Topical fun from Julius. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
You can always rely on Julius to provide an entertaining puzzle with inventive, witty wordplay. Lots of good clues here but the great anagram at 19 across is perhaps the pick of the bunch.
Thanks, Julius!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SNAPCHAT |
Suddenly break off talks announced in social media app (8)
|
| SNAP (suddenly break off) +CHAT (talks)
Reference to Trump making announcements on negotiations with Iran via his Truth Social platform |
||
| 5 | AGE GAP |
Something to consider when dating silver leaf from the east (3,3)
|
| AG (silver) + PAGE (leaf) reversed (from the east) | ||
| 10 | JET FUEL |
Its rare quality might keep me grounded (3,4)
|
| Cryptic definition
The ongoing situation in Iran is causing shortages of jet fuel with many flights cancelled as a result |
||
| 11 | MET GALA |
London WPC first to attend high society do (3,4)
|
| MET GAL (London WPC) + first [letter] to Attend
The annual display of ostentatious wealth was held in New York this month |
||
| 12/14 | DAVID ATTENBOROUGH |
Broadcaster shot bat devouring toad back in Isleworth (5,12)
|
| Anagram (shot) of BAT DEVOURING TOAD + last letter (back) in islewortH
National treasure Sir David celebrated his 100th birthday this month |
||
| 13 | BATHSHEBA |
Hardy lass who had heart of Oak? (9)
|
| Cryptic definition
Bathsheba Everdene is the main character in Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd. One of her three suitors in the novel is Gabriel Oak |
||
| 19 | WES STREETING |
“Resign!” tweets dodgy opportunist (3,9)
|
| Anagram (dodgy) of RESIGN TWEETS
The former Health Secretary has been leading calls for Keir Starmer to resign |
||
| 22 | LOUNGE BAR |
Where we might find Kash Patel ordering grub alone? (6,3)
|
| Anagram (ordering) of GRUB ALONE
It’s been widely reported that the director of the FBI allegedly has a drink problem |
||
| 25 | FROTH |
Frivolity following US novelist Philip? (5)
|
| F (following) + ROTH (US novelist Philip Roth) | ||
| 26 | GRECIAN |
Scholar beginning to grumble about Agency name (7)
|
| First letter of (beginning to) Grumble + RE (about) +CIA (agency) + N (name) | ||
| 27 | GENTIAN |
Alpine chap undressing Joanna? (7)
|
| GENT (chap) + [p]IAN[o] (Joanna) with first and last letters removed (undressing) | ||
| 28 | TRYSTS |
Secret meetings held in Coventry St, Stourbridge (6)
|
| Hidden (held) in covenTRY ST Stourbridge
Possibly in the Ghurka Bar and Grill on that thoroughfare? (rated 4.6/5 on TripAdvisor) |
||
| 29 | PYRENEES |
Build-up of firewood observed going round highlands (8)
|
| PYRE (build-up of firewood) + SEEN (observed) reversed (going round) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ST JUDE |
Shoot-out drained Bellingham, perhaps the epitome of hopeless causes (2,4)
|
| Shoot-ouT with middle letters removed (drained) + JUDE (Bellingham, perhaps) | ||
| 2 | ACTIVE |
Brisk penultimate section of Shakespeare tragedy beginning in Elsinore (6)
|
| ACT IV (penultimate section of Shakespeare tragedy) + first letter (beginning) in Elsinore | ||
| 3 | COUP D’ETAT |
Plot to topple leader acted out brutally when assuming power (4,5)
|
| Anagram (brutally) of ACTED OUT containing (assuming) P (power)
Possibly a reference to plans to oust Keir Starmer as Prime Minister |
||
| 4 | ALLA BREVE |
Flipping severe verbal lashing includes instruction to players (4,5)
|
| Hidden (includes) & reversed (flipping) in severE VERBAL LAshing | ||
| 6 | GOTHS |
Old people contracted case of hantavirus (5)
|
| GOT (contracted) + first and last letters (case) of HantaviruS
The MV Hondius cruise ship suffered an outbreak of hantavirus earlier this month |
||
| 7 | GRATEFUL |
Expressing thanks, the old king dined almost drunk (8)
|
| GR (George Rex = the old king) + ATE (dined) + FUL[l] (drunk, almost) | ||
| 8 | PHARAOHS |
Area captured by crazy pro-Shah ruling class from yesteryear (8)
|
| A (area) contained (captured) by an anagram (crazy) of PRO-SHAH
Reference to the ongoing situation in Iran |
||
| 9 | SMUT |
Starts to suspect Maxwell uploaded totally inappropriate material (4)
|
| First letters (starts) to Suspect Maxwell Uploaded Totally | ||
| 15 | BETH RIGBY |
Times acquires Echo, upsetting bright politics hack (4,5)
|
| BY (times) contains (acquires) E (echo) + anagram (upsetting) of BRIGHT
The Sky News political editor clashed with Reform leader Nigel Farage the other day over the £5m donations he received from a cryptocurrency billionaire |
||
| 16 | RING-FENCE |
Separate telephone receiver? (4-5)
|
| RING (telephone) + FENCE (receiver [of stolen goods]) | ||
| 17 | TWILIGHT |
Wife unwrapped silk figure-hugging trousers in the early evening (8)
|
| W (wife) + [s]IL[k] with first and last letters removed (unwrapped), which TIGHT (figure-hugging) contains (trousers) | ||
| 18 | ASTUTELY |
A small boy king, see, in a shrewd way (8)
|
| A + S (small) + TUT (boy king) + Ely (see) | ||
| 20/21 | MOBILE PHONES |
Alabama city calls Trump’s latest 23 (6,6)
|
| Mobile (Alabama city) + PHONES (calls)
Trump announced that he is cancelling his plans to launch a mobile phone, pocketing the millions paid by people who signed up to the scheme |
||
| 23 | GRIFT |
Grand international newspaper covers Republican swindle (5)
|
| G (grand) + I (international) + FT (newspaper) covers R (Republican) | ||
| 24 | BUNG |
Surveillance device picks up conclusion of multimillion bribe (4)
|
| BUG (surveillance device) contains (picks up) last letter (conclusion) of multimillioN |
19 across is indeed brilliant. Sadly, there are too many news stories where BUNG might apply. I’m going with Nigel’s 5m.
I googled Pyrenees in the news and learnt that a great Pyrenees guard dog became a social media sensation by chasing off a grizzly bear.
The News puzzle continues to provide a welcome antidote to the news bulletins.
The brilliant 19ac is, alas, too ephemeral for my little book of classic clues, which is, of course, inevitable in such a puzzle. I’m constantly amazed at Julius’ genius for finding such apt anagrams – LOUNGE BAR is another example.
I also admired ATTENBOROUGH: Sir David was born in IslewortH but grew up here in Leicester, where his fascination for bats, toads – and newts, etc – developed, in the grounds of the family home, College House and elsewhere. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx26p5n1pj2o
TRYSTS was another brilliant spot: very cleverly hidden – and I was amazed to discover that the fodder was an actual location!
I also enjoyed the literary references in 13ac and 2dn and smiled at ST JUDE and GENTIAN (I’m always amused at Joanna = piano).
Many thanks to Julius for a puzzle full of wit and wisdom and to the indefatigable Widdersbel, for his usual sterling work in tracking down the references.
Double whammie Julius this weekend! Amazed I got anything else useful done…
Agreed 19a is terrific. Other favourites included the almost riddle-like 10a and the neat 3d.
I so admire Julius’ ability to craft cuttingly acerbic clues in what seems like an almost real-time response to current affairs. The FT News puzzle really is a perfect vehicle for him.
jvector – agree, the News puzzle is made for Julius’ talents. It’s worth following him on social media (Knut on Bluesky) for the regular topical clues he drops there. Here’s a fab recent (prescient rather than topical) one:
Coach nears grisly fate (4,4)
This was good. I liked ACTIVE, RING FENCE and JET FUEL. I agree about the superior anagrammatical quality. I didn’t have the specialist GK required to parse BATHSHEBA.
Thanks Julius and Widdersbel