REDSHANK serves up a fun challenge in the FT to close the roller coaster of a year that 2021 has been!
FF: 9 DD: 9 ( A few unusual parses that I need to check online to confirm ). I think a couple of parses could possibly be improved upon.
I write this blog sitting in wintry yet beautiful San Diego, lucky enough to be on vacation even as new Omicron fears cripple travel plans globally. I do hope that for all of you who read this, 2021 is ending on a positive note. Wish you and your dear ones a very Happy New Year 2022. Its been absolute fun to be a part of this group ( setters, bloggers, solvers alike ) and I look forward to more of the same as we embark on our next trip around the sun.
Thanks to Geoff, in particular, for being the epitome of stewardship for this site.
ACROSS | ||
1 | UNCLAD |
Nice articles about carbon daughter uncovered (6)
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[ UN LA ( nice articles, nice referring to france ) around C ( carbon ) ] D ( daughter ) |
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4 | SCHMALTZ |
School cereal comes with variable mush (8)
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SCH ( school ) MALT ( cereal ) Z ( variable, algebraic notation ) |
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9 | GOETHE |
German writer leaves short article (6)
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GOEs ( leaves, short ) THE ( article ) |
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10 | ESCARGOT |
Parisian art consignment on time for food there (8)
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ES ( art, french , used as 'is' ) CARGO ( consignment ) T ( time ) – will remember the ES – ART equivalence for next time around |
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12 | ACNE |
Spots a traffic controller removing disc (4)
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A CoNE ( traffic controller, removing O – disc ) |
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13 | NO-NONSENSE |
Sober after nearly three numbers, notice Poles entering (2-8)
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NO NO No ( three numbers, nearly ) [ SEE ( notice ) containing NS (poles, North, South ) ] |
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15 | EYEWITNESSES |
They testify it’s seen running among English trees (12)
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[ ITS SEEN ]* in [ E ( english ) YEWS ( trees ) ] |
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18 | SELF PORTRAIT |
Start with profile possibly, egoistic one? (4-8)
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[ START PROFILE ]* ; profile on double duty |
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21 | ICONOCLAST |
Harmless Roman Catholics frustrated heretic (10)
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[ rOmaN CAThOLICS ( without the letters of HARM ) ]* – fantastic clue |
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22 | AGAR |
A scrap over main ingredient (4)
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A GAR ( scrap = RAG , reversed ) |
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24 | PLUMBING |
Doctor in commercial banking trade (8)
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[ MB ( doctor ) IN ] in ( indicated by 'banking') PLUG ( commercial ) |
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25 | GLUTEI |
Cheeky operators stick paper over first of these (6)
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reverse of [ GLUE ( stick ) I ( paper ) ] over T ( These, first letter ) |
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26 | TUESDAYS |
Early every week choose distraction on mobile? (8)
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TUES ( sounds like CHOOSE ) DAYS ( sounds like DAZE – distraction ) |
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27 | FAIRLY |
Rather clever tune’s introduced (6)
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AIR ( tune ) in FLY ( clever ) |
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DOWN | ||
1 | UPGRADED |
Promoted at uni, Greek put on missing centrepiece (8)
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UP ( uni ) GR ( greek ) [ ADdED ( put on, missing centre letter ) ] |
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2 | CLEANSER |
Soap, say, is inclined to bore church rector (8)
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LEANS ( is inclined ) in [ CE ( church ) R ( rector ) ] |
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3 | ACHE |
Long one impresses husband (4)
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ACE ( one ) containing H ( husband ) |
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5 | CUSTOMS HOUSE |
Shoppers initially haver in wet clearing centre (7,5)
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CUSTOM ( shoppers ) [ H ( Haver, initially ) in SOUSE ( wet ) ] |
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6 | MEANS TESTS |
Part of crown jewels lifting Spain’s asset ratings (5,5)
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naughty yet wickedly clever clue this; MAN'S TESTES ( crown jewels, with E – spain, moving up ) |
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7 | LEGEND |
Hero for one blocks advance (6)
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EG ( for one ) in LEND ( advance ) |
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8 | ZITHER |
Part of 12 on female’s instrument (6)
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ZIT ( part of 12, acne ) HER ( female's ) |
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11 | HORN OF PLENTY |
Oddly fancy north pole, new source of abundance (4,2,6)
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[ FNY ( FaNcY, oddly ) NORTH POLE ]* |
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14 | DIVE-BOMBED |
Joint failed, pounded from above (4- 6)
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DIVE ( joint ) BOMBED ( failed ) |
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16 | LAUGHTER |
Comic needs this line after broadcast (8)
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L ( line ) AUGHTER ( sounds like AFTER ) |
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17 | ETERNITY |
Like leaving eastern city, heading off for ever (8)
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EasTERN ( without AS – like ) cITY ( heading off, without first letter ) |
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19 | LIMPET |
One house member rented clothes – mine? (6)
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[ I ( one ) MP ( house member ) ] in LET ( rented ) – explosive device to bomb ships |
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20 | MODULE |
The game’s up in Middle East unit (6)
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reverse of LUDO ( game ) in ME ( Middle East ) |
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23 | PLEA |
Simple answer’s helping prayer (4)
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hidden in "simPLE Answer's.." |
Thanks for the blog and all the others this year, very grateful, happy 2022 to all I hope.
Perhaps this was my favourite puzzle of the whole year, will just highlight ICONOCLAST , GLUTEI and MEANS TESTS, astonishing clues.
Great puzzle, thanks to Redshank & Turbolegs. Loved the def for GLUTEI.
The eagle-eyed observer might spot that there is a gap in the serial numbers for the FT blogs. Since there’s no paper tomorrow due to the holiday, there are two in today’s year-end spesh; this one and a “random” jigsaw which is one of mine.
What a great end of year puzzle. Can’t remember ever enjoying a Redshank puzzle as much as this one. Struggled with several clues but they all eventually fell (a bit like yesterday’s Vlad). Favourites pretty well coincide with those of Roz.
@2 Rob/Julius, The numbers on the two appear to be backwards, but it was not hard to figure out which one looked like a Friday and which a Saturday. However, this means it is officially too soon to comment on 16,981. So my thanks to Redshank for a fine puzzle to end 2021 and to all who contribute to this wonderful site.
I am saving the jigsaw , they are my favourite. Like ub@4 I assume this is the “prize” and the blog will be much later.
@ub & Roz…ooh er; I’d never considered the “prize” concept, I suppose because it’s Friday, the FT hasn’t reinstated the award of a prize, and there’s no entry form on the puzzle.
This might need to go to VAR, Hawkeye, TMO or the third umpire ie Gaufrid!
Anyway, a very happy new year to everyone in this great community.
best wishes, Rob/Julius/Knut
Hi Julius,
Thanks for stopping by and apologies for the miss on the puzzle you had set. I didn’t notice that at all until I saw your comment here. I have published a blogpost for your grid – thanks for the treat. And Happy New Year to you as well.
Regards,
Mahesh / TL
Julius @6 I think Gaufrid only allows the blogs after the closing date for a prize. This was true even when prizes were not actually being offered . The FT blog for the “prize” puzzle has been Thursday for a long time with no actual prizes.
I agree totally with the first three comments – just adding ESCARGOT, ACNE and LAUGHTER to the favourites.
I, too, am saving the jigsaw until later but many thanks, Rob, in advance – a real treat in store, I’m sure.
Huge thanks, as ever, to Redshank and to Turbolegs – and warm wishes for 2022 to all here.
Thanks Redshank and Turbolegs
18ac: I think the definition here is just “egotistic one?” – the one means “portrait”, so no double duty.
Excellent way to finish – though perhaps not quite – the FT year. TUESDAYS was one of the best (= extremely iffy) homophones I’ve seen in a while and both MEANS TEST and the ‘Cheeky operators’ were great.
Thanks to Redshank and Turbolegs and a happy New Year to all
Thanks Redshank, Turbolegs. Super puzzle to finish the year, and I did the Julius earlier, another treat. Thanks Rob for that, etc.
HNY
Brilliant puzzle-this and Julius made for a great NYE
Thanks all
For some reason this took an overnight brain reset to finish. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, like all the others all year. I did need your explanations for a couple here Turbolegs, and thanks for all the blogs all year. Thanks for the puzzles Redshank.
The new year has dawned brilliantly here and I hope that is a portent for the rest of the year.
Correction to comment 10: In reference to the clue at 18ac, I should have said that “one” refers to “profile”.
Very late to this, just got round to it tonight while waiting for the bells.
Liked the crown jewels and the harmless RCs.
Had no problem with the homophone, it works perfectly for me, unlike NE for ANY from Buccaneer yesterday.
Happy New Year to everyone.
Too much partying means I’m late to this party but I’m in total agreement with the above comments re favourites, just adding SCHMALTZ and EYEWITNESSES.
I was afraid to consult the blog for fear of accidentally stumbling across answers to the Julius grid which I’m saving for tomorrow.
The quality of these puzzles just gets better and better. So thanks in particular to Redshank and to all setters in general who have provided such excellent entertainment throughout the year. The same goes to our trusty bloggers. Happy New Year to everyone here and may 2022 bring more captivating verbal jousts.
Thanks Redshank and Turbolegs
Maybe it was the Christmas / New Year cheer, but it took ages to get on to Redshank’s wavelength for this one – spread over a few days but did eventually get there in the end. Did parse all of them except for the humorous MEANS TEST – had most of the components (well at least I still have !!) but didn’t twig to the clever movement of the E.
Favourites pretty much in line with what’s been already noted above with many producing penny-dropping moments.
Finished in the SE corner with GLUTEI (cheeky !), the wonderfully hidden PLEA and LAUGHTER the last one in.
A belated Happy New Year to all and special thanks for all of your Friday blogs, Turbolegs !