Financial Times 18,271 by GAFF

GAFF kicks off the week with a themed puzzle…

The 80th birthday of Dolly Parton. Many references in the grid but I've only highlighted the lady herself. What a lovely puzzle, though I did find 6d a bit obscure.

Thanks GAFF!

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS

1. Starter cheers athletes, nearly all passing early leaders (6)

CANAPE

C[heers] A[thletes] N[early] A[ll] P[assing] E[arly] (leaders)

4. Servant bound to be set back for country’s balance (5,3)

TRADE GAP

(PAGE (servant) + DART (bound))< (<to be set back)

9. Judge fashionable new leader of realm (6)

UMPIRE

U (fashionable), new leader of EMPIRE (realm)

10. Bottle emptied before party becomes thrash (8)

BELABOUR

B[ottl]E (emptied) before LABOUR (party)

12. Working pony went cheap (8)

TWOPENNY

(PONY WENT)* (*working)

13. Consider odd boot protection in the garden (6)

GAZEBO

GAZE (consider) + B[o]O[t] (odd)

15. Key to university (4)

YALE

Double definition

16. 4.51 shift (4-2-4)

NINE-TO-FIVE

Double (cryptic) definition

19. Speechless at fair caricature (4,6)

DUMB BLONDE

DUMB (speechless) at BLONDE (fair)

20. Pickle mix (4)

STEW

Double definition

23. Order member’s home to be covered with rubbish (6)

RODENT

DEN (order member's home) to be covered with ROT (rubbish)

25. Old drivers lost in conflicts (8)

WAGONERS

GONE (lost) in WARS (conflicts)

27. Unlucky to be poorly celebrated on the radio (3-5)

ILL-FATED

ILL (poorly) + "feted" = FATED (celebrated, "on the radio")

28. Woman hit by 24 (6)

JOLENE

Double definition

29. Pitch after openers’ foundation (8)

KEYSTONE

TONE (pitch) after KEYS (openers)

30/7. Sunscreen award? (6,5)

GOLDEN GLOBE

Double (cryptic) definition (sun and screen award)

DOWN

1. Tony Curtis’ half confused state (7)

COUNTRY

(TONY CUR[tis] (half))* (*confused)

2. You’re welcome to express pleasure holding investigation about Michael Foot (2,7)

NO PROBLEM

NOM (to express pleasure) holding (PROBE (investigation) about [michae]L (foot))

3. Drink carrier (6)

PORTER

Double definition

5. Fancy-free hazard (4)

REEF

(FREE)* (*fancy)

6. Compass provides spacemen with last gasp help to return (8)

DIAPASON

(NOSA (spacemen, Norwegian Space Agency) with [gas]P (last) + AID (help))< (<to return)

8. A lot included in cut down first instalment (4,3)

PART ONE

TON (a lot) included in PARE (cut down)

11. Cutting bone with zinc is ordinarily involved (7)

INCISOR

[z]INC IS OR[dinarily] (involved)

14. Stony cold roast (7)

DEADPAN

DEAD (cold) + PAN (roast)

17. First tie handle in a knot (2,3,4)

IN THE LEAD

(TIE HANDLE)* (*in a knot)

18. Many misplay tuba and horn finale (8)

ABUNDANT

(TUBA AND [hor]N (finale))* (*misplay)

19. Report man in crane (7)

DERRICK

"Derek" = DERRICK (man, "report")

21. Not oriental spaghetti perhaps (7)

WESTERN

Double (cryptic) definition (spaghetti western)

22. Gaudy, strong-hearted clown (6)

ROCOCO

[st]RO[ng] (hearted) + COCO (clown)

24. Toy truck (5)

DOLLY

Double definition

26. Principal dancer enjoys all-new overtures (4)

DEAN

D[ancer] E[njoys] A[ll] N[ew] (openers)

10 comments on “Financial Times 18,271 by GAFF”

Pelham Barton

#1 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 11:56

Thanks Teacow. I would never have got 28ac no matter how long I looked.

19dn: Derrick is given as a form of the name Derek in Chambers 2016 (p 1835), so no need to indicate a soundalike.

Cineraria

#2 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:12

For theme words I saw COUNTRY WESTERN, PORTER WAGONER, GOLDEN GLOBE, NINE TO FIVE, DUMB BLONDE (which she definitely is not), JOLENE, and (Carl) DEAN.
I really liked the clue for 16A, and was similarly wondering about the clue for 6D.

Diane

#3 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:16

Found the birthday girl and related answers readily enough but labored over the parsing of a couple, including the nho DIAPASON (another one for the decidedly esoteric collection of words learned here).
I liked COUNTRY, ABUNDANT, NO PROBLEM and WAGONERS.
Thanks to Gaff for an engaging themed puzzle and Teacow for filling in the blanks.

James P

#4 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:30

Thanks. 6d looks out of order to me. I suspect our setter originally meant NASA and changed the crosser without changing the wordplay. Does Norway even have a space agency? Cluing an obscurity with obscure wordplay seems over the top.

Why clue den as order members home in 23a?

Liked the theme. I’d assume it includes country and western, nine to 5, Jolene, and suspect she has won a golden globe at some point. Although she is by no means dumb I expect dumb blonde is also part of the theme.

Thanks both.

Petert

#5 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:48

I think “order member” is the definition, and “den” is just home.

Hovis

#6 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 13:06

That’s how I parsed it, Petert. DIAPASON – Doubt I’ll even remember that later on today. I had a similar notion as James P on that one. NOSA smacks as dreadful clueing to me.

James P

#7 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 13:43

apparently she had a single called dumb blonde in 1967 and was a a regular singing partner of the eponymous Porter Wagoner on his show at the start of her career. And she has won a few Golden Globes for her songs.

Mark A

#8 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 14:30

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Space_Agency

who knew?

Hovis

#9 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 14:42

Just as a side note that I find interesting. Although you can have a canapé (singular), you can only have crudités and fajitas (plural).

Mark A

#10 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 15:08

A Countdown watcher Hovis?

Pelham Barton

#1 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 11:56

Thanks Teacow. I would never have got 28ac no matter how long I looked.

19dn: Derrick is given as a form of the name Derek in Chambers 2016 (p 1835), so no need to indicate a soundalike.
Cineraria

#2 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:12

For theme words I saw COUNTRY WESTERN, PORTER WAGONER, GOLDEN GLOBE, NINE TO FIVE, DUMB BLONDE (which she definitely is not), JOLENE, and (Carl) DEAN.
I really liked the clue for 16A, and was similarly wondering about the clue for 6D.
Diane

#3 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:16

Found the birthday girl and related answers readily enough but labored over the parsing of a couple, including the nho DIAPASON (another one for the decidedly esoteric collection of words learned here).
I liked COUNTRY, ABUNDANT, NO PROBLEM and WAGONERS.
Thanks to Gaff for an engaging themed puzzle and Teacow for filling in the blanks.
James P

#4 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:30

Thanks. 6d looks out of order to me. I suspect our setter originally meant NASA and changed the crosser without changing the wordplay. Does Norway even have a space agency? Cluing an obscurity with obscure wordplay seems over the top.

Why clue den as order members home in 23a?

Liked the theme. I’d assume it includes country and western, nine to 5, Jolene, and suspect she has won a golden globe at some point. Although she is by no means dumb I expect dumb blonde is also part of the theme.

Thanks both.
Petert

#5 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 12:48

I think “order member” is the definition, and “den” is just home.
Hovis

#6 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 13:06

That’s how I parsed it, Petert. DIAPASON – Doubt I’ll even remember that later on today. I had a similar notion as James P on that one. NOSA smacks as dreadful clueing to me.
James P

#7 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 13:43

apparently she had a single called dumb blonde in 1967 and was a a regular singing partner of the eponymous Porter Wagoner on his show at the start of her career. And she has won a few Golden Globes for her songs.
Mark A

#8 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 14:30

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Space_Agency

who knew?
Hovis

#9 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 14:42

Just as a side note that I find interesting. Although you can have a canapé (singular), you can only have crudités and fajitas (plural).
Mark A

#10 - Mon 19th Jan 26, 15:08

A Countdown watcher Hovis?

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10 comments on “Financial Times 18,271 by GAFF”

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