Financial Times 18,470 by SLEUTH

Thanks to Sleuth for an enjoyable challenge.

I’ve not blogged a Sleuth puzzle before, and am standing in for the regular blogger. I really enjoyed this, and found Sleuth’s trademark long outer perimeter clues a great help to kick-start to grid. The anagrams are quite masterful! Great range of clues, all cleverly and thoughtfully composed. Thanks to Sleuth.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS

1. Rue inept learner poorly typifying business types? (15)

ENTREPRENEURIAL

(RUE INEPT LEARNER)* (*poorly)

9. Source of paper in place to go? (3,4)

LOO ROLL

Cryptic definition

10. Saw dog trapped by lead (7)

PROVERB

ROVER (dog) trapped by PB (lead, chemical symbol)

11. Exclusive serving of ice cream? (5)

SCOOP

Double definition

12. A neurotic mixed-up colourless drink (9)

COINTREAU

(A NEUROTIC)* (*mixed up)

13. Price (not small) in course for beefsteak (9)

ENTRECOTE

CO[s]T (price, not S (small)) in ENTREE (course)

15. Noted tenor in concert has flair on and off (5)

GIGLI

GIG (concert) has [f]L[a]I[r] (on and off)

16. Follow element in the US newly given backing (5)

ENSUE

[th]E US NE[wly]< (element in, <given backing)

18. Ends visit sadly to remove funds (9)

DISINVEST

(ENDS VISIT)* (*sadly)

20. Colts, maybe, in limited rural workplaces with no leader (5,4)

SMALL ARMS

SMALL (limited) + [f]ARMS (rural workplaces, with no leader)

23. Figure once revered in regal banquet (5)

ALBAN

[reg]AL BAN[quet] (in)

Saint Alban is the first recorded British Christian martyr.

24. Indication of brisk movement in bars? (7)

ALLEGRO

Cryptic definition

‘Allegro’ is a musical term indicating a brisk, lively pace – sheet music is made up of bars.

25. A revolutionary spirit in first of such excellent warriors (7)

SAMURAI

(A + RUM< (spirit, <revolutionary)) in (S[uch] (first of) + AI (excellent))

26. Tradesmen potter around in large retail venue (10,5)

DEPARTMENT STORE

(TRADESMEN POTTER)* (*around)

DOWN

1. That woman from Quebec has unusually dismal sneer in part of Canada (9,6)

ELLESMERE ISLAND

ELLE (that woman from Quebec, i.e. in French) has (DISMAL SNEER)* (*unusually)

2. Treated to a meal removed for good? (4,3)

TOOK OUT

Double definition

3. Engineer copes in this place, wholly habitable area (9)

ECOSPHERE

COPES* (*engineer) + HERE (in this place)

4. Priest captivated by Roman Catholic saint’s bone, say (5)

RELIC

ELI (priest) captivated by RC (Roman Catholic)

5. Longs to get into aspect of bowling on reflection – speed? (9)

NIPPINESS

PINES (longs) to get into SPIN< (aspect of bowling, <on reflection)

6. A doubt resolved with day gone in submarine (1-4)

U-BOAT

(A [d]OUBT)* (*resolved, with D (day) gone)

7. Early sign of increased cold before bird soars in part of Arctic landscape (7)

ICEBERG

I[ncreased] (early sign of) + C (cold) before GREBE< (bird, <soars)

8. Unenviable trio’s struggling, needing many workers? (6-9)

LABOUR INTENSIVE

(UNENVIABLE TRIO)* (*struggling)

14. Command to establish customer’s document (5,4)

ORDER FORM

ORDER (command) + FORM (to establish)

15. Information on titled figures about right for officers (9)

GENDARMES

GEN (information) on DAMES (titled figures) about R (right)

17. Two sides for all to see in sudden traffic jam (5-2)

SNARL-UP

(R, L (two sides, right, left) + U (for all to see, movie rating)) in SNAP (sudden)

19. English doctor on ship in blockade (7)

EMBARGO

E (English) + MB (doctor, Bachelor of Medicine/Medicinae Baccalaureus) on ARGO (ship, from Greek mythology)

21. Drink in South African camp picked up (5)

LAGER

“LAAGER” (South African camp, “picked up”)

22. Woman taking part in this US anniversary (5)

SUSAN

[thi]S US AN[niversary] (taking part in)

5 comments on “Financial Times 18,470 by SLEUTH”

Diane

#1 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 08:20

Sleuth, like Flimsy, is another setter we don’t see so often but whose puzzles I usually enjoy.
Today was no exception. Admittedly, the perimeter clues helped to make light work of this solve but it was no less satisfying for all that.
My favourites included GENDARMES, NIPPINESS and for their surfaces, PROVERB and SMALL ARMS. Needed to come here to check the full parsing of 17.
Thanks to Sleuth and Oriel.

Geoff Down Under

#2 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 08:28

Enjoyable with several speed bumps. Couldn’t parse SNARL-UP (which I’ve never heard of) — the hidden British movie classification didn’t help. And I’ve never heard of a laager or St Alban or tenor Gigli. Didn’t think LOO ROLL was cryptic.

Petert

#3 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 11:13

LABOUR INTENSIVE was my favourite of the long anagrams and NIPPINESS was cleverly done. It must be hard to come up with really good cryptic definitions, but LOO ROLL perhaps isn’t one of them.

Jack Of Few Trades

#4 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 11:35

Good fun – for once I abandoned my usual habit of working through the clues in order and tackled the 4 outer anagrams which gave me the corners and borders of the jigsaw puzzle. I did not find either of 9ac or 24ac particularly cryptic – I suppose once one has seen the tricks of “bars”meaning “music” and “to go” being a lavatorial reference the misdirection disappears. However, not everyone will have seen those tricks so I think they are fair cryptic clues. On the other hand Gigli died nearly 70 years ago so was a bit of a reach.

A pity about the lovely “Ellesmere Island” clue – the Québecois use “a” instead of “elle” (quite a few of the pronouns differ).

thanks Sleuth and Oriel

Grazer

#5 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 11:45

A light but enjoyable romp which I think I finished in a record time!!! Thanks, @SLEUTH.

Diane

#1 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 08:20

Sleuth, like Flimsy, is another setter we don’t see so often but whose puzzles I usually enjoy.
Today was no exception. Admittedly, the perimeter clues helped to make light work of this solve but it was no less satisfying for all that.
My favourites included GENDARMES, NIPPINESS and for their surfaces, PROVERB and SMALL ARMS. Needed to come here to check the full parsing of 17.
Thanks to Sleuth and Oriel.
Geoff Down Under

#2 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 08:28

Enjoyable with several speed bumps. Couldn’t parse SNARL-UP (which I’ve never heard of) — the hidden British movie classification didn’t help. And I’ve never heard of a laager or St Alban or tenor Gigli. Didn’t think LOO ROLL was cryptic.
Petert

#3 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 11:13

LABOUR INTENSIVE was my favourite of the long anagrams and NIPPINESS was cleverly done. It must be hard to come up with really good cryptic definitions, but LOO ROLL perhaps isn’t one of them.
Jack Of Few Trades

#4 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 11:35

Good fun – for once I abandoned my usual habit of working through the clues in order and tackled the 4 outer anagrams which gave me the corners and borders of the jigsaw puzzle. I did not find either of 9ac or 24ac particularly cryptic – I suppose once one has seen the tricks of “bars”meaning “music” and “to go” being a lavatorial reference the misdirection disappears. However, not everyone will have seen those tricks so I think they are fair cryptic clues. On the other hand Gigli died nearly 70 years ago so was a bit of a reach.

A pity about the lovely “Ellesmere Island” clue – the Québecois use “a” instead of “elle” (quite a few of the pronouns differ).

thanks Sleuth and Oriel
Grazer

#5 - Thu 3rd Sep 26, 11:45

A light but enjoyable romp which I think I finished in a record time!!! Thanks, @SLEUTH.

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5 comments on “Financial Times 18,470 by SLEUTH”

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