Financial Times 18,181 by GOLIATH

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[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

Goliath is on top form with this puzzle.

Fabulous fun.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Clever bit is to drink whisky (6)
SHREWD

SHRED (bit) is to drink W (whisky, NATO alphabet)

4. State of wordplay just as bad to begin with (6)
PUNJAB

PUN (wordplay) + J[ust] A[s] B[ad] (to begin with)

8. Say why following pointer is not thorough (7)
CURSORY

“Y” (why, “say”) following CURSOR (pointer)

9. My kind of moulding (7)
CORNICE

COR (my) + NICE (kind)

11. Regulator’s improper threat to incarcerate the majority (10)
THERMOSTAT

THREAT* (*improper) to incarcerate MOST (the majority)

12. On the way back, touch brass (4)
TUBA

ABUT< (touch, <on the way back)

13. A hundred bullets ricocheted, (5)
COMMA

C (a hundred, Roman) + AMMO< (bullets, <ricocheted)

14. Jagger, say, welcomed as a nonconformist (8)
MAVERICK

MICK (Jagger); AVER (say) welcomed

16. What tyre can be indeed (8)
DEFLATED

FLAT (what tyre can be) in DEED – &lit

18. Gangster hiding ale? That’s chicken (5)
CAPON

[al] CAPON[e] (gangster, hiding ALE)

20. Prison coverage not over (4)
CAGE

C[over]AGE (not OVER)

21. Proposal includes one barrel as incentive (10)
MOTIVATION

MOTION (proposal) includes 1 VAT (one barrel)

23. Some thought it a nice ship (7)
TITANIC

[though]T IT A NIC[e] (some)

24. Distillery discarding DIY dodgy framework (7)
TRELLIS

[di]STILLER[y]* (*dodgy, discarding DIY)

25. Modern song on the radio lacking coverage (6)
NUDITY

“NEW DITTY” (modern song, “on the radio”)

26. Starter is able to mimic (6)
CANAPE

CAN (is able to) + APE (mimic)

DOWN
1. Be quiet! Be quiet! Be quiet! That includes you at the back! (5)
SHUSH

SH (be quiet) + SH (be quiet) that includes [yo]U (at the back)

2. Sort out unusual platform (7)
ROSTRUM

SORT* (*out) + RUM (unusual)

3. Fine argument over wind installation (4,2,3)
WORK OF ART

(OK (fine) + ROW< (argument))< (<over) + FART (wind)

5. Vessel about to change course (1-4)
U-BOAT

ABOUT* (*to change course)

6. Start of year with rising rubbish? He’ll clear it up (7)
JANITOR

JAN 1 (start of year) with ROT< (rubbish, <rising) – semi &lit

7. Support artist getting some breakfast (4,5)

BACK BACON

BACK (support) + BACON (artist)

Referring to Francis Bacon, famous 20th century painter

10. Thanks politician involved in study to reform tax (5,4)
STAMP DUTY

(TA (thanks) + MP (politician)) involved in STUDY* (*to reform)

13. Woman’s heart in the beginning of it all, and the end for some (9)
CREMATION

[wo]M[an] (heart) in CREATION (the beginning of it all)

15. Wild raves after debauchery? The other way round (4,5)
VICE VERSA

RAVES* (*wild) after VICE (debauchery?)

17. Small rise in fat downwind (7)
LEEWARD

WEE< (small, <rise) in LARD (fat)

19. Start to tuck into Spanish dish to find a bone (7)
PATELLA

T[uck] (start) to tuck into PAELLA (Spanish dish)

21. Communist not a wet (5)
MOIST

M[a]OIST (communist, not A)

22. One out of six is sheepish (5)
OVINE

ONE out of VI (six, Roman)

11 comments on “Financial Times 18,181 by GOLIATH”

  1. The sun is sparkling on the sea as I take the ferry to a waterfront cafe: the perfect setting for completing a typically playful – and gleefully silly – puzzle from Goliath.
    All’s well with the world!
    Ticks: CURSORY, WORK OF ART, COMMA (almost missed it), TITANIC, BACK BACON, VICE VERSA and that novel tune at 25A!
    Great stuff.
    Thanks to Goliath and Oriel (didn’t think you’d tarry long with the blog as it was short and very sweet).

  2. Superb puzzle. No gripes at all and plenty of laugh out loud moments. Loved capon, cage, nudity, vice versa, but most of all, moist.

  3. I completed it clockwise, working from PUNJAB down the right, got stuck on NUDITY for a while (I was sure it was something to do with radio lacking coverage, -adi-) and finished with SHREWD.

    Do I see a slight alcohol theme? Whisky, vat, distillery, ale? Any more?

  4. Never heard of BACK BACON. Google tells me it’s a UK thing. I didn’t like the clue for DEFLATED, although I can see why some might think it’s clever. Otherwise most enjoyable.

  5. What a delightful romp! More clues left unticked than ticked and at least half a dozen raised more than a smile – certainly too many to list.

    Huge thanks to Goliath and lucky Oriel for a splendid start to the day.

  6. Most enjoyable with lots of lovely puns.
    The answer to 19d is an old favourite,once memorably clued as «  two girls , one on each knee ».
    Thanks Goliath and Oriel.

  7. Liked DEFLATED, SHUSH, WORK OF ART, VICE VERSA and OVINE.

    COMMA
    Does the surface demand a COMMA there?
    Liked the clue, though.

    Thanks Goliath and Oriel.

  8. GDU@4: I’m with you on DEFLATED. A lot of people like this so-called lift-and-separate device, but not me. You have to rewrite the clue to arrive at what the setter really means. Mind you, when I see ‘indeed’ in a clue these days I’m alert to what it might signify.

  9. GDU @4, it might be what in Oz we call rib bacon, as distinct from shoulder which has less ‘eye’ and more streaky rasher.

  10. btw couldn’t/shouldn’t 15d be clued as “Debauchery after wild raves? The other way round (4,5)”

    giving “versa vice” then putting the other way around to get the answer? just sayin’

  11. Great puzzle.

    Why aren’t they all like this in the financial times?

    I’ve been doing fewer of late because I find myself no longer enjoying many of them (bobcat being a prime example recently).

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