Puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 2, 2026
No grid this week and a differently formatted blog simply because the crossword happened to not be downloadable. There was a download link on the FT site but clicking it produced only some unhelpful junk. I tried several times over the weekend. However it could be solved online.
I made very quick work of this puzzle. It strikes me as very Muddy and maybe one of Mudd’s best. My favourites are many: 3 (FIRST PERSON), 7 (GEL), 11 (STET), 12 (NATTERJACK), 14 (FAREWELL), 19 (HASTINGS) and 25 (HEN). Thank you Mudd.
ACROSS
1 Bulb switched off, heading for darkness in Irish house (8)
DAFFODIL – OFF (off) backwards (switched) + D[arkness] together in DAIL (Irish house, of parliament that is)
6 Glossy dish for bird (6)
MAGPIE – MAG (glossy) + PIE (dish)
9 Turning circle for religious minister (6)
CLERIC – anagram (turning) of circle
10 Writer has dropped bap into drink (8)
TROLLOPE – ROLL (bap) in (has dropped into) TOPE (drink). ‘Tope’ means to drink regularly.
11 Leave that text penned by best etymologist (4)
STET – hidden word (penned by)
12 Toad observing rabbit on rabbit, say (10)
NATTERJACK – NATTER (rabbit) + JACK (rabbit say)
14 I’m off food, effectively (8)
FAREWELL – FARE (food) + WELL (effectively)
16 Fielding error? (4)
SLIP – double definition
18 Name of authors wrong, though not entirely (4)
AMIS – AMIS[s] (wrong though not entirely). Referring to Kingsley and Martin.
19 Seaside town contains property, but no hospital (8)
HASTINGS – HAS THI[n]GS (contains property but no hospital)
21 Ancient ring may have gone with these rocks, unknown number visiting (10)
STONEHENGE – N (unkown number) in anagram (rocks) of GONE THESE
22 Measure certain charity boxes (4)
INCH – hidden word (boxes)
24 A good time cut short by reluctant Prince Charming (8)
LOTHARIO – LOTH (reluctant, a variant of LOATH) + A RIO[t] (a good time cut short). My thanks to BC for helping me parse this one.
26 Spool bouncin’ up and down (6)
BOBBIN – BOBBIN[g] (bouncin’ up and down)
28 By three, thoroughbred finally prepared – for this race? (3,5)
THE DERBY – anagram (prepared) of BY THREE [thoroughbre]D
DOWN
2 Set aside loads, saving fifty (5)
ALLOT – L (50) in (saving) A LOT (loads)
3 I worked for spinster (5,6)
FIRST PERSON – anagram (worked) of FOR SPINSTER
4 Drunk reacted, grabbing new bottle (8)
DECANTER – N (new) in (grabbing) anagram (drunk) of REACTED
5 Load washing line and don’t hold back (3,2,3,4,3)
LET IT ALL HANG OUT – double definition
6 Figure inspired by scooter rider was daydreaming (6)
MOONED – ONE (figure) in (inspired by) MOD (scooter rider)
7 Come together when member stands up (3)
GEL – LEG (member) reversed (stands up)
8 Puck on stage making a hit (9)
IMPACTING – IMP (puck) + ACTING (on stage)
13 Otherwise futile, jab is warranted (11)
JUSTIFIABLE – anagram (otherwise) of FUTILE JAB
15 Strapping on end of sleeve for astronaut (9)
ARMSTRONG – ARM (sleeve) + STRONG (strapping)
17 Disorder seen in Mediterranean island after uprising, come together (8)
ASSEMBLE – MESS (disorder) in (seen in) ELBA (Mediterranean island) backwards (after uprising)
20 Gleeful as a grasshopper? (6)
CHIRPY – double definition
23 Scale that’s cold on fin, perhaps (5)
CLIMB – C (cold) + LIMB (fin perhaps)
25 Chicken afterwards, no starter (3)
HEN – [t]HEN (afterwards no starter)
Seem to be missing 27A explanation…
A quick solve for me too. There were many amusing clues and I best liked FIRST PERSON and FAREWELL
All parsed, but I did wonder whether SLIP is really the same as fielding.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Ah. Was hoping to see coverage of the FT’s b weekend crossword, the large BH grid set this time by Leonidas with a very loose theme. I think we might have thrown the paper out now but it was a really nice puzzle with a couple of beautifully disguised definitions.
I prefer the FT”s BH weekend puzzles generally to the Guardian’s: there may sometimes be a theme, but by and large it’s simply a larger grid with no need to solve a maths puzzle, or find lists of US State capitals, etc.
MOONED held me up for a while as I’d never heard of MOD. I was thinking of something associated with MOPED. I liked IMPACTING.
Mudd is such a different setter in the FT – very straightforward.
Andrew B @3 – there is a plan for the Bank Holiday blog to appear next weekend – so a week’s delay on those blogs. There was a post about it, but it’s been deleted.
Thank you to Pete Maclean and Mudd.
As we solve on paper we were frustrated by the gibberish download link but got round it by printing from a screenshot. An enjoyable puzzle with no problems for us but we did wonder how many solvers are old enough to remember the scooter-riding mods (and their rivals the rockers on motorbikes).
Thanks, Mudd and Pete.