Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 20, 2021
I enjoyed this Mudd with, as often, several good double definitions. My favourites are 4 (LIP READER), 9 (EGRET) and 17 (MULTITASK).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CAPITAL |
Great big character (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | BUCKLED |
Money went first – broke! (7)
|
| BUCK (money) + LED (went first) | ||
| 9 | EGRET |
Bird ends in cage, longing for the past (5)
|
| [cag]E [longin]G [fo]R [th]E [pas]T. I note that “longing for the past” brings rEGRET to mind (while not exactly defining it). | ||
| 10 | POKER FACE |
Work for peace to impress leader in kaiser, seeing inscrutable expression (5,4)
|
| K[aiser] in (to impress) of anagram (work) of FOR PEACE | ||
| 11 | SMALL BEER |
Virtually nothing – a half? (5,4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 12 |
Communication from Anatolia, message to the west (5)
|
|
| Reverse (to the west) hidden word (from) | ||
| 13 | LIMB |
Member in state of uncertainty, briefly (4)
|
| LIMB[o] (state of uncertainly, briefly) | ||
| 15 | DOWNTIME |
Issue rejected after miserable break (8)
|
| DOWN (miserable) + EMIT (issue) backwards (rejected) | ||
| 18 | LEONARDO |
Painter: old one’s recollection about retired artist (8)
|
| RA (artist) backwards (retired) in (about) anagram (‘s recollection) of OLD ONE | ||
| 19 | ROLE |
Part of Prospero, leading part (4)
|
| Hidden word (part) | ||
| 22 | PUT UP |
Build – from either side? (3,2)
|
| Palindrome | ||
| 24 | TEST DRIVE |
Initial spin in action for batsman at Lord’s? (4,5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 26 | ESPERANTO |
Opera sent for translation – that’s rarely understood (9)
|
| Anagram (for translation) of OPERA SENT. I would have been hard pressed to get this from the definition alone. | ||
| 27 | TRAIL |
Track back around start of route (5)
|
| R[oute] in (around) TAIL (back) | ||
| 28 | LARGELY |
Gallery undergoing refurbishment, to a great extent (7)
|
| Anagram (undergoing refurbishment) of GALLERY | ||
| 29 | KNOCKER |
Rapper one criticises (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CHEESE |
Word uttered by shooter in Lancashire, say? (6)
|
| Double definition with the first referring to a photographer | ||
| 2 | PERVASIVE |
Common for each vessel to carry four (9)
|
| PER (for each) + IV (four) in (to carry) VASE (vessel) | ||
| 3 | TOTAL |
Complete collection of books in short story (5)
|
| OT (collection of books, i.e. the Old Testament) in (in) TAL[e] (short story) | ||
| 4 | LIP READER |
One observing what’s said by Irish across page in important article (3,6)
|
| P (page) in (across) IR (Irish) in (in) LEADER (important article) | ||
| 5 | BAKER |
Cook not half keen to open pub (5)
|
| KE[en] in (to open) BAR (pub) | ||
| 6 | CARPENTER |
Fish key for chippy (9)
|
| CARP (fish) + ENTER (key). ‘Chippy’ is a British slang word for a carpenter. | ||
| 7 | LLAMA |
Beast in the Andes before noon, everyone’s seen climbing (5)
|
| AM (before noon) + ALL (everyone) backwards (seen climbing) | ||
| 8 | DEEPLY |
Work under river – far down? (6)
|
| DEE (river) + PLY (work) | ||
| 14 | BONAPARTE |
Old leader getting on a bit, virtually bedbound? (9)
|
| ON A PART (on a bit) in (bound) BE[d] | ||
| 16 | WOODSTOCK |
Supply of logs for festival (9)
|
| WOOD STOCK (supply of logs) | ||
| 17 | MULTITASK |
Must I talk about work while doing other chores? (9)
|
| Anagram (about) of MUST I TALK | ||
| 20 | APPEAL |
Eton’s principal in shock, seeing petition (6)
|
| E[ton] in (in) APPAL (shock) | ||
| 21 | FELLER |
Bloke, one downing a plane perhaps? (6)
|
| Double definition with the second referring to a plane tree | ||
| 23 | TAPER |
Standing on stool in field, get to the point? (5)
|
| RE (on) + PAT (stool in field, as in cowpat) all backwards (standing) | ||
| 24 | TINNY |
Minute to gulp new Aussie beer (5)
|
| N (new) in (to gulp) TINY (minute). ‘Tinny’ is Australian slang for a tube of beer. | ||
| 25 | DITTO |
Flipping ridiculous reptilian brain – you can say that again! (5)
|
| OTT (ridiculous, i.e. over the top) + ID (reptilian brain) |
CHEESE and CARPENTER were my favourites in this steady solve from Mudd. I remember struggling with 2d and now I see why: I had PORTATIVE which, naturally, I couldn’t fully parse. PERVASIVE looks so clear in retrospect, I don’t know why I couldn’t see it.
Other than that, this was completed without aids but I needed Pete’s guidance to grasp ‘pat’ in TAPER and ‘id’ in DITTO.
Thanks to Mudd and Pete.
Thanks to both for this enjoyable little diversion and explanations.
I see there are a number of double letters in the down answers. Only TAPER and BAKER do not have some sort of repeat.
LIP READER also raised a smile and I needed all the crossers to get ESPERANTO.
Thanks for the blog, I did not know the ID was called reptilian but it does make sense being primitive.
I thought BONAPARTE was cleverly done as were most clues, agree about ESPERANTO, the definition does not exactly give much away.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Was able to do this one throughout the course of the day today. What I enjoy about this setter, is that there is nothing that is particularly hard, but there is still a lot of stop and think moments required to work your way through the clues. A case in point is TEST DRIVE, where there is the ‘spin’ definition and needing to know that Lord’s is where a TEST batsman might hit a DRIVE – all put together with a great cricketing surface. Also enjoyed putting together PERVASIVE and BONAPARTE. TAPER was one that was easy enough to get form definition, but it took a little while to work how.
Finished in the NW corner with BONAPARTE, EGRET (as Pete says with a surface that nearly leads to REGRET) and CHEESE (tricky first definition and the second one that had me originally thinking about looking for a town).
Thanks Mudd for a pleasant crossword. Looking at my copy it doesn’t look like I had any problems or questions; I did have a number of ticks for favourites including POKER FACE, PUT UP, LEONARDO, ESPERANTO (good surface), and APPEAL. Thanks Pete as always.
Stuck on NW corner.