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Puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 12, 2026
I quickly solved the two 13-letter clues (1d and 10) but needed some time to complete the job. I have to call the fine &Lit. at 1a (CAPSULE) the best clue and I also liked 7 (RHUBARB) and 20 (CASTLED). And I somehow lost the grid and cannot figure out how to get it back.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CAPSULE |
Engineered space unit, life-supporting primarily (7)
|
| Anagram (engineered) of SPACE U[nit] L[ife] &Lit. | ||
| 5 | SPHERE |
Female bearing pressure on field (6)
|
| P (pressure) in (bearing) SHE (female) + RE (on) | ||
| 8 | REPUTABLE |
Upright engineers sited before contractor left base (9)
|
| RE (engineers) + PUT (sited) + AB (contractor) + L (left) + E (base) where ‘contractor’ is a muscle | ||
| 9 | MOULT |
Bullets periodically hidden behind second shed (5)
|
| MO (second) + [b]U[l]L[e]T[s] | ||
| 11 | ELITE |
Spain introducing low-calorie cream (5)
|
| E (Spain introducing) + LITE (low-calorie) | ||
| 12 | LANDSCAPE |
Picture youngsters being drilled by new head (9)
|
| N (new) in (being drilled by) LADS (youngsters) + CAPE (head) | ||
| 13 | PRATTLED |
In a fluster after Penny delivered waffle (8)
|
| P (penny) + RATTLED (in a fluster) | ||
| 15 | NIMBUS |
A single megabyte compressed by students in Cloud (6)
|
| I (a single) + MB (megabyte) in (compressed by) NUS (students, i.e. National Union of Students) | ||
| 17 | NECTAR |
Workers maybe sip this back inside bar at centre (6)
|
| Reverse (back) hidden (inside) | ||
| 19 | SILENCER |
Energy stored by complex SLR cine device on arm? (8)
|
| E (energy) in (stored by) anagram (complex) of SLR CINE | ||
| 22 | ELABORATE |
Detailed talk led by a retired acting Christian (9)
|
| [Christian] BALE (acting Christian) + ORATE (talk) | ||
| 23 | POSIT |
Message island blocks in advance (5)
|
| I (island) in (blocks) POST (message) with the definition in the sense of to advance an idea | ||
| 24 | TRADE |
Exchange twisted arrow back in store (5)
|
| DART (arrow) backwards (twisted) + [stor]E | ||
| 25 | TOMATILLO |
Old woman by cash register cutting overly small fruit (9)
|
| MA (old woman) + TILL (cash register) in (cutting) TOO (overly) | ||
| 26 | MEASLY |
Spotted maiden clearly leaving Italy (6)
|
| M (maiden) + EAS[i]LY (clearly leaving Italy). I easily guessed it but do not recall ever coming across ‘measly’ in the sense of having or relating to measles. | ||
| 27 | SWADDLE |
Butcher’s cut constricting with bandage (7)
|
| W (with) in (constricting) SADDLE (butcher’s cut) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CORRESPONDENT |
Reporter right in centre directed around body of water (13)
|
| R (right) in CORE (centre) POND (body of water) in (around) SENT (directed) | ||
| 2 | PAPRIKA |
Old man drinking fruity drink recalled spicy stuff (7)
|
| KIR (fruity drink) backwards (recalled) in (drinking) PAPA (old man) | ||
| 3 | UNTIE |
Free coverage for family members cancelled (5)
|
| [a}UNTIE[s] (coverage for family members cancelled) | ||
| 4 | EMBOLDEN |
Gee up shy setter climbing above lair (8)
|
| LOB (shy) + ME (setter) together backwards (climbing) + DEN (lair) | ||
| 5 | SIENNA |
Shade son instead of Victor in capital (6)
|
| VIENNA (capital) with the ‘V’ (Victor) replaced by (instead of) ‘S’ (son) | ||
| 6 | HAMPSHIRE |
Representative’s greeting within Rush County (9)
|
| MPS (representative’s) + HI (greeting) in (within) HARE (rush) | ||
| 7 | RHUBARB |
Rubbish dig under French road reported (7)
|
| RHU (homophone of ‘rue’) + BARB (dig) | ||
| 10 | TREASURE TROVE |
Nurse certainly stops cycling over buried valuables? (8,5)
|
| SURE (certainly) in (stops) TREAT (nurse) + ROVE (OVER circularly shifted one letter to the right) | ||
| 14 | TEA TOWELS |
Note area with lowest repositioned dryers (3,6)
|
| TE (note) + A (area) + anagram (repositioned) of LOWEST | ||
| 16 | DILEMMAS |
Fixes spinning top with novel bit of string (8)
|
| LID (spinning top) + EMMA (novel) + S[tring] | ||
| 18 | CHARADE |
Ace struggling with hard word in party game (7)
|
| Anagram (strugglng) of ACE HARD | ||
| 20 | CASTLED |
Actors went ahead and performed a two-piece movement (7)
|
| CAST (actors) + LED (went ahead) with the definition referring to the game of chess | ||
| 21 | GANTRY |
Go below group almost supporting framework (6)
|
| GAN[g] (group almost) + TRY (go) | ||
| 23 | PITTA |
Bread roll on summit? (5)
|
| AT (on) + TIP (summit) backwards (roll) |
Thanks Leonidas and Pete
I think 3dn is [a]UNTIE[s] given the plural “family members” in the clue.
As always I enjoyed this Leonidas puzzle.
I found the top half went in quickly with the bottom half taking a lot longer which seems to happen a lot for me.
Loved TOMATILLO as I grow them at the allotment.
Also liked: POSIT, SWADDLE, EMBOLDEN, RUBARB (which is also at the allotment)
Thanks Leonidas and Pete Maclean
Agree with Fiona’s favourites and her assessment overall.
Like Pelham, I assumed 3d was ‘aunties’ uncovered. Still on plurals, I’ve always referred to the 18’s game as CHARADES but it’s in the dictionary.
Very enjoyable.
Thanks Leonidas and Pete.
I enjoyed this a lot as Leonidas returns to top form.
Favourites were MOULT, ELITE, EMBOLDEN, and TOMATILLO
I was unable to parse CAPSULE (did not see U and L) and DILEMMAS (did not think of EMMA). I was unfamiliar with SADDLE for butcher’s cut
Thanks Leonidas and Pete
Thanks Leonidas for the top notch weekend entertainment. I found this challenging at first but everything eventually fell into place. My favourites were CAPSULE, the nicely hidden NECTAR, ELABORATE (any clue with Christian Bale deserves a tick), UNTIE, DILEMMAS, and CASTLED. I saw the definition in CHARADE as ‘word in party game’ hence the singularity. Thanks Pete for the blog.
CHARADE
Agree with Tony@5 on the def.
PRATTLED
I think the def should include the ‘delivered’.
GANTRY
Def: supporting framework.
My picks: CAPSULE, REPUTABLE, SWADDLE, UNTIE, TREASURE TROVE
and CASTLED.
Thanks Leonidas and Pete.
Thanks for the blog , lots of clever clues , I cannot improve on the lists above and the sea is calling my name .
Loved EMBOLDEN, DILEMMAS, PITTA and CASTLED. Left side was a bit more challenging than right side for me but overall a hugely enjoyable puzzle. Many thanks!
I somehow missed this on Saturday, as I had a busy day and so I had an extra treat this morning, when I saw there was a blog.
I found it quite a challenge but managed to get there in the end, with lots of ticks as the pennies dropped.
I agree with KVa’s comment @6 in every respect, adding PAPRIKA to his picks (because I enjoy the fruity drink!).
Fine work from @LEONIDAS, many thanks. I couldn’t parse REPUTABLE – failed to spot Contractor was a muscle! But otherwise all good!