + GATES (2) | ||
| 7 | AIR |
Number two lacking its number one (3)
|
| [p]AIR (two lacking its number one) | ||
| 8 | OUTING |
Making lots of noise, not quiet, in junket (6)
|
| [sh]OUTING (making lots of noise, not quiet) | ||
| 9 | MOGUL |
Awfully glum around old 2, perhaps (5)
|
| O (old) in (around) anagram (awfully) of GLUM | ||
| 14 | IRIS MURDOCH |
2 holding up flag for novelist (4,7)
|
| IRIS (flag) + MURDOCH (2) | ||
| 15 | ZUCKERBERG |
Unknown fool losing head with composer that’s a 2 (10)
|
| Z (unknown) + [s]UCKER (fool losing head) + BERG (composer) | ||
| 18 | MAGNATES |
Publication behind 2s, perhaps (8)
|
| MAG (publication) + NATES (behind). ‘Nates’ is a technical word for the buttocks. And new to me! | ||
| 19 | ENDORSER |
One approving of friend or servant (8)
|
| Hidden word (of) | ||
| 22 | FORBES |
Publication listing 2s targeted at elite, mostly (6)
|
| FOR (targeted at) + BES[t] (elite mostly) | ||
| 23 | BEZOS |
2 to live north of Australia, turning south (5)
|
| BE (live) + OZ (Australia) backwards (turning) + S (south) | ||
| 26 | EDGE |
Golf club wanting women to provide advantage (4)
|
| [w]EDGE (golf club wanting women) | ||
| 28 | FLU |
Virus was airborne, we hear (3)
|
| Homophone of “flew” (was airborne) |
Another super weekend puzzle from Buccaneer, in which the theme was quickly deduced.
Of those themed clues, 11 and 29 tickled me for their aptness. My favourites, however, were 1a, 6 and 23.
Thanks to Buccaneer and Pete.
Oh dear, I had a very different experience again. It took me for ever to get going, as I stared helplessly at all the 2s. I do not know why, but even after getting BILLIONAIRE and NO TRUMPS, it still took me ages to see the theme.
But, similar to Diane and Pete, once I got the wind behind my sails, I found a lot about the puzzle to enjoy.
I shared favourites with Diane and Pete this week – NABOBS, STACCATO and TALLYHO. I also liked TETHER: “number” was devilishly misleading. I liked ODD JOBS too, just because it was so corny.
I do not agree that BILLIONAIRE means tycoon. One has lots of money, the other is a business magnate. A good chunk of billionaires got their money from means other than business.
Thanks to Buccaneer for a great puzzle that must have taken a long time to compile, and thanks to Pete for the superb explanations.
Quite enjoyable — thanks Buccaneer. Favourites included STACCATO, TETHER, BILLIONAIRE, and OUTING. NO, TRUMP’S not on the list of billionaires — I think the “NO” in the answer might clarify that. Thanks Pete for the blog.
@3 Tony Santucci good observation about NO TRUMPS! Very droll, Buccaneer.
Thanks for the blog, impressive setting with the theme and some awkward names but it did not spoil the quality of the clues , as a theme of names often can.
TALLY-HO is very good, amusing with the HOT PANTS but so many clues to like here.
NATES is a strange word and I have only seen it in crosswords, it does turn up quite often.
I forget where I first came across NATES but I’ve half a notion it’s more widely used across the pond.
I read 1d as you did, Tony @3.
Thanks Buccaneer and Pete
1dn: I parsed this the same as Pete. To me, that parsing definitely makes the assertion that there is a billionaire called Trump. Can anyone who wishes to support the notion that the NO is a reference to Donald Trump’s absence from a certain specific list please give a complete parsing of the clue that accounts for the words “Boy about to limit” and does not assert that there is a billionaire with that name?
Pelham Barton @7: I have no argument with the parsing of 1d or with the idea that many believe that Trump is a billionaire. I was amused that the answer might have a meta component to it.
Tony@8: If it is only a belief not an established fact that there is a billionaire called Trump, then the clue is faulty and it needs something like “supposed” or “possible” immediately after “limit”.
Further to 9, I have just looked at what appears to be the Forbes website, and it gives Donald Trump’s net worth as $2.4 billion.
Pelham Barton: You are correct. I based my posts on Pete’s notes in the blog.
Thank you Pelham. I stand corrected.
Great fun! I was rather surprised to find my own name in there in its more usual surname guise.
Well crafted and very gettable so there was much to like about this. Thanks Buccaneer.
NATES comes up every now and then in crosswords – I think it cropped up a couple of times already this year. Thanks for the usual thorough blog Pete.
Fake Forbes?!
Very good Diane, still on 1D I am not fond of ABOUT for NOS in a down clue, would prefer an upwards indicator.
From a new name: Can someone please explain to me why, in 31Ac, ether = number?
Hello Cameron and welcome, ETHER used to be used as an anaesthetic in the 19th century, it would numb the patient so it is a number ( nummer as we say ) . A favourite term for crosswords.
Ah! Many thanks, Roz. As so often with crosswords, one thinks ‘I should have seen that’!
You learn all the time. Aren’t we lucky to have such a pastime?
Cameron, Welcome and thank you for commenting. I think now I should have explained ETHER in the blog.
And Roz, thank you for the explanation.
Very lucky and very lucky with the blogs. When I was learning it would have been great to have all these explanations.
I think you judge yourself rather harshly, Pete. My son tells me he could have explained that one. Now he tells me!
I have just got back to this (time zones and all that), so yes to Diane@14 although I believe I am real.
Thanks Buccaneer and Pete
Was able to do this in a single session last night that was just under the hour (maybe stretched out a little as I struggled to stay awake). An enjoyable solve, especially looking for the BILLIONAIRES that were scattered throughout.
Started in the opposite quadrant to Pete with FLU jumping straight off the page and then straight back to the NW corner with TALLY-HO and the theme clue being solved in the first half dozen in.
Didn’t end up parsing OUTING properly with a weak effort of OUT-p-ING. Did like the misdirection in TETHER and the unravelling of BEZOS.
Finished with EUROVISION, the correction of ZUCKERBERG (lazily at written in ZUTTERBERG (with nutter) before his real name dawned) and the tricky SICK PAY as the last one in.