Financial Times 17,102 by FALCON

by

Some days, you just want a write-in…

..and that’s what we have here where, for me anyway, the pen never paused.

As I say, sometimes it’s just fun to get a rhythm going and I enjoyed this on that level.

Thanks, Falcon.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1 STORM SURGE
More gusts at sea around middle of March, a coastal danger (5,5)

Anagram (‘at sea’) of MORE GUSTS around centre of ‘maRch’.
6 VIEW
Struggle with scene (4)

VIE + W[ith].
9 GUARDHOUSE
A drug bust – hold prisoners here? (10)

Anagram (‘bust’) of A DRUG + HOUSE (to ‘hold’).
10 STIR
Commotion starts in shanty town in Rio (4)

1st letters of last 4 words.
12 SISTERS-IN-LAW
Relatives caught sight of crossing awfully sinister lake (7-2-3)

SAW (‘caught sight of’) around anagram (‘awfully’) of SINISTER + L[ake].
15 DEATHTRAP
Curtains, net, something most unsafe (9)

DEATH (‘curtains’, colloquially) + TRAP (to ‘net’).
17 CAROL
Song about a character losing love at the end (5)

C[irca] (‘about’) + A + ROLe (‘character’) minus last of ‘thE’.
18 ODIUM
Intense dislike of element having leader dismissed (5)

sODIUM.
19 ON BALANCE
Working with composure, taking everything into consideration (2,7)

ON (‘working’ + BALANCE (‘composure’).
20 PRESS RELEASE
Official statement made by journalists set free (5,7)

PRESS (‘journalists’) + RELEASE (‘set free’).
24 OATH
Solemn promise from Filipino at hearing (4)

Hidden in ‘filipinO AT Hearing’.
25 LEGITIMATE
To flee with current partner is warranted (10)

LEG IT (to ‘flee’) + I (symbol for ‘current’) + MATE (‘partner’).
26 FADE
A deficiency, primarily in iron, may cause one to lose strength (4)

A + 1st of ‘D{eficiency} in F.E (‘iron’).
27 STRATEGIST
Planner gets to hold craft back – is right, ultimately (10)

ART (‘craft’) in GETS, all reversed, + IS + last of ‘righT’.
DOWN
1 SAGE
Son, mature and wise (4)

S[on] + to AGE.
2 OPAL
Gemstone and ring mate wanted (4)

O (visually, a ‘ring’) + PAL (‘mate’).
3 MIDNIGHT MASS
Twelve gather for church ceremony (8,4)

12 MIDNIGHT + MASS (to ‘gather’).
4 U-BOAT
Submarine about to be destroyed (1-4)

Anagram (‘destroyed’) of ABOUT.
5 GASTROPUB
Smashing grub – spot a place for that and a drink? (9)

Anagram (‘smashing’) of GRUB SPOT.
7 INTOLERANT
Impatient at home, the Parisian managed to feed toddler (10)

IN (‘at home’) then TO.T (‘toddler’) surrounds LE (Fr. ‘the’) + RAN (‘managed’).
8 WEREWOLVES
Mythical creatures – we wore out sprites devoid of energy (10)

Anagram (‘out’) of WE WORE + eLVES (‘sprites’) minus E[nergy].
11 LINCOLNSHIRE
County, nicer with no hills anyway (12)

Anagram (‘any way’) of NICER and NO HILLS.
13 IDIOT-PROOF
Incapable of going wrong? Poor do if it exploded! (5-5)

Anagram (‘exploded’) of POOR DO IF IT.
14 MANIFESTED
Revealed policy declaration abridged by editor (10)

MANIFESTo (‘policy document’), shortened, + ED[itor].
16 ROOSEVELT
A president’s lot, ever so complicated (9)

Anagram (‘complicated’) of LOT EVER SO.
21 EVITA
Show Greek character boxing against one (5)

E.TA (‘Gr. character’) boxes V[ersus] 1.
22 MAGI
Mostly charming, ancient priests (4)

MAGIc = most of ‘charming’.
23 FELT
Ran one’s hands over a soft fabric (4)

Double definition.

12 comments on “Financial Times 17,102 by FALCON”

  1. I agree, Grant. For me too, this enjoyably creative offering from Falcon slipped down rather nicely (and in no particular order) from first – UBOAT – to last – WEREWOLVES.
    11d’s apt surface was very clever and probably my favourite, though 15a was close. 25 and 27 were fun to unravel and I liked the wordplay for 13 and 16 too.
    I needed to check in with this blog, though, having only half parsed 12 and 21. Many thanks to both setter and blogger.

  2. Thanks Falcon and Grant. Small correction to the parsing of 5dn: the anagram folder must be GRUB SPOT A.

  5. I agree that this was a relatively easy solve. My last one in was 3D. I had the MASS bit (church ceremony) but was stumped for a long while by “M-D-I-H-“. I thought that it had something to do with the twelve at the last supper. I guess it would be easier for those raised as Catholics!

  6. I enjoyed this not overly difficult puzzle until coming to 22d. I had the A and I crossers, but the answer for the ‘ancient priests’ just wouldn’t come. I couldn’t face an alphabet trawl and bunged in “vati”, vaguely remembering “vatic” and thinking it might mean ‘charming’; wrong on both counts.

    I thought LINCOLNSHIRE was excellent.

    Thanks to Grant and Falcon

  7. My goodness, that was easy. Done in ten minutes. But I’m not complaining — it was most enjoyable. 25a was my favourite. We don’t have gastropubs in Australia — is it a pub that gives you gastro (the runs)?

  8. Thanks Falcon and Grant
    Was another who was able to complete this one quite quickly – but it showed again that a puzzle doesn’t have to be particularly difficult to be really enjoyable. The anagrams were the highlight for me with them cleverly interwoven into the fabric of the clue’s surface – 5d and 16d in particular. Thought that 20a and 3d were other clues that were cleverly constructed.
    Finished down the bottom with MAGI (another clever clue), FADE and LEGITIMATE.

  9. Four years ago I began my journey in solving the FT crosswords. I always looked forward to Falcon because at least I could solve most of his clues as a beginner. This brought back those memories. Now I would rather attempt a Julius alphabetical or a Gozo where thematic definitions are missing but Monk and Io are still beyond my abilities. I guess it’s good having such a wide range. Thanks to both.

  10. Most enjoyable; the only downside was that it was over too quickly.
    Our favourite was IDIOT-PROOF for its apt surface. We also liked 18ac which put us in mind of the notable clerihew:
    . Sir Humphrey Davy
    . abominated gravy;
    . he lived in the odium
    . of having discovered sodium.
    Thanks, Falcon and Grant.

  11. Great fun, thanks both.
    Grant, I agree with KVa@4. The “E” is from the end of lovE and not from “the”.

  12. Thanks for the blog , a lot of good clues here. I agree with Diane@1 for LINCOLNSHIRE , it is very flat.

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