Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 8, 2022
For the first time, this blog is scheduled to appear at midnight on the Friday following the puzzle’s publication.
My first-in was the very easy 5a (PICADOR) and I ended with 15 (IN SPADES). My favourites are 4 (MESCALINE) and 6 (CARY GRANT).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BUCKRAM |
Coarse cloth made from deer and sheep (7)
|
| BUCK (deer) + RAM (sheep) | ||
| 5 | PICADOR |
Bullfighter: say which exit you will take? (7)
|
| Homophone (say) of “pick a door” | ||
| 9 | TENON |
Joint where group does a turn (5)
|
| NONET (group) backwards (does a turn) | ||
| 10 | SWEARWORD |
Carry cutting blade for offender, perhaps? (9)
|
| WEAR (carry) in (cutting) SWORD (blade) | ||
| 11 | EXEMPLARY |
Failing exam, reply perfect (9)
|
| Anagram (failing) of EXAM REPLY | ||
| 12 | GEESE |
Birds in my snare, gutted (5)
|
| GEE (my) + S[nar]E | ||
| 13 | GIFT |
Present leader in Guardian and two other newspapers (4)
|
| G[uardian] + I FT (two other newspapers) | ||
| 15 | IN SPADES |
Where contract may be made without restraint (2,6)
|
| Double definition with the first referring to bridge | ||
| 18 | CLUELESS |
Dopey – unlike this crossword? (8)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | TOGA |
Old wrapper stuffed in handbag, otherwise lying around (4)
|
| Reverse (lying around) hidden word (stuffed in) | ||
| 22 | NIGHT |
Dark approaching, end of light (5)
|
| NIGH (approaching) + [ligh]T | ||
| 24 | CHARACTER |
Letter: short one tucked inside document (9)
|
| AC[e] (short one) in (tucked inside) CHARTER (document) | ||
| 26 | PROMOTION |
Publicity for movement (9)
|
| PRO (for) + MOTION (movement) | ||
| 27 | OZONE |
Gas with antipodean cardinal? (5)
|
| OZ (antipodean) + ONE (cardinal) | ||
| 28 | PATTERN |
Mentioned, general design (7)
|
| Homophone (mentioned) of “Patton” (general) | ||
| 29 | DEFLECT |
Learner in error, create a diversion? (7)
|
| L (learner) in (in) DEFECT (error) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BITTER |
Difficult to accept alcoholic drink (6)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 2 | CONGENIAL |
Nice line, conga dancing (9)
|
| Anagram (dancing) of LINE CONGA | ||
| 3 | RUNUP |
Approach fly in the sky? (5)
|
| RUN (fly) + UP (in the sky) | ||
| 4 | MESCALINE |
Since male abroad, what might be reason for trip? (9)
|
| Anagram (abroad) of SINCE MALE | ||
| 5 | PIETY |
Shame about English reverence (5)
|
| E (English) in (about) PITY (shame) | ||
| 6 | CARY GRANT |
Golf vehicle transporting terribly angry old player (4,5)
|
| Anagram (terribly) of ANGRY in (transporting) CART (golf vehicle) | ||
| 7 | DRONE |
Doctor on drug, person doing tedious work (5)
|
| DR (doctor) + ON (on) + E (drug) | ||
| 8 | REDDER |
More rosy, however you look at it? (6)
|
| Palindrome | ||
| 14 | TWENTY-ONE |
Number left that goes into ten, almost (6-3)
|
| WENT (left) + YON (that) in (goes into) TE[n] | ||
| 16 | SUSTAINED |
Variable used isn’t divided by a constant (9)
|
| A (a) in (divided by) anagram (variable) of USED ISNT | ||
| 17 | EIGHTSOME |
Reel in headless fish to me, eg when swimming (9)
|
| Anagram (when swimming) of [f]ISH TO ME EG. An eightsome (or an eightsome reel) is a Scottish dance for eight people. | ||
| 20 | SNAP UP |
Buy children’s game, happy (4,2)
|
| SNAP (children’s game) + UP (happy) | ||
| 21 | URGENT |
Pressing trousers, nearly everything getting rumpled up, initially pushed the wrong way (6)
|
| T[rousers] N[early] E[verything] G[etting] R[umpled] U[p] backwards (pushed the wrong way) | ||
| 23 | GHOST |
Spirit army’s shown after grief at the front (5)
|
| G[rief] + HOST (army) | ||
| 24 | CAIRN |
Accessing container, Irish terrier (5)
|
| IR (Irish) in (accessing) CAN (container) | ||
| 25 | ALOOF |
Cold potato and starter of fish (5)
|
| ALOO (potato) + F[ish] |
Thank you for the change in date and time. Your posting at midnight on the Friday following the puzzle’s publication is perfect, coinciding with the publication of the new Saturday puzzle.
Thanks Mudd for another solid crossword. I liked the simple GIFT, MESCALINE, and URGENT. I wasn’t sure if RUNUP was a single word but nothing else would do. Thanks Pete for the prompt and timely blog.
Thanks for he blog and the timing is perfect for me. Very different style to Paul in the Guardian, I did both last week and hard to believe it is the same setter. Very concise clues mainly and all single entries.
I agree MESCALINE was good and perhaps hinting at Under The Volcano.
An EIGHTSOME reel is also a type of crossword invented by Azed.
Ditto on timing
I started with 1a; then 5a; then 2,3 &4. I write this only because 1d was my LOI.
Unable to parse 14 or 24, I think I see a weakness around shortened words.
TENON is not a joint. It is one part of a joint. It would be a bit like calling the tibia a joint because it is part of the knee.
Agree with all stated favourites. I add PIETY for its surface
Thanks Pete and Mudd
Thanks for the blog and timing change Pete.
But shame on me for not noticing. When I didn’t see it yesterday I have just gone looking this morning. Big oops there.
The crossword itself? Enjoyed it as usual but did wonder if RUNUP was one, two or hyphenated. I was also amused by 5d and 16d taken in tandem, not to mention 11 & 12. I always look for things like that.
And thanks for the fun Mudd.