After a glitch this morning, we have a BOBCAT puzzle, which is a nice surprise for a Wednesday!
The FT had originally published a duplicate Goliath puzzle this morning, but this was swiftly rectified with a Bobcat offering. A treat for this Wednesday blogger as Bobcat is usually on a different day of the week. A most enjoyable and well-crafted puzzle with Bobcat’s traditional cat-themed nina. Many thanks to the FT editor for quickly publishing a new puzzle for us, and of course to the setter.
Double/cryptic definition
- Golf is a game (play) involving hitting a ball (striking)
- GOLF comes before HOTEL in the NATO alphabet – traditionally broadcast
T (tense) + RIP[e] (fully developed, short) + (LIE (story) gripping CAT (queen?))
PINE (long) + (NET (to trap) + RAM (sheep))< (<running around)
BI[den] (out of DEN (office)) + A[ccept]S (being denied interior)
GIT (despicable individual) pinching [t]EDD[y] (cuddly toy, stuffing from)
RELY (depend) on (I (unit, mathematical) attached to ENT (hospital department))
[m]ARIA[n] (hood’s moll, exposed)
Referring to Robin Hood’s lady friend of course.
(NEEDY MAYOR)* (*in a pickle) – semi &lit
INVENT (contrive) to secure [b]ES[t] T[i]M[es] (in prime locations)
Prime locations refers to prime numbers, so the letters of the phrase in positions 2, 3, 5, 7
MEET< (run into, <on the way back)
Double definition
IN[j]URE[s] (damages, being reduced, J (judge) put out) and [dismisse]D (ultimately)
[m]ARCH (way to demonstrate, when denied opening)
EX (old flame) + ACER (tree) with (B[light] A[round] T[runk] E[xpected] (merest traces of))
(EFFECT HARD)* (*to work out)
R[e]AR (back, second from moving to end)
So we take the second letter in REAR and move it to the end of the word to find a synonym for ‘unusual’
(LOCHINVAR + B[rav]E (extremely))* (*not exactly)
[Cran]FIELD FAR E[arlier] (possibly flying from)
TO + [m]ASTER (manage, without a leader)
From ‘eggs and soldiers’ where soldiers are slices of toast
(BARMIEST HEATHEN)* (*let loose)
[lan]G[uid] (essentially) boring LENT (time before Easter) + H[olida]Y (spent inside)
Cryptic definition
RIGHT could be A SIDE (as in the left and right sides of something)
SAY (to speak) in support of E[ritrean]S (evacuated)
(EDITOR ELECT)* (*all over the place)
OUT (old-fashioned) + NUMBER (anaesthetist)
TIDES (movements) must involve I (one) over T (time)
AIL (trouble) crowding TEND (nurse)
A play on the meaning of ‘WAG’ which as an acronym is a footballer’s partner (wives and girlfriends), and in this case referring to a dog’s action
TAFF (river, in Wales) beneath S (south)
(S (special) + C (carbon)) cutting OAR (blade)
GOLF
Def: I think “that’s” forms part of the def.
PINE MARTEN
“running around” confused me. In the cryptic reading, “running” doesn’t
seem to have a purpose.
OUTNUMBER
Is the def intransitive and the solution transitive? Or am I mistaken?
Liked READY MONEY, FAR-FETCHED, TOASTER and TAIL-END
Thanks, Bobcat and Oriel.
Dnf, got impatient and revealed the L of golf and the b of bias (great clue). And that singer, what an odd name, sounds like food, farm-to-plate! Hey ho, enjoyed it ntl, ta to the Cat and the Window.
Thanks for the blog and the warning earlier about the Goliath puzzle being replaced , I would have missed this totally but managed to get a print out .
Very good set of clues , INVESTMENT is very neat , I like the prime number trick but it is difficult for setters to avoid using prime etc which puts me on alert .
Agree, KVa @1, outnumber is transitive whereas prevail, to operate on an object, needs a preposition — prevail over (or upon, in another meaning).
I did not know “soldiers”=”toast,” so that one, my last in, was a mystery. British English is an endless font of peculiar usages. Anyway, I would never have gotten that one without the help of the friendly LIONESS. Thanks to Bobcat and Oriel.
Thanks Bobcat for a great set of clues with my favourites being TRIPLICATE (a hidden CAT!), INVESTMENT, SHOULDER, TOASTER, OUTNUMBER, OSCAR, and, of course, LIONESS. It wouldn’t be a Bobcat without a few bites and scratches, however, and I eventually revealed FIELDFARE and GEDDIT, both foreign to me. Thanks Oriel for the blog.
mrpenny @5: In my travels in Britain I noticed that a soft cooked egg often comes with a piece of toast cut in strips and lined up like ‘soldiers’; I believe that’s where the connection lies.
Correct Tony@6 , we call it a soft-boiled egg , in an egg-cup , cut the top off , dip the soldiers in .
The FIELDFARE is basically a large thrush , they live in Scandanavia but visit the UK in winter to feast on our berries . A smaller thrush , the Redwing , does the same .
Thanks Roz.
I found this a tough one. I got ARIA from west side story and a topless Maria.
I spotted the LIONESS early. The FIELDFARE somewhat later. This felt hard for a Bobcat, or maybe I just wasn’t tuned in. A good challenge.
Thanks Oriel.