My first opportunity to blog an FT puzzle – and it’s by one of my favourite setters!
This puzzle was fairly well hidden over Easter – I only came across it through comments on 15² – and (lucky) Pete, the regular Saturday blogger, had already fulfilled his duty in blogging that day’s puzzle. I’m very grateful to him for agreeing to my standing in for this one.
I hope I’ve managed to remember all my solutions and parsings. I know that a number of regular solvers (including me) don’t always comment on the weekend puzzles, because a week is a long time in crosswords and it’s easy to forget.
Although it was a Jumbo (intimidating title), I think the clues were generally pretty straightforward and, in fact, ideal for less experienced solvers, who could experience the cleverness and wit that we have here – well worth revisiting.
We frequently say, ‘Too many ticks / favourites to list’ – more than ever true here, with the volume and excellence of the clues and so I simply won’t attempt it and leave it to you for your nominations.
Many thanks to Leonidas for a most enjoyable puzzle, with the added delight of a blog.
Definitions are underlined in the clues. I’m sorry I haven’t the expertise to reproduce the grid.
Across
1 Organised who’s clothing those on horseback (11)
SHOWJUMPERS
An anagram (organised) of WHO’S) + JUMPERS (clothing)
7 Countenance 6 meeting wise person (6)
VISAGE
VI (6) + SAGE (wise person)
10 Setter and relative brought back bird (4)
IBIS
I (setter) + a reversal (back) of SIB (relative)
14 Animal eggs repelled Oliver? (3,4)
ROEDEER
ROE (eggs) + a reversal (repelled) of REED (actor Oliver)
15 Plant in Bar 10 withered (7)
ROBINIA
An anagram (withered) of IN BAR IO (10)
16 Cunning insult in auditorium (7)
SLEIGHT
Sounds like (in auditorium) ‘slight’ (insult)
17 Gear systems operated in empty towns’ embassies (13)
TRANSMISSIONS
RAN (operated) in T[own]S + MISSIONS (embassies)
18 Two types of ooze covering street in March (5-4)
GOOSE-STEP
GOO (type of ooze) + SEEP (another, as a verb) round ST (street)
19 State of Aslan’s hair stated (5)
MAINE
Sounds like (stated) ‘mane’, Aslan’s hair)
21 Two types of soldier slate attorney’s Chinese loan? (5,5)
GIANT PANDA
GI + ANT (two types of soldier) + PAN (slate) + District Attorney
23 Haddock enthusiast fed by tavern (6)
FINNAN
FAN (addict) round INN (tavern)
25 10 rampant on eastern tourist hotspot (8)
TENERIFE
TEN + E (eastern) + RIFE (rampant)
26 Clear Maggie in trouble on secure airport area (7,7)
BAGGAGE RECLAIM
BAG (secure) + an anagram (in trouble) of CLEAR MAGGIE
29 Incomparable balls exposed by magazine (3-4)
ALL-TIME
[b]ALL[s] + TIME (magazine)
30 Take part in hanky-panky with one small condition (9)
ENTERITIS
ENTER (take part in) IT (hanky-panky) + I (one) S (small)
31 Means of carrying diamonds kept by Mr Bean? (5)
SEDAN
D (diamonds) in SEAN (actor Mr Bean)
32 Note essentially replaced by fine musician (5)
FIFER
FI[v]er (bank note) with the v replaced by F (fine)
34 Safe crossing frost’s edge (9)
PERIMETER
PETER (safe) round RIME (frost)
37 Individual right to collect rubbish, theoretically (2,5)
ON PAPER
ONE (individual) + R (right) round PAP (rubbish)
39 Position vessel after random easterly wind (14)
CHANCELLORSHIP
SHIP (vessel) after CHANCE (random) + a reversal (easterly) of ROLL (wind)
41 Western bird circling Greek on French street (4,4)
TRUE GRIT
TIT (bird) round RUE (French street) + GR (Greek)
43 Last of citrus fruit college picked out to make liquor (6)
SHERRY
[citru]S + c[HERRY] (fruit, minus c – college)
44 Part of dirt spread with engine (10)
INGREDIENT
An anagram (spread) of DIRT and ENGINE
45 Support extremely tough wheel projections (5)
TEETH
TEE (support) + T[oug]H
48 Key paper originally was one on ceramics (9)
DELFTWARE
DEL(key) + FT (this paper) + W[as] + RE (on)
49 Crystal ale cup fashioned in an amazing way (13)
SPECTACULARLY
An anagram (fashioned) of CRYSTAL ALE CUP
51 Flower with fringes of purple by barrel 1A (7)
PETUNIA
P[urpl]E + TUN (barrel) + I (one) + A
52 Fit explosive having consumed a tipple (7)
TANTRUM
TNT (explosive) round A + RUM (tipple)
53 Classic Album of Blues this tablet regularly skipped (3,2,2)
LET IT BE
Alternate letters of bLuEs ThIs TaBlE
54 Ton of Italian sauce exported for Philippine capital (4)
PESO
PES[t]O (Italian sauce) minus t (ton) – Philippine currency
55 Distress English school (6)
HARROW
Double definition
56 Cryptically, HD is devoid of ideas (5-6)
EMPTY-HEADED
H[eade]D, ’empty’, is, cryptically, HD
Down
1 Layer pastries upside down? I’m not sure (7)
STRATUM
A reversal (upside down, in a down clue) of TARTS) pastries) + UM (I’m not sure)
2 Working artist quitting Carmen maybe sensible (11)
OPERATIONAL
OPE[ra] (Carmen, maybe) minus RA (artist) + RATIONAL (sensible)
3 First person in Paris records conveyances (5)
JEEPS
JE (first person pronoun in French) + EPS (records)
4 Option you might take after an unfortunate split (7-5,4)
MORNING-AFTER PILL
Cryptic definition!
5 Operator’s new tours grabbing attention? Au contraire (8)
EUROSTAR
EAR (attention) grabbing an anagram (new) of TOURS – the opposite (au contraire) of the wordplay
6 Shrink below upturned transport gets farm out (11)
SUBCONTRACT
CONTRACT (shrink) under a reversal (upturned, in a down clue) of BUS (transport)
7 Body in space captured by vehicle in ascent (5)
VENUS
A reversal (in ascent) of SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) round EN (space in printing)
8 Velma’s pal follows politician’s tale (6-3,5)
SHAGGY-DOG STORY
SHAGGY (Velma’s friend in Scooby-Doo) + DOGS (follows) + TORY (politician)
9 Capital blocks German women’s workplace tactic (2-4)
GO-SLOW
OSLO (capital) in G (German) W (women)
11 Basic trap hoisted Jack (3-8)
BOG-STANDARD
A reversal (hoisted, in a down clue) of GOB (trap – both slang for mouth) + STANDARD (Jack)
12 Attack put nose out of joint (3,4)
SET UPON
An anagram (out of joint) of NOSE OUT
13 Veg Claire cooked at end of church (8)
CELERIAC
CE (Chuch of England) + an anagram (cooked) of CLAIRE
20 Recently behaving more like a noble? (7)
EARLIER
Whimsically, could be (behaving) more like an earl (noble)
22 Guess ‘two-thirds of a month’ on start of round (5)
AUGUR
AUGU[st] (two thirds of a month) + R[ound] – I wasn’t happy with the definition but then saw that Chambers has it as a later entry (I still don’t have to like it)
24 Satiric actor played supporter in a posh way (16)
ARISTOCRATICALLY
An anagram (played) of SATIRIC ACTOR + ALLY (supporter)
25 llicit trade concealed by extant RAF fictionalised (7)
TRAFFIC
Concealed in extanT RAF FICtionalised
27 Period climbing around in a tower (7)
MINARET
A reversal (climbing, in a down clue) of TERM (period) round IN A – I spent a while toying with a reversal of ERA
28 Last note landlord hung from pricey bit of US porcelain (4,4,6)
DEAR JOHN LETTER
LETTER (landlord) after DEAR (pricey) JOHN (bit of American porcelain – or loo!)
31 Knowing deliverer of gifts mostly stocking food (7)
SAPIENT
SANT[a] (deliverer of gifts, mostly) round PIE (food)
33 Indicate jazz singer on TV rolling lashes (11)
FLAGELLATES
FLAG (indicate) + ELLA (Fitzgerald – jazz singer) + a reversal (rolling) of SET (TV)
35 Mr T eliminated Scrooge (5)
MISER
MIS[t]ER
36 PhD student might be doing this interrogation? (5,6)
THIRD DEGREE
Double definition
38 A favourite judge has daughter committed (11)
PERPETRATED
PER (a) + PET (favourite) + RATE (judge) + D (daughter)
40 Organic pigment, possibly no trace on Earth (8)
CAROTENE
An anagram (possibly) of NO TRACE + E (earth)
42 Crush Hull’s arm perhaps with power in video game (4-2-2)
BEAT-EM-UP
BEAT (crush) + EMU (Hull’s arm perhaps – in the ’70s, Rod Hull had a puppet called EMU, who notoriously attacked Michael Parkinson on his chat show) + P (power)
43 Difficulties over American father’s drink (4,3)
SODA POP
A reversal (over) of ADOS (difficulties – not really happy with the plural) + POP (American father)
46 Rustic look adopted by short composer (7)
HAYSEED
SEE (look) in HAYD[n] (short composer)
47 Country with approximately nothing (6)
CANADA
CA (circa – approximately) + NADA (nothing)
49 Function with attachment of muscle to bone (5)
SINEW
SINE (function) + W (with)
50 Beverage not as fizzy when uncovered (5)
LATTE
[f]LATTE[r] (not so fizzy)
Thanks Leonidas and Eileen!
My faves: GOOSE-STEP, M A PILL, D J LETTER and MINARET (nice misdirection as Eileen indicates in the blog).
SODA-POP
Eileen! Is ADOS generally not used? I don’t know and just want to understand your comment better.
AUGUR (dictionary.com)
to predict or foretell, as from signs or omens:
He made careful calculations and augured happy and sure success for the new enterprise.
The curator augurs from ticket sales that this exhibition will be the dawning of the artist’s career.
Found this convincing.
KVa @1 – my apologies for the delay: I’ve been asleep, having accidentally deleted my entire blog just before posting at around midnight and having to start from scratch (and memory) to explain 60-odd clues. My fault entirely, of course and I’d really rather forget about it but, in the meantime, to respond to your comments …
I have never come across ADOS and neither Collins, Chambers nor SOED gives a plural of ADO.
I wouldn’t query any of the definitions you have found for AUGUR (‘from signs and omens’, ‘careful calculations’, ‘from ticket sales’) – but none of them convinces me as equating with ‘guess’:
Collins: to form or express an uncertain estimate or conclusion about something, based on insufficient information …
Chambers: to judge on the basis of inadequate knowledge or none at all …
I think both a Roman augur or a modern-day weather forecaster would feel rather slighted!
I must stress strongly that neither of these quibbles detracts, for me, in any way, from a very fine puzzle but, pedant that I am, I thought them worthy of note in passing – and I’m regretting it already! I have to prepare for a meeting later in the morning and so I can’t go into any more detail or justification.
Eileen!
No apologies due at all! You blogged such a big puzzle and went to sleep (much after your usual bedtime).
A wonderful blog for which we should have appreciation- nothing but appreciation.
ADOS is given as the plural of ADO in my Chambers mobile app. For your record.
About AUGUR=guess: I have understood Eileen. You have given me a lot of clarity. Thanks.
and I’m regretting it already! : Sorry Eileen (if I have contributed to that regret)! Please have a useful meeting and a good day!
Thanks, KVa @3. 😉
Thank you for the blog, Eileen. I expect another FT Jumbo will be published on the next Bank Holiday weekend: that was the pattern last year.
I enjoyed this puzzle, as it contained a lot of well-constructed neat clues.
Just a couple of quibbles. First, the definition in 39A seems too wide. Second, I don’t think 42D is really fair on solvers, as both the answer and the wordplay require general knowledge that is rather obscure – further, the answer does not appear in standard dictionaries, and the Wikipedia entry suggests it is a category of video games, rather than a particular game.
Thanks Eileen for stepping in to blog this, much appreciated. And thanks to those who have commented. As far as I am aware, there will be an FT Jumbo every BH, as Rudolf has said.
Thank you for this excellent blog! The puzzle didn’t seem all that hidden to me, sitting slap bang in the middle of Life & Arts, but there we go. The FT in hard copy of a weekend is one of life’s little pleasures.
And thank you to the setter, for a puzzle that had a bit of everything, with morning after pill most amusing.
I enjoyed this, and had lots of ticks. GOOSE STEP, TENERIFE, ENTERITIS, LET IT BE, EUROSTAR and THIRD DEGREE were top favourites. On the opposite side, I agree with Rudolf@5 about 42 being unfair, and I thought 28 bizarre. Perhaps it is an English thing? A few new words here too
Sorry to read of the trials in posting Elieen and thanks for not giving up.
Thanks Leonidas and Eileen
Thanks Leonidas and Eileen
I enjoyed this a lot more than the Maskarade in the graun, which I lost interest in and gave up on.
Martyn @ 8 A Dear John Letter is a US WW2 term for a letter sent to a GI serving overseas by his girlfriend, telling him that she’s dumped him for someone else.
SimonS@9. I had the same experience with Muskarade. Thanks for explaining dear john. I have added that to my list of new terms. To be honest, I was thinking along the lines of a suicide note……
Thanks to Leonidas for an excellent puzzle and to Eileen for stepping in with an equally expert blog.
Had managed to complete but needed help with the parsing of a couple. All now clear.
May I suggest for 21A the “two types of soldier” consist of an American GI and a soldier ant, rather than Giant tout simple.
David L. @11
Re 21ac: I’m afraid that was a casualty of my hasty (poorly edited) rewrite in the early hours. My original blog had the parsing exactly as you have it – amended now.
My apologies and thanks.
Thank you Eileen for stepping in. In 19A, I still don’t understand why a “mane” is particularly Asian and in 38D why “a” equals PER.
Hi Brian @13
Haha! – yes, I read it as ‘Asian’ several times before seeing that it was AsLan – the lion in ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. 😉
PS: Sorry, I missed the second part of your comment.
We quite often see ‘per’ for ‘a’ these days – it’s worth filing away.
Apples cost £x per / a kilo, for instance.
Thank you for putting me right, Eileen @14/15. Using a magnifying glass I now see that it’s Aslan and I understand the a/per issue. Best wishes.
dammit.
I thought it was Asian too in 19A
better get some new glasses