The monthly geographically themed puzzle, available to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
The usual preamble:
A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular place in the world. Its name should be inserted at 25. Work out the place by solving the * asterisked clues, all undefined. Their solutions have some relevance to the place, such as famous people, locations and culture
A good fun puzzle as ever from Peto. I’ve spent a lot of time in Liverpool so the themed solutions were all familiar to me, making this a relatively straightforward solve. Thanks, Peto!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. Thematic clues are marked with an asterisk and have no further definition.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PIER HEAD |
* Fellow speaking with chief (4,4)
|
| Sounds like (speaking) “PEER” (fellow) + HEAD (chief)
Historic riverside area of Liverpool, location of the THREE GRACES |
||
| 5 | RED RUM |
* Revolutionary spirit (3,3)
|
| RED (revolutionary) + RUM (spirit)
Irish champion racehorse, three times winner of the Grand National, which is held annually at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, where there is a statue of him |
||
| 9 | CASTLE ST |
* Chuck in case (6,2)
|
| CAST (chuck) + LEST (in case)
Street in central Liverpool, once the centre of the financial district, noted for its Georgian architecture |
||
| 12 | THE CAVERN |
* Potholer getting through after that (3,6)
|
| CAVER (potholer) inserted in (getting through) THEN (after that)
Music venue on Matthew Street, Liverpool, originally a jazz club, later better known for being where the Beatles played regularly in their early years |
||
| 13 | SPEKE |
* Odds against earls arresting king (5)
|
| SP (odds against) + EE (earls) containing (arresting) K (king)
Suburb of Liverpool, best known for John Lennon Airport |
||
| 14 | CLUE |
Reminder to collect large pointer (4)
|
| CUE (reminder) containing (to collect) L (large) | ||
| 16 | SLAVERS |
* The French vicar about to tuck into seconds (7)
|
| LA (the French) + REV (vicar) reversed (about) inserted (to tuck) into SS (seconds)
The International Slavery Museum is part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum on Liverpool’s Albert Dock. Fascinating and well worth a visit |
||
| 19 | EVERTON |
* Right over wearing uniform (7)
|
| R (right) + TO (over) inserted in (wearing) EVEN (uniform)
Suburb of Liverpool, home to one of its two football teams |
||
| 21 | BOSS |
* Nasty smell on ship (4)
|
| BO (nasty smell) + SS (ship)
Liverpool slang meaning ‘very good’ |
||
| 24/10 | THREE GRACES |
* Regret each stupid lawsuit essentially (5,6)
|
| Anagram (stupid) of REGRET EACH + middle letter (essentially) of lawSuit
Three historic landmark buildings in Liverpool – the Cunard building, the Liver building and the Port of Liverpool building |
||
| 25 | LIVERPOOL |
[See Notes] (9)
|
| The place to which the solutions of all asterisked clues are connected | ||
| 27 | THE LA’S |
* Only some with elasticity (3,3)
|
| Only some [of] wiTH ELASticity
The greatest ever Liverpool band, obviously. Not that there are many other contenders from this city not really noted for its music |
||
| 28 | AIGBURTH |
* Difficulty facing soldier over breaking oath? Not at first (8)
|
| RUB (difficulty) + GI (soldier) reversed (over) inserted in (breaking) [o]ATH less its first letter
Suburb of south Liverpool |
||
| 29 | LORD ST |
* Acts in a superior way towards tenor (4,2)
|
| LORDS (acts in a superior way) + T (tenor)
Street in central Liverpool, part of the shopping district |
||
| 30 | PSALTERS |
Books of sacred songs for each sailor on board ship at the start (8)
|
| PER (for each) with SALT (sailor) inserted (on board) + first letter (at the start) of Ship | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PICOTE |
Pawn diamonds seen around edges of outfit embroidered with loops (6)
|
| P (pawn) + ICE (diamonds) around first and last letters (edges) of OutfiT | ||
| 2 | ENSUED |
Came after petition for stopping completion (6)
|
| SUE (petition) inserted in (for stopping) END (completion) | ||
| 3 | HALMA |
Girl following Hearts’ game (5)
|
| ALMA (girl) following H (hearts)
Strategy board game invented in the 19th century |
||
| 4 | AUSTERE |
Couple of Americans support protecting Republican’s grave (7)
|
| A + US (a couple of Americans) + TEE (support) containing (protecting) R (Republican) | ||
| 6 | ETRUSCANS |
True about examinations of data on members of an ancient civilisation (9)
|
| Anagram (about) of TRUE + SCANS (examinations of data) | ||
| 7 | ROCKETED |
Severely reprimanded to discourage climbing without footwear? Not initially (8)
|
| DETER (to discourage) reversed (climbing) containing (without) [s]OCK less its first letter (not initially) | ||
| 8 | MASSEUSE |
Reflect about fool taking Ecstasy as a pain reliever for instance (8)
|
| MUSE (reflect) containing (about) ASS (fool) + E (ecstasy) | ||
| 11 | ENDS |
Looks after timeless objects (4)
|
| [t]ENDS (looks after) less T (time) | ||
| 15 | LUTHERANS |
Those following a German monk’s line on fluctuation of Earth and Sun (9)
|
| L (line) + anagram (fluctuation) of EARTH and SUN | ||
| 17 | TEETOTAL |
Nameless youngster including all abstaining from alcohol (8)
|
| TEE[n] (youngster) less N (name) + TOTAL (including all) | ||
| 18 | HEAR HEAR |
The mother of the gods entering at this point uttered an exclamation of approval (4,4)
|
| RHEA (the mother of the gods) inserted in (entering) a soundalike (uttered) of “HERE” (at this point) | ||
| 20 | NILE |
Gripped by quarrel involving upcoming runner for example (4)
|
| Contained in (gripped by) quarrEL INvolving reversed (upcoming) | ||
| 21 | BEVVIES |
* Live contests involving hint of voyeurism (7)
|
| BE (live) + VIES (contests) + first letter (hint) of Voyeurism
Liverpool slang for drinks |
||
| 22 | COARSE |
Paddles stored in church? Not fine (6)
|
| OARS (paddles) inserted (stored) in CE (church) | ||
| 23 | ALOHAS |
Sadly admitting an expression of surprise in Hawaiian’s greetings (6)
|
| ALAS (sadly) containing (admitting) OH (expression of surprise) | ||
| 26 | REBEL |
Stumble across British revolutionary (5)
|
| REEL (stumble) containing (across) B (British) |
ETRUSCANS, was my favourite. Worked in Liverpool for a few years so some of them were easy, but being a commuter, wasnt familiar with the suburbs. Thanks to Peto and Wibbersbel
I was familiar with Speke as I think that was the name of the airport, but never heard of Aigburth. Aigburth seems to be bordered by more famous places (Toxteth, Sefton Park) but I can’t see any reason why we might have heard of it.
Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks
I’m from Birkenhead, but a stone’s throw over the Mersey to the Liver building, so I sussed Liverpool from my first solution, and it rather spoiled things, to be honest.
Some odd choices by the setter, perhaps: AIGBURTH….really? Speke, Castle St., and Lord St. Could do better, I think, from the vast treasure trove that Liverpool offers.
“BEVVIES”, not exactly unique to Liverpool , in fact probably an import from Irish dock workers.
Red Rum was bred in Ireland, but never ran there, so “Irish champion” is a bit misleading.
It’s a well-compiled puzzle, with some crafty definitions, and I enjoyed it.
Thanks to Peto & Widdersbel
Aigburth is probably best known for the cricket ground where Lancashire sometimes play. I had BOSS, SLAVERS, and RED RUM, but still didn’t know the place. BOSS was my first geographical clue and I was thinking New Jersey or Philadelphia, but neither fit.
I know precious little about Liverpool–only EVERTON (from football) and THE CAVERN (from Beatles) were known to me. (I have only been to England once, and you can’t see it all.) So this was a fun exercise in solving the mostly pretty clear clues to get plausible proper nouns, then checking. But that did mean I needed the blog to learn what all those places were! So many thanks to Widdersbel for that.
Interesting choice of place. I guessed Liverpool from my foi, Red Rum. Although I have never been to Liverpool I managed to solve most clues.But I ran out of steam towards the end and failed with Aigburth , Lord St and the Las.
Thanks Peto and Widdersbel.
Nearly impossible for this Yank, but I managed all but three thx to the miracle of Google AI and 2 days of pondering.