NOTE: This puzzle was previously published as FT 17,464 and blogged by Teacow, and inadvertently republished and reblogged. See comments below, including one from the FT Crossword Editor.
A solid and seemingly straightforward puzzle today from Pedrock.
Please let me know if I missed anything.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | AVOWAL |
A letter said to have been used in acknowledgement (6)
|
| A + homophone of (said) VOWEL (letter) | ||
| 5 | MODERATE |
Fairly good way to rebuke (8)
|
| MODE (way) + RATE (rebuke) | ||
| 9 | ILL-TIMED |
Inappropriate that first person will accompany Timothy, leading journalist (3-5)
|
| I’LL (that first person will) + TIM. (Timothy) + ED. (journalist) | ||
| 10 | COBWEB |
Can horseflies be caught in it? (6)
|
| Cryptic definition, “cob” being a synonym of “horse,” although etymologically, apparently unrelated | ||
| 11 | DEBRIS |
Rubbish bride removed before first Saturday (6)
|
| Anagram of (removed) BRIDE + first [letter of] S[ATURDAY] | ||
| 12 | LOYALIST |
Patriot melting alloy first (8)
|
| Anagram of (melting) ALLOY + IST (first, i.e., “1st”) | ||
| 14 | HEART-TO-HEART |
Frank stirring rather hot tea (5-2-5)
|
| Anagram of (stirring) RATHER HOT TEA | ||
| 18 | MIDDLE TEMPLE |
Inn, central place of worship? (6,6)
|
| MIDDLE (central) + TEMPLE (place of worship), i.e., one of the Inns of Court in London | ||
| 22 | DIRECTOR |
I had backed minister, one on board (8)
|
| I’D (I had) reversed (backed) + RECTOR (minister), i.e., a corporate board | ||
| 25 | RECANT |
Engineers unable to withdraw (6)
|
| RE (engineers) + CAN’T (unable to) | ||
| 26 | GHETTO |
Said to obtain nothing from poor area (6)
|
| Homophone of (said) GET (to obtain) + O (nothing) | ||
| 27 | GRUESOME |
Horrible having become a bit taller, we hear (8)
|
| Homophone of (we hear) GREW SOME (having become a bit taller) | ||
| 28 | ADVANCED |
Lent moved forward (8)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 29 | ELDEST |
Senior withheld estimate that had been included (6)
|
| Hidden in (that had been included [in]) [WITHH]ELD EST[IMATE] | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | VALLEY |
It is higher either side of this depressed area (6)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 3 | WATERSHED |
Draw these round dividing line (9)
|
| Anagram of (round) DRAW THESE | ||
| 4 | LAMPSHADE |
Illuminating cover-up (9)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 5 | MUDFLAT |
Even soft wet earth cannot be seen at high tide (7)
|
| Cryptic definition and/or &lit and MUD (soft wet earth) + FLAT (even) | ||
| 6 | DECOY |
Edward brought up shy bird (5)
|
| ED (Edward) inverted (brought up) + COY (shy) | ||
| 7 | REBEL |
Some more belligerently resist authority (5)
|
| Hidden in (some) [MO]RE BEL[LIGERENTLY] | ||
| 8 | TREASURE |
Revised rate certain to produce wealth (8)
|
| Anagram of (revised) RATE + SURE (certain) | ||
| 13 | ASH |
A small hospital remains (3)
|
| A + S (small) + H (hospital) | ||
| 15 | OPPORTUNE |
Timely work quietly done on alternative melody (9)
|
| OP (work) + P (quietly done) + OR (alternative) + TUNE (melody) | ||
| 16 | EXERCISED |
Used drill with old Penny (9)
|
| EXERCISE (drill) + D (old penny) | ||
| 17 | FINISHED |
Polished all over (8)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | LAC |
Want most of the resin (3)
|
| LAC[K] (want) minus the final letter (“most of”) | ||
| 20 | ENRAGED |
Furious fit of madness in terminus (7)
|
| RAGE (fit of madness) inside (in) END (terminus) | ||
| 21 | ANIMUS |
Main trouble, American hostility (6)
|
| Anagram of (trouble) MAIN + US (American) | ||
| 23 | EXTRA |
Actor’s run without hitting the ball (5)
|
| Double definition, the latter from cricket | ||
| 24 | TRONC |
Ronald in court bringing up tips for waiters (5)
|
| RON (Ronald) inside (in) CT (court) inverted (bringing up) |
MIDDLE TEMPLE was the only one I was unable to parse. Never heard of Inns of Court in London. (Actually, on reflection, it might have been in a crossword some months ago, but well outside my memory span.)
So the clue for VALLEY is a cryptic definition? It must be too cryptic or too subtle for me. I didn’t think it was cryptic at all.
I don’t like “removed” or “round” as anagrinds.
Everything else fell into place and was quite enjoyable. Thanks Pedrock & Cineraria.
A speedy solve with no wrinkles. Remembered TRONC, my LOI, from a previous crossword, and it was straightforward to parse but I still wanted the crossers to be sure.
Agree with GDU in that I thought there must be some wordplay eluding me for VALLEY.
OPPORTUNE was my favourite.
Thanks to Pedrock and Cineraria.
On second thought, does GHETTO really work as a homophone? I’d say ‘get nothing/no/zero’ but probably not ‘get o’; maybe works in US English?
Diane, I assumed the homophone was just the first syllable.
Yes, Geoff, that reading is fine though I read it as both words…
This puzzle appeared in the FT only a few months ago.
Anyway, for those who didn’t solve it then, there should
be enough joy in solving it now.
Well spotted KVa. I found it easy and the previous incarnation must have stayed in my subconscious .
Do not know if the blogger was the same?
Teacow
Thanks KVa. I see I commented on 18ac last time.
How could the editor allow this repeat puzzle to happen? Just testing us?
I ripped through this in record time. My LOI was LAC, which I only got with both crossers (then remembered the word from a previous puzzle).
No parsing difficulties today, despite the large number of homophones which usually trip me up. Others raised questions about VALLEY. I just do not see how LAMPSHADE hangs together as a cryptic clue and wonder whether there is more to it.
Being a sucker for a good anagram, HEART TO HEART was a favourite and I smiled at FINISHED.
I do not remember this puzzle. After I post, will go and look at the earlier blog and see whether I did it…..
…. Thanks Pedrock and Cineraria
And, it turns out most of us did this puzzle before, including me. Interesting to see that the comments were almost identical second time around. It is good to see we are consistent at least.
A bad mistake by the editors, but good fun in hindsight
Well, that is embarrassing. I missed something after all. It was FT 17,464 published in July. I usually remember puzzles when I reencounter them (in compilations, for example), but nothing about this one was ringing any bells. Yet I have the completed grid for FT 17,464 in my FT file.
Had a strange feeling of déjà vu, especially over VALLEY & MUDFLAT, so searched the 15^2 archives and found https://www.fifteensquared.net/2023/07/10/financial-times-17464-by-pedrock/
This time TRONC wasn’t an nho jorum, so at least I’ve learnt something in the past four months.
Thanks C (but not P – you’ve already been thanked).
My apologies. The republication was an administrative oversight.
I will endeavour to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Thanks for your tolerance, and thanks for your support.
Roger Blitz,
FT crossword editor
I did not see this puzzle last time, so it was fresh for me today, but I will say thank you to Pedrock, Teacow, and Cineraria, and to Roger Blitz for the apology@14.
5dn (MUDFLAT): Perhaps I am still missing something here. I can see how “even” = FLAT and “soft wet earth” = MUD, but I cannot see any wordplay indicator to put the MUD before the FLAT.
PB@15: My original comments as written noted generally that some of the clues were “unconventional,” but I deleted that because it seemed rather an unfair assessment. The clues are certainly clear enough, even if perhaps some of them take some liberties with the strictest “rules” for cryptic clues.
Cineraria@16: Perhaps in comment 15 I should have said a bit more of what was in my mind. I have no problem at all with “even soft wet earth” as a (possibly cryptic) definition for the compound MUDFLAT (maybe as two words), in which case the whole clue works as a cryptic or double definition.
Thanks for popping by, Roger @14.
I made the same mistake as last time.
Limescale as 3D.
?
I thought it must be something to do with limelight (illumination) and scale in a kettle. (Cover up)
No, it didn’t make much sense to me either.
I wonder if Pedrock will be paid for a repeat appearance 😀
Really fun. Missed it the first time around so new to me. Never heard of tronc
I had only a vague recollection of being informed about Inns of Court here some months ago. Also a similarly vague recollection of TRONC, which I’d never encountered in real life (and probably never will). I’d hazard a guess that my vague recollections stemmed from having done this very puzzle before, but long enough ago for it to have been of little or no use.
Nice that the FT editor has apologised. There are places where errors frequently occur but apologies are never forthcoming.
Oh no! The very first FT cryptic I’ve managed to complete without checking or guessing squares only to be told I may have seen it before. Never mind it was an enjoyable puzzle. Mudflat took me forever and still seems to me to work better as a straightforward than a cryptic clue. Thanks Pedrock and Cineraria