Financial Times 18,346 by GOLIATH

Wed April 15, 2026 at 9:44 am by Oriel

Thanks to Goliath for a tricky challenge!

Great fun from Goliath with a good range of clues.
In the comments, the setter has let us know that the clue for 19 down was an error, so if it has you stumped, that is correct!

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS

1. I’d left out final script for excursion (5,4)

FIELD TRIP

(I’D LEFT)* (*out) + R.I.P. (final script)

6. Beginning briefly to play a leading role (4)

STAR

STAR[t] (beginning, briefly)

10. Hardline guy oddly overlooked for so long (5)

ADIEU

[h]A[r]D[l]I[n]E [g]U[y] (oddly overlooked)
We need to ‘overlook’ all the odd letters, so letter 1, 3, 5 etc

11. Awful unexpected cost covering primarily room and board (9)

DIRECTORS

DIRE (awful) + (COST* (*unexpected) covering R[oom] (primarily))

12. Speech impediment back in one confused letter (7)

EPSILON

LISP< (speech impediment, <back) in ONE* (*confused)

13. Express disapproval of the monarchy, with reservation (7)

BOOKING

BOO (express disapproval of) + KING (the monarchy)

14. Help with crutches arranged to reach top of Eiffel tower (6,7)

CHURCH STEEPLE

(HELP with CRUTCHES)* (*arranged) to reach E[iffel] (top of)

17. An empty space shut? I see trouble. Don’t go there! (5,3,5)

AVOID THE ISSUE

A VOID (an empty space) + (SHUT I SEE)* (*trouble)

21. Meet for instance to bandage broken fist (7)

SATISFY

SAY (for instance) to bandage FIST* (*broken)

22. You say Henry’s not potty trained? That’s sad (7)

UNHAPPY

U (“you”, say) + H (Henry), not potty trained, i.e. in NAPPY

24. Grunts clue is unduly long (6-3)

STRUNG-OUT

Cryptic definition
Reverse anagram: STRUNG* (*out) = GRUNTS

25. Commend previous tax cut (5)

EXTOL

EX (previous) + TOL[l] (tax, cut)

26. Cushions for apartments (4)

PADS

Double definition

27. Artist side work made profitable (9)

MONETISED

MONET (artist) + SIDE* (*work)

DOWN

1. Fire soldier for dancing (8)

FLAMENCO

FLAME (fire) + NCO (soldier, Non-Commissioned Officer)

2. The lesser of two of these upsets Elvis (5)

EVILS

ELVIS* (*upsets)

From the idiom ‘the lesser of two evils’

3. Being 7 on a return trip from Dover to Calais? (6-8)

DOUBLE CROSSING

Cryptic definition
Referring to the solution to 7 down, and the two channel crossing involved in a return trip from Dover to Calais

4. Divisions of Yorkshire grids? (7)

RIDINGS

Cryptic definition
RID in GS = GRIDS

5. Help Arab leaders to cover this story (7)

PARABLE

[hel]P ARAB LE[aders] (to cover)

7. Cheats using a Rolex and a Patek Philippe? (3-6)

TWO-TIMERS

Cryptic definition
Rolex and Patek Philippe are both names of watch brands

8. Sit on the throne absorbing the start of scandal, then step down (6)

RESIGN

REIGN (sit on the throne) absorbing S[candal] (start of)

9. Keeping quiet in current praise is a feat (14)

ACCOMPLISHMENT

Keeping SH (quiet) in (AC (current) + COMPLIMENT (praise))

15. Nature led to change all the same (9)

UNALTERED

(NATURE LED)* (*to change)

16. Grass around city council walls was better for the environment (8)

RECYCLED

REED (grass) around C[it]Y C[ounci]L (walls)

18. No place to sleep in Scottish town overwhelmed by fate (3,4)

DAY ROOM

AYR (Scottish town) overwhelmed by DOOM (fate)

19. Take no legal action over station (7)

HOUSTON

Apologies all – this one has me stumped. It seems like a clue for ‘Euston’. Maybe you have a better idea and I’ll come back and amend the blog. EDIT: see Goliath’s comment @1.

20. Depletes in-house supplies (4,2)

USES UP

[ho]USE SUP[plies] (in)

23. Trump’s ordered a starter of turtle soup (5)

POTUS

(T[urtle] (starter of) + SOUP)* (*ordered)

19 comments on “Financial Times 18,346 by GOLIATH”

Goliath

#1 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 09:57

Apologies to Oriel and all over the HOUSTON clue. It underwent a couple of changes and ended up wrongly being a clue for Euston. My error.
Comment #2
⚠️ This comment was deleted or is awaiting moderation.
Oriel

#3 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 10:06

Thanks for stopping by, Goliath @1, for the update. I am somewhat relieved that I hadn’t missed something obvious.
Roz

#4 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 10:41

Thanks for the blog and thanks to Goliath@1 , these things happen and it did not spoil a very enjoyable puzzle .
So many good clues , I will just mention RIDINGS , I love this trick , and ACCOMPLISHMENT for such a neat construction of such a long word .
Petert

#5 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 10:46

A case of “Houston, we have a problem”, but, otherwise, another great puzzle from Goliath. SATISFY and UNHAPPY were my favourites.
Libellule

#6 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 10:51

There is a Heuston station in Dublin… not that it helps.
KVa

#7 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 11:29

My faves: RIDINGS, RECYCLED and DAY ROOM.

Thanks Goliath and Oriel.
Dom

#8 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 13:13

Thanks Goliath for setting the record straight. I thought Euston was a good answer to a good clue so I was confused but managed to fill the blanks.
I liked a lot of these, Ridings, Strung Out, Monetised, Booking
Thanks Goliath and Oriel.
Tony Santucci

#9 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 14:52

Thanks Goliath for a top-notch crossword with my favourites being STAR, BOOKING, SATISFY, PARABLE, TWO-TIMERS, and POTUS. I guessed but didn’t understand RIDINGS and HOUSTON, the latter for obvious reasons. Thanks Oriel for the blog.
KenF

#10 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 14:55

19 Down delayed my comment. I had “sue” reversed for the “legal action” element, but obviously one letter short with EUSTON. Whilst several NY metro trains are routed under Houston on the Lower East side there is no Houston station.
Relieved to have abandoned with a missing answer.
A solid grid otherwise especially RIDINGS and “Monet” within 27 Across.
Moly

#11 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 17:05

Half an hour of my life which I will never recover wasted on Houston

Otherwise, fairly straightforward

Hmmm.
Moly

#12 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 17:08

Surely the editor is paid to find these (inevitable) mistakes?
Roz

#13 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 17:52

Libellule @6 , I had Heuston in my grid , all the letters were there but I could not find the H from the wordplay . It is a pretty big station with a beautiful building .
Martyn

#14 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 20:10

What TS@9 said
Martin

#15 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 20:25

HOUSTON was fine in the app (They were informed about a problem not returning to unfinished house.)

This was a fun puzzle. I found it quite straightforward for whatever reason. It probably seemed a few notches easier without an impossible clue in its midst! I liked CHURCH STEEPLE and RECYCLED

Thanks Goliath and Oriel
James P

#16 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 22:10

Liked adieu, extol, two timers. Guessed Houston and came here looking for enlightenment. Thanks both.
Anil

#17 - Wed 15th Apr 26, 22:11

I couldn’t see directors and instead jotted in atrocious. All the crossings work except the first. But I don’t know what ridings are anyways!

Thank you all
Hovis

#18 - Thu 16th Apr 26, 06:51

Anil. Riding comes from a Norse word for ‘thirding’ – Yorkshire has three of them: North, East & West.
Martin Brice

#19 - Thu 16th Apr 26, 17:43

Thought 4 down a work of genius.