The first World puzzle of 2024! Find it on the FT website to download and print or solve online, or via the smartphone app.
The standard preamble will be familiar by now to those who solve these puzzles regularly:
A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular country. The name of the country should be inserted at 2 down. Work out the name of the country by solving the *asterisked clues, all undefined. Their solutions have some relevance to the country, such as its places, famous people, culture and language
I got off to a good start by deducing the country we were after from the crossing letters of 9a, 11a and 13a before I’d even read any of the thematic clues – this certainly proved helpful in completing the puzzle. Most of it was fairly straightforward but I’m stumped by 31a – got the solution from the checked letters but just can’t fathom the wordplay. I’m sure this is just Sunday morning doziness and it will be blindingly obvious when some kind soul explains it in the comments below… (edit: thanks to KVa, quickest off the mark to put me out of my misery.) Favourites for me were 24a and 16d.
Thanks, Gaff!
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | EUCALYPTI |
In a storm, tie up lacy trees (9)
|
| Anagram (in a storm) of TIE UP LACY | ||
| 10 | PERTH |
* Sexy and hot (5)
|
| PERT (sexy) + H (hot)
City in Scotland, a bit northeast of Edinburgh. |
||
| 11 | NOTEDLY |
Lend toy played with in particular (7)
|
| Anagram (played with) of LEND TOY | ||
| 12 | SPROUTS |
Emerges with Christmas trimmings (7)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 13 | VIA |
By way of 6 across (3)
|
| VI (six in Roman numerals) + A (across) | ||
| 14 | SEAN CONNERY |
* Any on-screen problems? (4,7)
|
| Anagram (problems) of ANY ON-SCREEN
Famoush Shcottish actor. |
||
| 18 | SUDRA |
Lowest class in primary school understands drawing, reading and arithmetic (5)
|
| First letters (primary) of School Understands Drawing Reading Arithmetic
The lowest of the four social classes in Hinduism. |
||
| 20 | GOA |
State of cargo area (3)
|
| Hidden in carGO Area
With this and the previous clue, you could be forgiven for thinking the theme was India. |
||
| 21 | RACES |
Controversially scare tribes (5)
|
| Anagram (controversially) of SCARE | ||
| 24 | GOLDEN EAGLE |
* Dismantled a Lego legend (6,5)
|
| Anagram (dismantled) of A LEGO LEGEND
Large bird of prey, often seen soaring above upland areas of northern Scotland. |
||
| 26 | ONE |
Individual had success on the radio (3)
|
| Sounds like (on the radio) WON (had success) | ||
| 27 | RANGERS |
* Religious leader makes cross (7)
|
| First letter (leader) of Religious + ANGERS (makes cross)
One of the most successful Scottish football teams, along with their Glasgow neighbours Celtic. |
||
| 29 | SKYFALL |
* It’s high season (7)
|
| SKY (it’s high) + FALL (season)
2012 James Bond film named for Bond’s childhood home in the Scottish Highlands, which is the scene of the film’s spectacular finale. |
||
| 30 | ERROR |
Fear taking time-out is a mistake (5)
|
| TERROR less T (time) | ||
| 31 | RED TARTAN |
* Show-off turns north-eastward (3,6)
|
“Red tartan” is not an official designation of any specific design as far as I know but many tartans are predominantly red, notably that of the House of Stuart, Scotland’s one-time royal family. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BEN NEVIS |
* Leaf maybe deployed in British topless game (3,5)
|
| EV (“Leaf maybe” – the Nissan Leaf is an electric vehicle or EV) inserted (deployed) in B (British) + tENNIS (“topless” game)
The highest mountain in Scotland and indeed the whole of the British Isles. |
||
| 2 | SCOTLAND |
[See Notes] (8)
|
| The country all the asterisked clues refer to. | ||
| 3 | CLYDESDALE |
* Curtail year-round exams — diploma likewise ends (10)
|
| First and last letters (ends) of CurtaiL Year-rounD ExamS DiplomA LikewisE
Historic county of Scotland and the origin of the breed of horse of the same name. |
||
| 4 | SPEY |
* See round gable end (4)
|
| SPY (see) “round” the last letter (end) of gablE
River in northeast Scotland, famous for salmon fishing and whisky distilleries. |
||
| 5 | AILSA CRAIG |
* Soldier with bow left incontinent by reversal (5,5)
|
| GI (soldier) + ARC (bow) + L inserted (in-) ASIA (-continent), all reversed
A small uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. |
||
| 6 | SPAR |
Scrap yard, perhaps (4)
|
| Two definitions – boxing and sailing related | ||
| 7 | GROUSE |
* Wake up after midnight (6)
|
| ROUSE (wake up) after the middle letter of niGht
Game bird of which four species are common in Scotland. |
||
| 8 | WHISKY |
* Beat ultimate enemy (6)
|
| WHISK (beat) + last letter (ultimate) of enemY
One of Scotland’s most famous beverages along with Irn Bru and Tennent’s Extra. |
||
| 15 | AGGRESSORS |
Invaders confused by gregariousness, but not in EU (10)
|
| Anagram (confused) of GReGARiOuSnESS less the letters IN EU | ||
| 16 | NURSERYMAN |
Grower to look after source of staples (10)
|
| NURSE (to look after) + RYMAN (a British high-street chain of stationers, hence “source of staples”) | ||
| 17 | RUE |
Plant with regret (3)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 19 | UFO |
Buy food even for strange visitor (3)
|
| Even letters of bUy FoOd | ||
| 22 | CROMARTY |
* Rally ends with car MoT failure (8)
|
| Anagram (failure) of the first and last letters (ends) of RallY + CAR MOT
Town in Scotland, at the southern end of the Black Isle. |
||
| 23 | SHETLAND |
* Handles start of term badly (8)
|
| Anagram (badly) of HANDLES + first letter (start) of Term
A group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland. |
||
| 24 | GARDEN |
Plot could result in danger (6)
|
| Anagram (could result in) of DANGER | ||
| 25 | LANARK |
* City rat (6)
|
| LA (city) + NARK (rat)
Town in Scotland, not far from Glasgow. |
||
| 28 | EARN |
* Last minute ace service (4)
|
| Last letter of minutE + A (ace) + RN (Royal Navy = service)
A large freshwater loch in the southern Highlands. |
||
| 29 | SIDE |
Minor team (4)
|
| Two definitions |
RED TARTAN
(NORTH EASTWARD less SHOW)* off
Sorry: Anagrind: Turns.
SHOW is off.
Of course! Knew it would be blindingly obvious… thanks, KVa!
Thanks Gaff and Widdersbel!
Thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle and the blog!
GOA
You are right Widdersbel. I thought the country was INDIA. Only then I checked the number of letters in 2d.
It seems to me that the clue for 31A needs a second anagram indicator as the letters to be subtracted from NORTH EASTWARD do not appear in the order S, H, O, W.
Rudolf @5 – same applies to 15d. Some will insist on always using a secondary anagram indicator when the letters to be removed are not in clue order but I’m ambivalent about it. At least Gaff is consistent in not using one in either clue, though a secondary indicator might have helped me in solving 31a.
Couldn’t parse RED TARTAN – Usually the sign of a good clue…
First attempt at an FT and had to cheat a bit. Was surprised at the number of anagrinds and relatives. Needed blog only for RED TARTANS but it’s always interesting to read the comments.
I always find these difficult in parts. They inevitably contain words or place names unfamiliar to me which closes off the “solve now parse later” option.
I found this one decently enjoyable. Favourite was SEAN CONNERY, as I have heard of him
Thanks Widdersbel and Gaff