Financial Times 16,929 by ALBERICH

October 29, 2021 at 9:19 am by Turbolegs

A fitting end to the workweek from ALBERICH.

FF: 9 DD: 9

ACROSS
1	MENACE	Blokes answer with crude empty threat (6)
		MEN ( blokes ) A ( answer ) CE ( CrudE, empty i.e. without inner letters )
4	STARTLED	Left inside, began to get frightened (8)
		L ( left ) in STARTED ( began )
9	NERVE	Brass section in Wagner vexes (5)
		hidden in "..wagNER VExes"
10	IDENTICAL	One in charge of feeding of canines? The very same (9)
		I ( one ) [ IC ( in charge ) in DENTAL ( ~ of canines ) ]
11	FRIGATE	Lot appointed to acquire sails etc for ship (7)
		FATE ( lot ) containing RIG ( sails etc )
12	ELEMENT	Ecstasy and cocaine ignored by lenient copper? (7)
		E ( ecstacy ) cLEMENT ( lenient, without C – cocaine )
13	LIST	Table that shows change to make laser into taser? (4)
		cryptic def; read as L IS T , which would make laser -> taser
14	OPERETTA	Harry Potter, a tale ultimately for light entertainment (8)
		[ POTTER A E ( talE, ultimately ) ]*
17	SPARROWS	Boom and bust worse mostly for singers (8)
		SPAR ( boom ) [ WORSe ( mostly ) ]*
19	GAPE	Look out – could be a pothole! (4)
		double def; my best attempt at solving/parsing this – not entirely sure if i got this correct
22	ECLOGUE	Poem regularly perused? That’s entertaining stuff (7)
		CLOG ( stuff ) in EUE ( pErUsEd, regularly )
24	DESSERT	Heading off, worried about fool? (7)
		sTRESSED ( worried, without first letter, reversed )
25	SACRED COW	Scored runs, securing a century before wicket – it’s above criticism (6,3)
		[ SCORED ]* containing [ A C ( century ) ] W ( wicket )
26	LIEGE	For example, interrupting to press subject (5)
		EG ( for example ) in LIE ( to press )
27	APTITUDE	Position needs Penny for the first time to show skill (8)
		AtTITUDE ( position , with P – penny replacing the first T )
28	PRETTY	Rather small-minded? About right (6)
		PETTY ( small minded ) about R ( right )
DOWN
1	MANIFOLD	Exhaust section of staff and I go bankrupt (8)
		MAN ( staff ) I FOLD ( go bankrupt )
2	NARCISSUS	Is suspect following drug agent’s plant (9)
		NARC ( drug agent ) followed by [ IS SUS ( suspect ) ]
3	CRETAN	Islander’s arrest oddly ignored in nick (6)
		RET ( aRrEsT, even letters ) in CAN ( nick, prison )
5	THE MERRY WIDOW	I’d worry after confusing cracking tune with 14 (3,5,5)
		[ THEME ( tune ) W ( with ) ] containing [ I'D WORRY ]*, operetta ( 14ac ) by franz lehar
6	RETREAT	Go back and buy another round? (7)
		cryptic def; read as RE TREAT ( buy another round )
7	LUCRE	Riches entice boxing champions at first (5)
		LURE ( entice ) containing C ( Champions, first letter )
8	DILUTE	Thin detective picked up stolen goods (6)
		DI ( detective ) LUTE ( sounds like LOOT – stolen goods )
10	INEXPERIENCED	Largely unskilled, could be niece described primarily as this? (13)
		INEXPERt ( unskilled, largely i.e. without last letter ) [ NIECE ]* D ( Described, primarily )
15	AMAZEMENT	A puzzle setter is given books as surprise (9)
		A MAZE ( puzzle ) ME ( setter ) NT ( books, New Testament )
16	LEATHERY	The early shifts? That’ll be tough (8)
		[ THE EARLY ]*
18	AUGMENT	Increase number in police force after a month (7)
		AUG ( month ) [ N ( number ) in MET ( police force ) ]
20	GEISHA	She possibly entertains one in centre of Tagawa? (6)
		&lit; { [ SHE ]* containing I (one ) } in GA ( centre of taGAwa ) ; tagawa is a city in fukuoka , japan
21	OSTLER	With Jack gone, push Rex to be groom (6)
		jOSTLE ( push, without J -jack ) R ( Rex )
23	LICIT	Permissible to tout? Not so (5)
		soLICIT ( tout, without SO )

37 comments on “Financial Times 16,929 by ALBERICH”

Pelham Barton

#1 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 08:24

Thanks Alberich and Turbolegs

19ac: I had CAVE here. The first meaning (pronounced a bit like the two letters K V) is the Latin for beware.
Hovis

#2 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 08:36

CAVE here as well.

My only nitpick is that you can read the clue for 27a as giving ATTIDUDE – a word that needs P to replace T to give “aptitude”. Depending on your viewpoint, this is made worse by not having a cross to tell you or better since it doesn’t matter and it isn’t a prize crossword.
Kurukveera

#3 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 08:40

Thanks, Alberich and Turbolegs

19A
Your parsing seems fine. A gaping pothole is what comes to mind in the context.
cruciverbophile

#4 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 08:46

It’s very rare I disagree with you Hovis (if ever!) but although I see your point, the clue for 27 would have to read something like “Position which would need…” to work smoothly if the intended answer was ATTITUDE.

Another CAVE here.
copmus

#5 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:05

completely forgot about Dessert being a fool.Fair cop!
Also another CAVE
Hovis

#6 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:11

cruciverbophile @4. I should, perhaps, have added that I put APTITUDE as the answer but I don’t see how “needs” tells you that you have to do the replacement. People need a lot of things that they don’t have.
cruciverbophile

#7 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:20

I simply read it as “attitude needs P to replace the first T to show aptitude” or “to show the word aptitude, you need to replace the first T of attitude with a P”. The replacement is needed otherwise the attitude doesn’t change.
Kurukveera

#8 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:25

That’s a nice way of putting it 🙂
Diane

#9 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:44

A very enjoyable way to finish the week. I had GAPE but feel CAVE is the smoother answer. On the other hand, I had no problem with APTITUDE even if I did read it twice to make sure.
Some good surfaces today including that for GEISHA and LEATHERY, though my favourite was SACRED COW. I also liked ELEMENT because while the definition is obviously ‘copper’ and ‘ecstasy’ part of the wordplay, to be ‘in one’s element’ is also perhaps to be ecstatic.
Anyway, thanks for a satisfying solve, Alberich, and to Turbolegs for the blog.
Hovis

#10 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:45

I shan’t belabour the point any longer other than saying the clue needs the editor to replace the wording with a better one doesn’t imply the replacement is made but quite the opposite. It’s a minor point at best but I feel that if anyone wrote ATTITUDE as the answer they shouldn’t feel that they made a mistake.
cruciverbophile

#11 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 09:54

I shan’t labour the point either for fear of monopolising the thread, but I’ll be interested to see what others think about this.
SM

#12 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 10:01

In my schooldays CAVE was one of the first Latin words we learned. It was used to give the alarm when a master was approaching. A very easy clue for any of my vintage.
bill_poster

#13 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 10:16

Regarding 27a – to my mind the grammar suggests the correct answer should be ATTITUDE. I.e. The answer is a word meaning ‘position’, which, if you carried out this wordplay, would give you another word meaning ‘skill’.
WordPlodder

#14 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 10:42

I sat on the fence for 27a, with ATTITUDE as my first thought, but then I put a parenthetical P for the first T to cover both bases. Anyway, I deserve a fail for not being able to make up my mind.

Probably very out of fashion now, but I think the waltz from THE MERRY WIDOW is a ‘cracking tune’ – no fence sitting on that one.

Thanks to Alberich and Turbolegs
Robi

#15 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 13:29

Entertaining with precise cluing as one expects from Alberich.

I was another to put in gape but I think it is obviously meant to be CAVE. I particularly liked ELEMENT and LEATHERY.

Thanks Alberich and Turbolegs.
SM

#16 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 13:30

I had aptitude as the answer is a word meaning skill
Perplexus

#17 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 14:22

Another fence-sitter for ATTITUDE/APTITUDE – I seem to remember a similar debate in another recent Alberich. No doubt about CAVE, though. Not one of Alberich’s toughest, but a decent Friday workout.
Roz

#18 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 14:51

Thanks for the blog, excellent puzzle, a string of quality clues.
I put in CAVE , I have seen the CAVE CANEM mosaic at Pompeii.
I also put in APTITUDE without a thought but I now see it also works the other way.
BeelzeBob

#19 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 14:56

Concerning 27a, this sort of ambiguity is found in clues quite often {is the answer the word to be changed or the word after the change?} but my preference is for ATTITUDE as the better reading of the clue, as well explained by 10 Hovis above. If the clue had read ” A penny in position for the first time shows skill” then APTITUDE would have been the right reading. Having “Position” = ATTITUDE as the first word of the clue and “Skill” = APTITUDE as the last word of the clue enhances the ambiguity.
I’m reasonably confident that 19a should be CAVE, with the majority of contributors.
Aydrian

#20 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 16:13

I had ATTITUDE and GAPE, and judging from this thread there is room for debate. I’d be interested to hear the definitive answer and rationale from the setter…
gsolphotog

#21 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 16:15

I am adding my vote in favour of CAVE

Thanks all
john

#22 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 19:01

I’m going with CAVE and APTITUDE ! Thanks to all.
john

#23 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 19:04

I can’t even see how one can argue otherwise !!
D S

#24 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 19:10

Silly question but surely a Liege (26A) is the OPPOSITE of a subject?
Pelham Barton

#25 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 19:55

D S @24: Chambers 2014 gives five definitions for liege as a noun. The fourth of them is “a subject” and the fifth is “a lord or superior”.
Tony Santucci

#26 - Fri 29th Oct 21, 19:59

Thanks Alberich, that was very enjoyable. I put in APTITUDE without any ambivalence — I read the clue in order and “to show” near the end was an indication to me that skill was the definition. I missed CAVE/GAPE altogether and I did not know that fool meant dessert. Favourites were ELEMENT, SPARROWS, PRETTY, RETREAT, and LUCRE, the last two for their surfaces. Thanks Turbolegs for the blog but I’m not sure I would have given this a DD of 9. It seemed a bit easier than that. [What would you have rated the Monk crossword a few days ago?]
Roz

#27 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 05:26

I always notice FF and DD but not sure what they mean. Dare I ask ?
Hovis

#28 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 05:54

Roz. I think they are Fun Factor & Degree of Difficulty.
Roz

#29 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 06:50

Thank you Hovis , makes a lot of sense . I thought of Fear Factor and something totally inappropriate for DD.
Spindrift

#30 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 12:54

CAVE here also.
EdK@USA

#31 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 13:36

Today’s FT puzzle includes yesterday’s solution. Alberich is in the APTITUDE/CAVE camp.
Roz

#32 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 17:06

Thank you Edk , I was confident about CAVE but APTITUDE was 50/50
cellomaniac

#33 - Sat 30th Oct 21, 21:14

What Roz@18 said. [ I seem to be agreeing with Roz a lot lately. Should I be worried? 🙂 ]

Thanks Alberich and Turbolegs.
Turbolegs

#34 - Sun 31st Oct 21, 02:41

Hi all,

I cant remember the last time an FT puzzle got this much attention in the comments so should be a record of sorts.

Congrats to all who got the APTITUDE / CAVE duo correct! I thought the same way as Tony@26 did with regards to approaching 27a ( for APTITUDE ) so didn’t have any doubts in my mind on that one. For 19a ( CAVE ), I should have remembered ‘caveat emptor’ and drawn an insight from there for ‘look out’ but didn’t.

Tony@26 – The DD parameter is dependent on many things ( e.g. getting on to the frequency of the setter, speed of solve and parse , any similarity to past clues , the weather outside etc etc ) .. but the one thing that I cant do is to rate a crossword simple when I didn’t manage to confidently finish it. I made quick work of 95% of the puzzle ( so purely based on this, would have rated it a 7 ) but the last 2 clues held me up for far too long. Ref the Monk puzzle from a few days back, I got much farther than I usually do with his crosswords but would still rate it a 9. That’s a more uniform 9 than this one from Alberich. These are just my opinions and definitely not to be seen as absolutes. I am pretty sure whats 9 or 10 for me on DD could be a 6 or a 7 for many of the seasoned solvers here.

Roz@29 – I am sure you were thinking of Doctor Divinitatis ( Doctor of Divinity ) when you saw DD , however , there is many a slip between the cup and …

Since we get a fair number of cricket clues, wonder if anybody is following the T20 world cup in Dubai. England gave Australia a proper shellacking last night ( Buttler was in a hurry to get back home ), and tonight India will try to salvage some pride against the Kiwis after being obliterated by Pakistan in the first match ( 10 wicket loss!! ).

Have a great weekend folks. Geoff – Wish you a speedy return to the pink of health.

Cheers,
Mahesh / TL
Roz

#35 - Sun 31st Oct 21, 05:32

Thanks for the update and as always thanks for all the Friday blogs. I will now look out for FF and DD and compare, it is of course a personal thing for each solver for any puzzle.
CAVE CANEM = beware of the dog , it exists from Roman times , often the phrase and a picture of the dog in mosaic .
brucew@aus

#36 - Sun 21st Nov 21, 17:25

Thanks Alberich and Turbolegs
Only found this one yesterday and began the solve over a mid-afternoon coffee and muffin to be finished at home after closing time was reached at the cafe. Finished well inside average time, so probably a DD of 5-6 here, unusual for this setter who generally stretches the solve time out a bit longer.
It’s always a little frustrating when the letter of contention in a clue like 27a is blocked and has no intersecting clue to eliminate the ambiguity. CAVE was entered hesitantly, having a bit of stretch to equate a ‘cave’ to a ‘pothole’. Happily opted with the correct answer to both though.
Liked the &lit-ness of 20d, now that ‘Tagawa’ is explained – lazily did not look it up before coming here.
[Strange how cricketing events turn out, not a rabid fan of the Aussie cricket team, but the early shellacking by the English obviously generated the correct result for them. 🙂 ]
brucew@aus

#37 - Sun 21st Nov 21, 17:44

Some further research on 20d, has Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a famous Japanese actor, played the role of The Baron in the 2005 film, “Memoirs of a Geisha” – giving the clue that little extra depth.

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