Moo delivers a spot on Monday puzzle. Plenty to like but some favourites include 1a, 5a, 9a and 18a. Many thanks to Moo.
ACROSS
1. Grim days with British gone: such a loss! (7)
LEAKAGE
[b]LEAK AGE (grim days with B (British) gone)
5. Hit the roof, bath covered in blood (2,5)
GO SPARE
SPA (bath) covered in GORE (blood)
9. Old married couple sitting outside cathedral (5)
DUOMO
O (old) + M (married); DUO (couple, sitting outside)
10. Successful slimmers do this a lot (9)
SHEDLOADS
SHED LOADS (cryptic definition)
11. New editor’s in muddle (9)
DISORIENT
12. Very pale, like bride-to-be (5)
ASHEN
AS HEN (like bride-to-be)
13. FBI troubled by last of Boris’s deceptions (4)
FIBS
(FBI)* (*troubled) by [Bori]S (last of)
15. Singer, half-naked with unruly hair (8)
NUTHATCH
NU[de] (half-naked) + THATCH (unruly hair)
18. Where you might find A. Partridge? (4,4)
PEAR TREE
19. Bet knocked back? I’m fuming! (4)
ETNA
ANTE< (bet, <knocked back)
22. Pub has attractive quality, don’t you think? (5)
INNIT
INN (pub) has IT (attractive quality)
24. Commission writer one sees occasionally (9)
AUTHORISE
AUTHOR (writer) + I (one) + S[e]E[s] (occasionally)
26. Arab cried pitifully in bar (9)
BARRICADE
(ARAB CRIED)* (*pitifully)
27. Hound a chap of royal blood (5)
HARRY
28. Drink? Doctor will have anything (7)
DRAUGHT
DR (doctor) will have AUGHT (anything)
29. Neither will dance in that place (7)
THEREIN
DOWN
1. Camilla did appear a little snooty (2- 2-2)
LADIDA
[Camil]LA DID A[ppear] (a little)
2. Setter’s existence? It’s not much fun (1,4,4)
A DOG’S LIFE
3. Lover needing protection runs away (5)
AMOUR
A[r]MOUR (protection, R (runs) away)
4. Chap from the orient giving E to head of state? (9)
EASTERNER
Giving E (Eastern) to ER (head of state)
5. Reportedly took a stab at visitor (5)
GUEST
“GUESSED” (took a stab at, “reportedly”)
6. Late aunts perished in Muslim land (9)
SULTANATE
(LATE AUNTS)* (*perished)
7. A party engendering shame (5)
ABASH
8. Moderation at an end – 100 banished (6)
EASING
[c]EASING (at an end, C (100) banished)
14. A foregone conclusion? Absolutely (4,5)
SURE THING
16. Discussion of psychotherapy perhaps (9)
TREATMENT
17. Coercing European to become a caretaker (9)
CONCIERGE
(COERCING + E (European))* (*to become)
20. A sailor’s two wrongs (6)
SINBAD
21. Heartbroken Yank embracing Masai woman? (6)
KENYAN
[Heartbro]KEN YAN[k] (embracing)
23. Opera that’s just like the others? Not quite (5)
NORMA
NORMA[l] (just like the others, not quite)
24. Modify Moscow agreement in right context (5)
ADAPT
DA (Moscow agreement: i.e. “yes” in Russian) in APT (right context)
25. Dull job shifting old paint (5)
OCHRE
CHORE (dull job) shifting O (old)
Very good fun! To Teacow’s favourites, I’ll add 1d, 10a and 20d. Thanks, Moo and Teacow.
Quite agree with above. One of the most entertaining puzzles for some time. Did not need the blog to help parse any clue.
Thanks to both for an excellent start to the week.
Thanks Moo and Teacow
2dn: I would describe this as (something like) “Literal and idiomatic meanings of the answer.” As illustrated here, this is often a good way of cluing phrases.
I thought of “shed loads” but considering it to be two words (4,5) so, did not enter it.
Thanks for the blog, a lot to like here. I will just add NUTHATCH to the ones mentioned, loved the clue.
john@4, I was not familiar with the term SHEDLOADS. In my (obviously disreputable) circle, the third and fourth letters are different. 🙂
Thanks Moo and Teacow (what a nice juxtaposition) for the excellent puzzle and blog. I liked how EASTERNER and DISORIENT crossed.
Where is the solution to Financial Times 17047? Thanks in advance.
Harry @7
We have been keeping to the former ‘prize’ puzzle schedule, for when/if it returns, so the blog of FT 17,047 will be published on 31/3/22.
Gaufrid @8
Thanks for the clarification.
Gaufrid @8: by now I think pigs may fly before the prize returns (although you may have inside information to the contrary) so suggest you embrace reality and publish the blog the day of the puzzle. By the time the former prize blog comes out I have usually forgotten the nuances of the puzzle and don’t bother reading it unless I was stumped in parsing a particularly clue. If/when the prize returns, you can easily revert to the former schedule. Thanks.
Nuthatch? Wtf is that? What a bad clue.
Thanks Moo and Teacow
Cleaning up some old ones and a rather straightforward but enjoyable puzzle with a good variety of clue devices throughout. Particularly liked the double definitions – TREATMENT was clever. Was not able to parse EASTERNER and then head slapped as I saw the simplicity of it here.
HARRY was probably my pick of the day along with GO SPARE and INNIT.
Finished in the SE corner with KENYAN (cleverly disguised hidden clue), ADAPT and AUTHORISE the last few in.
Janet@11 – if you ever come back looking, a NUTHATCH is a songbird, hence singer. What an interesting way to telegraph one’s ignorance – but we’re all here to learn !