Financial Times 17,420 by Julius

13 comments on “Financial Times 17,420 by Julius”

1. Thanks Pete

   I think I threw my copy away accidentally, so I am going on memory.

   I was on the same wavelength as the setter this week. I got through it in good time, enjoying both the theme and several of the clues along the way. I remember looking askance at the clue for APPROX, but I do not remember whether I worked out a better way to parse it. I agree with your favourites, and add HINDMOST for its clever spoonerism.

   Thanks to you again, and thanks Julius

2. What a load of ABSOLUTE RUBBISH from Julius, in the best possible way, that is! As I began the grid in the middle, the theme was quickly apparent.
   Of all the references to the theme, BUNKUM was a favourite for the wonderfully pungent ‘codswallop’ but COBBLERS was a close second.
   Finished in the SW with PIFFLE. Only regret was that there no poppycock!
   Great fun as always. Thanks to Julius and Pete

3. Ah yes, Pete. I see what you and Martyn mean about APPROX. I’ve thrown away the paper so I don’t have my scribbles but I remember thinking PR at the time but PRO for ‘spin doctor’ seems strange, doesn’t it?

4. Thanks Julius for another fine example of crossword setting. I had a few problems and many favourites. I could not parse ODESSA, I could not solve COBBLERS (when there’s a DD and you don’t know either of them you’re up a creek), and I failed with APPROX. I liked RUBBISH, KIMONO, VERIFIED, ASK (loved its simplicity), TOTAL ROT, and DRIVEL. I also noted that the two far left down clues taken together read COMPLETE DRIVEL, an announcement of the theme. Thanks Pete for the blog.

5. Thanks, Julius and Pete Maclean!
   Enjoyed the puzzle and the blog.

   APPROX
   ‘PRO (Public Relations Officer)=spin doctor’ seems fine to me. I think it has been used before.

6. Yes, KVa, I’d go along with Public Relations Officer.

7. Yes. PR is just spin. PRO is spin doctor.
   Morecambe & Wise – “What do you think of it so far?” – “RUBBISH”
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3ot1HjCRdg
   (It’s a two second clip)

8. Thanks for the blog and KVa for PRO and Tony for the COMPLETE DRIVEL.
   Very enjoyable puzzle , great theme used neatly throughout.
   COBBLERS , I did not know the drink , I know it as a pudding but most famously from Albert Steptoe.
   For VERIFIED I had swirling blaze as FIRE backwards, otherwise it is a very indirect anagram.
   Frankie@7 I never click on links but I suspect that Eric is saying RUGGISH , he woud often use props as a ventriloquist’s dummy.

9. VERIFIED
   I agree with your parsing Roz@8.

10. Always guaranteed some laughs with Julius. The biggest one for me here was when I twigged the theme. Great fun puzzle. I’m with KVa @5 on PRO.

    Thanks, Julius and Pete.

11. The problem with commenting on a crossword that was fairly straightforward a week later is it’s difficult to remember much. I loved the theme, and also failed to parse ODESSA, but I find those clues where I have to take letters off (or add on as a reverse engineering exercise) the most difficult to see.

    Thank you to Julius and Pete Maclean.

12. I can’t think of anything rubbish-y to say, so I’ll just say Julius is a favourite of mine and thanks! {And for a bonus puzzle from another of our FT favourites, I recommend the Jumbo for the holiday weekend, not available on the app but by following the FT link on this site.}

13. 2d reminded me of a favourite moment from watching motor racing on TV. After a driver offered a totally implausible excuse for an accident that was clearly his fault, Martin Brundle commented: “I suppose you’re allowed to talk cobblers if your name is Schumacher ” (Ralf, not Michael, in that instance )

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