Puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 2, 2024
This proved a slow solve for me, with the top-right corner being particularly difficult. My favourite clues are 1 (DUMP TRUCKS) and 28 (BREATHLESS).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DUMP TRUCKS |
According to Spooner, presidential hopeful avoids large vehicles (4,6)
|
| Spoonerism of “Trump ducks” (presidential hopeful avoids) | ||
| 7 | CAVA |
Abroad, how are you getting wine? (4)
|
| CAVA (abroad, how are you) which is an abbreviation of the French “Comment ça va?” or “Ça va bien?“ | ||
| 9 | OBIT |
Notice after passing on old coin (4)
|
| O (old) + BIT (coin) | ||
| 10 | CALL TO MIND |
Think of time to wear ring (round object) (4,2,4)
|
| T (time) in (to wear) CALL (ring) + O (round) + MIND (object) | ||
| 11 | SATYRS |
Lecherous group of commandos grabbing car part reduced by 25% (6)
|
| TYR[e] (car part reduced by 25%) in (grabbing) SAS (commandos). The SAS (Special Air Service) is a special forces unit of the British army. | ||
| 12 | IN THE RAW |
Hear twin’s changed out of clothing (2,3,3)
|
| Anagram (‘s changed) of HEAR TWIN | ||
| 13 | TERIYAKI |
Briefly tried cooked rabbit, one dish from Asia (8)
|
| Anagram (cooked) of TRIE[d] + YAK (rabbit) + I (one) | ||
| 15 | DASH |
Husband in need of cheering up about career (4)
|
| H (husband) + SAD (in need of cheering up) backwards (about) | ||
| 17 | BARI |
Place to drink gin uncovered, or port (4)
|
| BAR (place to drink) + [g]I[n] | ||
| 19 | NEONATES |
Order one sent, packing article in recent deliveries? (8)
|
| A (article) in (packing) anagram (order) of ONE SENT | ||
| 22 | JALAPENO |
German agreed with a single friend over something seedy and hot (8)
|
| JA (German agreed) + ONE (single) + PAL (friend) together backwards (over) | ||
| 23 | KERNEL |
Officer picked up the gist (6)
|
| Homophone (picked up) of COLONEL (officer) | ||
| 25 | DOMINEERED |
Was an autocratic boss denied more shifts? (10)
|
| Anagram (shifts) of DENIED MORE | ||
| 26 | PAIL |
Tips from professional astrologer involving Lion and Water Carrier (4)
|
| P[rofessional] A[strologer] I[nvolving] L[ion] | ||
| 27 | LYON |
Just cycling around in French city (4)
|
| ONLY (just) with its halves interchanged (cycling around) | ||
| 28 | BREATHLESS |
What priests may do about broken heart, struggling for inspiration (10)
|
| Anagram (broken) of HEART in (about) BLESS (what priests may do) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | UMBRAGE |
Losing head in idiotic fury, giving offence (7)
|
| [d]UMB (losing head in idiotic) + RAGE (fury) | ||
| 3 | POTTY |
In which little kids go doolally (5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | RICKSHAW |
Transport, a pain in the neck, observed taking hours (8)
|
| RICK (a pain in the neck) + H (hours) in (taking) SAW (observed) | ||
| 5 | COLLISION COURSE |
Soul icon recoils shocked, making track ending with a hit (9,6)
|
| Anagram (shocked) of SOUL ICON RECOILS | ||
| 6 | SHTETL |
Characters in borders of South Tyrone travel in historical town (6)
|
| S[out]H T[yron]E T[rave]L | ||
| 7 | COMPENDIA |
Business representative, with help, brought up clothing in French collections (9)
|
| EN (in French) in (clothing) CO (business) + MP (representative) + AID (help) backwards (brought up) | ||
| 8 | VANDALS |
Maybe Czech knocked over houses along with old tribe (7)
|
| AND (along with) in (houses) SLAV (maybe Czech) backwards (over) | ||
| 14 | IMITATION |
Taking off cap, taking off cap (9)
|
| [l]IMITATION (cap, taking off cap) | ||
| 16 | POLKA DOT |
Spot of trouble admitted by President Truman, at first (5,3)
|
| POLK (president) + ADO (trouble) + T[ruman] with the president in question being James Polk, president of the USA from 1845 to 1849. I think Polk is not a widely known president but I know the name well from once living in San Francisco near Polk Street. | ||
| 18 | AMATORY |
Erotic confession from Conservative I ignored (7)
|
| “[I] am a Tory” (confession from Conservative, I ignored) | ||
| 20 | EYELIDS |
Features in liberal papers penned by European? Certainly (7)
|
| E (European) + L (liberal) + ID (papers) together in YES (certainly) | ||
| 21 | REVERB |
Right note lifted musical sound effect (6)
|
| R (right) + BREVE (note) backwards (lifted) | ||
| 24 | REPEL |
Drive back from spin around Portugal’s capital (5)
|
| P[ortuguese] in (around) REEL (spin) |
A superb puzzle as always from James. Was hoping there would at least be one from him this weekend but nothing there 🙁
I found this a steady solve. I share your favorites, Pete.
Only one tick – PAIL. Otherwise the setter did not seem to care much about the surfaces
Not an excessive number of NHOs. I was so surprised when I parsed SHTETL then discovered it is actually a word.
Thanks Buccaneer and Pete
Many thanks for parsing 16Down – POLKA DOT. Well misled by reading President Truman together.
Liked 10a CALL TO MIND for “ring (round object)”; 14d IMITATION for the clever repetition, requiring the comma to move left a word;
and 16d POLKA DOT for the L&S involving two different POTUSes. [Shame about the other one at 1a.] 🙁 Liked the surfaces, too. Thanks B&PM
I laughed at DUMP TRUCKS when solving this a week ago; doesn’t feel quite so amusing by this time this week! POLKA DOT is nice along with NEONATES, LYON, BREATHLESS, COLLISION COURSE and IMITATION.
Thanks Buccaneer and Pete M
I’m entirely with PostMark! – I’ll just add TERIYAKI to his list of favourites.
POLK has become increasingly familiar here to viewers of ‘Pointless’: he scores points now.
Many thanks to Buccaneer and Pete.
A steady and enjoyable solve with several aha moments. We thought 6dn could only be SHTETL but like Martyn we had to confirm it is a word.
Thanks, Buccaneer and Pete.