Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 9, 2022
I found this to be tough! My first-in was 12 and I finished with 25. Favourites are 2 (TENON SAW) for its surface, 4 (AMPHIBIA) for its “either of two countries” and 9 (OINKED).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MUTATE |
When expected, corporation brought about change (6)
|
| ETA (when expected, i.e. estimated time of arrival) + TUM (corporation) all backwards (brought about) | ||
| 4 | AMPHIBIA |
Greek character in either of two countries, heading off salamanders, say? (8)
|
| PHI (Greek character) in (in) [g]AMBIA -or- [z]AMBIA | ||
| 9 | OINKED |
Something on pages in dictionary sounded as if coming from pen? (6)
|
| INK (something on paper) in OED (dictionary) | ||
| 10 | DRAWBACK |
Obstacle in hospital room, it’s inferred? (8)
|
| WARD (hospital room) backwards + BACK (it’s inferred). I am unsure just how to explain this but I think it works. | ||
| 12 | LYNX |
Feline relationships mentioned? (4)
|
| Homophones (mentioned) of LINKS | ||
| 13 | SHALLOW END |
Where it’s possible to stand forward, gathering praise (7,3)
|
| HALLOW (praise) in (gathering) SEND (forward) | ||
| 15 | SPACE STATION |
—– locate satellite (5,7)
|
| SPACE (—–) + STATION (locate) | ||
| 18 | STRIPPED DOWN |
Exposed and miserable, in bits (8,4)
|
| STRIPPED (exposed) + DOWN (miserable) | ||
| 21 | WINDOW SEAT |
Flying, we sit down having bagged a place nearest the wing? (6,4)
|
| A (a) in (having bagged) anagram (flying) of WE SIT DOWN | ||
| 22 | KNOW |
Recognise wobbly wheels, back end gone (4)
|
| WONK[y] (wobbly back end gone) backwards (wheels) | ||
| 24 | OVERLEAF |
Reveal changes in government department after U-turn on the other side (8)
|
| Anagram (changes) of REVEAL in (in) FO (government departnent, i.e. Foreign Office) backwards (after U-turn) | ||
| 25 | METIER |
Line, row next to me (6)
|
| ME (me) + TIER (row) with definition as in “What’s My Line?” | ||
| 26 | HONEYDEW |
Sweetheart expected soon articulated something fruity? (8)
|
| HONEY (sweetheart) + DEW (homophone of “due”) | ||
| 27 | MADE UP |
Reconciled, very happy (4,2)
|
| Double definition. I had to ask for help with this one because “reconciled” made a fine definition but I could not make sense of the rest either as a double definition or a charade. I learned that in certain parts of the UK (Liverpool?) “made up” is used colloquially to mean very happy. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MOONLESS |
Dark apparition ultimately enters like silent cattle? (8)
|
| [apparitio]N in (enters) MOOLESS (like silent cattle) | ||
| 2 | TENON SAW |
One wasn’t at sea in cutter (5,3)
|
| Anagram (at sea) of ONE WASNT | ||
| 3 | TWEE |
Sweet message curtailed (4)
|
| TWEE[t] (message curtailed) | ||
| 5 | MORALITY PLAY |
Love partially skewed in this writer’s dramatic work (8,4)
|
| O (love) + anagram (skewed) of PARTIALLY in (in) MY (this writer’s) | ||
| 6 | HOW-DO-YOU-DO |
Spot opening words? (3-2-3- 2)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | BLAZER |
A very hot jacket? (6)
|
| Double/cryptic definition | ||
| 8 | AIKIDO |
Child who’s top of the class gets nothing for sport (6)
|
| AI KID (child who’s top of the class) + O (nothing) | ||
| 11 | WHATSITSNAME |
I can’t recall its description: case of amnesia dismissed, was that, wrongly? (12)
|
| Anagrem (wrongly) of [a]MNESI[a] WAS THAT | ||
| 14 | TEA TROLLEY |
Have bread, however sandwiches served up – on this? (3,7)
|
| EAT ROLL (have bread) in (sandwiches) YET (however) backwards (served up) | ||
| 16 | HORNPIPE |
Steps taken with pair of instruments (8)
|
| HORN (one instrument) + PIPE (a second instrument) | ||
| 17 | SNOWDROP |
Spring flower, evidence of winter and fall (8)
|
| SNOW (evidence of winter) + DROP (fall) | ||
| 19 | SWOOSH |
Rush like that towards the top in extraordinary show (6)
|
| SO (like that) backwards (towards the top) in (in) anagram (extraordinary) of SHOW. Do we like “towards the top” as a reversal indicator? | ||
| 20 | INTERN |
US student at work on flier (6)
|
| IN (at work on) + TERN (flier) | ||
| 23 | HERA |
Heavenly queen in godmother, apparently (4)
|
| Hidden word (in) |
Yes, I also found this tough but in different ways from Pete as my FOI was actually MADE UP (used in this sense in the Midlands, at any rate).
The last was, MUTATE, which I parsed eventually after much brow-wrinkling.
I liked the crossing of the farmyard-derived MOONLESS and OINKED (good definition), SHALLOW END (sly surface), METIER, HOW-DO-YOU-DO (definition) and AMPHIBIA.
But I entered a number unparsed including OVERLEAF, MORALITY PLAY (failed to spot the anagram) and TEA TROLLEY. I puzzled unnecessarily over those five dashes in SPACE STATION too thinking of Morse code! I parsed DRAWBACK as did Pete though SWOOSH didn’t bother me unduly.
Thanks to Mudd for keeping us on our toes and Pete for a well-considered blog.
Thanks for explaining MADE UP, for which the ‘very happy’ bit made no sense to me. Otherwise everything eventually parsed, though this was a bit of a struggle. I agree with the tough ones as mentioned by Diane @1, to which I would add AIKIDO.
My parsing of 10a is probably the same as yours, but I saw it as a reverse anagram, with ‘Obstacle’ as the def and ‘in hospital room, it’s inferred?’ (= WARD = DRAW BACK) as wordplay.
Thanks to Mudd (a bit more “Pauline” for this one) and Pete
Thanks Mudd for another excellent crossword with my top choices being MUTATE, DRAWBACK, WINDOW SEAT (great surface), HONEYDEW, MOONLESS, and MORALITY PLAY. This had the right amount of difficulty for a weekend puzzle without being impenetrable like Paul often seems to be for me. Thaks Pete for the blog — I couldn’t have parsed KNOW in a thousand years.
Well done Pete!
This definitely needed thought than usual. I am pleased you could untangle it all as I had a few bung and hope answers.
I agree with WP@2 regarding DRAWBACK – it took me ages to get it. I had to check MADE UP before I was happy with it too.
Thanks for the challenge Mudd. It was.
This took me a little longer than usual for a Mudd, even if blazer would not have been out of place in the Guardian quick.
Made up was also a write in for me. Is it regional? It’s a phrase I use occasionally and that would include at home in Derbyshire and at work with Leeds or London colleagues. “Made up for you” is perhaps the most common usage?
Thanks for the blog, I also thought this was more like Paul from the Guardian .
I agree with Diane@1 about MADE UP in the Midlands , it is still frequently used in the NW of England these days.
For SWOOSH I am quite happy with towards the top for SO , in fact for a Down clue I think it is better than most reversal indicators.
Numerous good clues here, many mentioned above so I will not repeat.
It struck me too that this puzzle was more like a Paul than a Mudd.
I have probably done more Paul crosswords than any other setter, I remember his first in the Guardian and have done every one since then . He usually tones it down a bit for Mudd, lots of double definitions and cryptic definitions, not so many this time.
What happened? As noted this was not the usual Mudd and it was a tough one. In the end I solved the puzzle but needed help to parse quite a few clues.
It did not help to have obscure words for a couple of the double definitions. MADE UP has been noted, and HOW DO YOU DO was unknown to me too. I do not think of SPACE when I see —– . Dashes or spaces come to mind first. And there does not seem a way into DRAWBACK. I parsed it the same as Wordplodder but I am still not sure that “it’s inferred” really works.
There were several good clues too, all noted above so I will not go through them again.
Thanks Mudd for the puzzle and thanks Pete for excellent explanation
I have done only a few Pauls but I started doing John Halpern’s crosswords back when he started in the FT as Bats. That was many years ago. I may even have done his first Bats but cannot remember for sure.
So Mudd was once Bats ? Never seen that name but I have only done the FT for a few years. Paul is also more smutty in the Guardian, quite renowned for it.
Hmm, seems I should try a few more Pauls!
The link on this site tells the story of when and why he changed his name from Bats to Mudd
Ah, this one certainly kept me on my toes, thanks Pete & Mudd!
I hadn’t seen corporation as a fat belly before; and I’m still not sure why ‘spot’ = how d’you do?
For “at work” my first guess is usually ON; has it changed to IN since we’re all working at home now?
Custard,
I think a bit of a ‘how-do-you-do’ is when you find yourself in a bit of a spot [of bother].