Puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 6, 2025
I finished this quickly and easily except for 8 (ARIOSTO) which is not a name I recall. And I think, for the first time, that I actually used my expectation that this would be a pangram to help me solve it. It was certainly helpful with 19 (STAY OF EXECUTION). Clearly a lot of the answers are related to the FT’s Weekend Festival although I only looked into this after completing the puzzle. And I found Tom Hollander (3), Lyse Doucet (22d), David Nicholls (21), Michael Gove (6), Nick Clegg (25), Jay Rayner (7), David Baddiel (12) and Roger Blitz (the FT’s Crossword Editor). My favourite clues are 19, 21 (NICHOLLS) and 27 (ULURU). Thank you Neo.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | ARIOSTO |
Noble perhaps to strangle old Italian poet (7)
|
| O (old) in (to strangle) ARISTO (noble perhaps). Ludovico Ariosto was unknown to me but is known for his epic work “Orlando Furioso”. | ||
| 10 | ARIZONA |
Song about endless division in state (7)
|
| ZON[e] (endless division) in (about) ARIA (song) | ||
| 11 | LOG |
Journal something to fuel the fire? (3)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | BADDIEL |
Villain pounds comedian (7)
|
| BADDIE (villain) + L (pounds) with the definition referring to David Baddiel. | ||
| 13 | ATE IN |
Finding energy in a can, dined at home (3,2)
|
| A (a) + E (energy) in (in) TIN (can) | ||
| 14 | ASSAM |
Rich Tea provided in westbound service area (5)
|
| MASS (service) + A (area) all backwards (westbound) | ||
| 15 | SIGNS IN |
Nominally commits oneself to work? (5,2)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | INTER |
Bury Football Club seen in Milan (5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | STAY OF EXECUTION |
In which no axe cut yet if so ordered? (4,2,9)
|
| Anagram (ordered) pf NO AXE CUT YET IF SO | ||
| 22 | DOTES |
Tons eaten by female deer and fawns? (5)
|
| T (tons) in (eaten by) ROE (female deer) | ||
| 23 | IDIOTIC |
I had one of the ears of an ass (7)
|
| ID (i had) + I (one) + OTIC (of the ears) | ||
| 25 | CLEGG |
Former politician, Conservative member, initially Green (5)
|
| C (Conservative) + LEG (member) + G[reen] | ||
| 27 | ULURU |
University student and no- good teacher in sacred site (5)
|
| U (university) + L (student) + [g]URU (no-good teacher) | ||
| 29 | HIDALGO |
Happy to return ring on greeting Quixote? (7)
|
| HI (greeting) + GLAD (happy) backwards (to return) + O (ring) | ||
| 30 | ART |
Friar Tuck embodies cunning (3)
|
| Hidden work (embodies) | ||
| 31 | EVEREST |
Huge mountain woman tempted others (7)
|
| EVE (woman tempted) + REST (others) | ||
| 32 | ETERNAL |
Deathless seabird entering wild lea (7)
|
| TERN (seabird) in (entering) anagram (wild) of LEA | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | LAMBASTS |
Criticises business degree in final semester primarily (8)
|
| MBA (business degree) iin (in) LAST (final) + S[emester] | ||
| 2 | ESPIES |
Spots food in dining room — no starter provided (6)
|
| PIE (food) in (in) [m]ESS (dining room…no starter) | ||
| 3 | HOLLANDER |
Shout outside with actor (9)
|
| AND (with) in (outside) HOLLER (shout) with the definition referring to Tom Hollander | ||
| 4 | CAGES |
Cold periods in prisons (5)
|
| C (cold) + AGES (periods) | ||
| 5 | TIRAMISU |
Dessert, one with butter, is in belly that needs reduction (8)
|
| I (one) + RAM (butter) + IS (is) in TU[m] (belly that needs reduction) | ||
| 6 | GOVE |
Politician in rule excluding British sailors? (4)
|
| GOVE[rn] (rule excluding Royal Navy) | ||
| 7 | RAYNER |
Critic back around New York, heading north (6)
|
| NY (New York) in (around) REAR (back) all backeards (heading north) | ||
| 9 | INDIGNANT |
Dining out with worker up in arms (9)
|
| Anagram (out) of DINING + ANT (worker) | ||
| 17 | TRIATHLON |
Halt rot in corrupt sporting event (9)
|
| Anagram (corrupt) HALT ROT IN | ||
| 18 | DELIGHTED |
Very pleased — glowing in fact (9)
|
| LIGHT (glowing) in (in) DEED (fact) | ||
| 20 | OBSCURED |
Wonderful news about alumnus who was poorly hidden? (8)
|
| OB (alumnus, i.e. Old Boy) + ‘S CURED (wonderful news who was poorly) | ||
| 21 | NICHOLLS |
Henry in Collins worked with author (8)
|
| H (henry) in (in) anagram (worked) of COLLINS | ||
| 22 | DOUCET |
Journalist in act, incredibly cute (6)
|
| DO (act) + anagram (incredibly) of CUTE with the definition referring to the wonderful Lyse Doucet. | ||
| 24 | INDEED |
Popular exploit for sure (6)
|
| IN (popular) + DEED (exploit) | ||
| 26 | ERATO |
Returned books are an inspiration (5)
|
| OT (books, i.e. Old Testament) i+ ARE (are) all backwards (returned) | ||
| 28 | USER |
Addict taken in because relapsed (4)
|
| Hidden word (in) |
I really do not like these event-themed puzzles given so many answers are names, many of which I don’t know. This lived up expectations and I should not have taken it on in hindsight
Most clues were easy and the NHO list was long. I finished with few difficulties. No ticks today
Thanks Neo and Pete
Liked SIGNS IN, STAY OF EXECUTION and DELIGHTED.
OBSCURED
Reading ‘Wonderful news about alumnus who was poorly?’ as OB ‘S CURED
(without splitting the WP into two parts) seems better to me. I feel the QM
is meant to be applied to the WP (not required otherwise for the def).
Thanks Neo and Pete.
Everest is easy to clue and gets a lot of cw attention; nice to see our large rock featured occasionally too. And nice to see Lyse Doucet — a champion front-line journo. Cruisy puzzle, a few nhos nwst, ta Neo and Pete.
Thanks Neo. I enjoyed this because so much I didn’t know came to light through excellent wordplay. My top picks (aside from the FT festival related clues) were ARIZONA, STAY OF EXECUTION, DOTES, EVEREST, CAGES, and TIRAMISU. I missed a couple but that didn’t matter. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Yes, Tony@4, you are right again. After reading your entry I realised I was overly negative. I should have known it was excellent wordplay that made it easy to answer the NHO clues.
I still do not like this sort of puzzle, but kudos to Neo and thanks to Tony Santucci.
Good puzzle – like Martyn and Tony I did not know many of the names but got there anyway
Favourites: ETERNAL, ULURA, DOUCET, ERATO
Thanks Neo and Pete Maclean
I had SIGNS ON for 15A – which is English slang for applying for benefits when out of work, but also applies to putting a name on a list for volunteering. The app agrees with me.
I looked up who was at the FT weekend, because it seemed only fair their advertising should partially work.
Thank you to Neo and Pete Maclean.
Oh, I missed that. I had SIGNS ON for 15a also, but both solutions work.
I also had SIGNS ON, ah well.
Otherwise this was fun and I only came up short on 3 – GOVE, DOUCET and ERATO, all of which I now kick myself over.
Thanks to Neo and Pete MacLean
I had another variant, SIGNS UP, until I realized the P wouldn’t fit.
I had to surmise some of the names from wordplay. I was not initially going to admit this because I felt it might seem disloyal to the FT to buy their paper and take so little notice of their festival that I didn’t know who was appearing at it, or who some of them are. But enough people have confessed to not knowing that I feel bold enough to do so too.
Thanks Neo and Pete. I did the crossword at home on Saturday but have not brought it with me on my travels. I cannot remember whether I had IN or ON at 15ac. I took 20dn the same way as KVa@2.
22ac should be DOES not roes – Sorry to be picky Pete.
15 ac. If you use technology (Webex) for control work on ones phone as I do for Blood Bikes one does indeed sign in. I think one signs on for paper based joining.
We appear to acquiring a number of acronyms which I do not recognise. Could someone please explain NHO, WP, QM, nwst.
As to not taking on a crossword because one doesn’t like the theme, well on that basis I would never start as I do not expect to be able to finish. An expectation which is usually fulfilled.
Malcolm @12:
NHO is supposed to mean “never heard of”, but should be interpreted as the writer not being able to remember ever having heard of the word or meaning.
WP is wordplay.
QM is question mark.
I cannot help with nwst.
I didn’t realise this was scheduled to appear in the paper. Thought it was to be seen only by FT Weekend Festival-goers, in a programme or supplement or something. Oh well.
I was tasked with getting a particular seven of the Speakers (as they are called) at the event into the grid, to make the puzzle relevant to an FTWF ‘solve-along’, inter alia, so that’s why you have the names. I imagine it was a bit of a strange solve for those unaware of the festivities.
Thanks all.
It’s too late for anyone to see this but the app mentioned the event, so the information was there if required. I did this on Saturday evening and enjoyed it.