The monthly current affairs themed puzzle. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
It’s always a joy to see Julius’ byline on the News puzzle, even when there’s little to make you smile in the news itself. I found this all fairly plain sailing except for 24 down, which I can’t parse. I’m sure I’m missing something blindingly obvious. Anyone? [Edit: now cleared up – see comments]
Thanks for the fun as ever, Julius!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DOVER |
Danny Tommo’s extremists, English right, surrounding very important port (5)
|
| First and last letters (extremists) in Danny tommO + E (English) + R (right) surrounding V (very)
Great opening clue, referencing the blockade of Dover by a bunch of balaclava-wearing morons |
||
| 4 | CITY STATE |
Yard caught its man awaiting extradition outside The Vatican? (4,5)
|
| Y (yard) with C (caught) + ITS + TATE (man awaiting extradition) outside
Andrew Tate is currently in prison in the US awaiting extradition on charges of prostitution and trafficking |
||
| 9/11 | WORLD TRADE CENTER |
24 19 (5,5,6)
|
| Ground (24) Zero (19)
This month marked the 25th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers |
||
| 10 | BALACLAVA |
Holy vestment reportedly worn by faux-Christian patriots in 1A? (9)
|
| Sounds like (reportedly) “HOLEY” (ie full of holes)
Part of the uniform of Danny Thommo’s thugs |
||
| 13 | RUE |
Regret unboxing condiment set (3)
|
| [c]RUE[t] (condiment set) with the first and last letters removed (unboxing) | ||
| 14 | MASTERFUL |
Imperious graduate’s lachrymose after leaving America (9)
|
| MA’S (graduate’s) + TE[a]RFUL (lachrymose) less A (America) | ||
| 17 | BUMP |
Jolt oil giant pocketing untold millions initially (4)
|
| BP (oil giant) containing (pocketing) the first letters (initially) of Untold Millions
Oil prices are rising fast due to the ongoing conflict in Iran |
||
| 19 | ZERO |
Nothing going through Hormuz, er, obviously (4)
|
| Contained in (going through) hormuZ ER Obviously
This being the cause of global oil supply shortages |
||
| 21 | OYSTER BAR |
Where Nigel enjoys a pint with the natives? (6,3)
|
| Cryptic definition – natives being oysters
Reform leader Farage was caught on camera apparently plotting illegal political activities over Guinness and oysters |
||
| 25 | RIP |
Rent starts to rise in Piddington (3)
|
| First letters of (starts to) Rise In Piddington
Piddington is the village in Oxfordshire that held a referendum over whether or not to leave the UK |
||
| 26 | SETTLEMENTS |
Disputed housing payments (11)
|
| Two definitions
The housing under dispute is Israeli settlements in Gaza |
||
| 29 | UKRAINIAN |
“British Weather in a Mess” — National (9)
|
| UK RAIN (British weather) + anagram (mess) of IN A
The war in Ukraine has now been going on for 1,676 days |
||
| 30 | WHEEL |
Change direction with part of foot (5)
|
| W (with) + HEEL (part of foot) | ||
| 31 | DRAWS NEAR |
Approaches as Andrew runs off (5,4)
|
| Anagram (off) of AS ANDREW R (runs) | ||
| 32 | DROID |
Doctor old papers for Ann on the telly (5)
|
| DR (doctor) + O (old) + ID (papers)
The charming new BBC sitcom Ann Droid stars Diane Morgan as Sue Johnston’s robot home help |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DOWNTIME |
Depressed period when the factory is idle? (8)
|
| DOWN (depressed) + TIME (period) | ||
| 2 | VERBALS |
Angry words in Burnham’s Lab revealed upset (7)
|
| Contained in burnham’S LAB REVealed, reversed (upset) | ||
| 3 | RIDGE |
Go by horse across grand upland feature (5)
|
| RIDE (go by horse) surrounding (across) G (grand) | ||
| 4 | CABLE |
Cold beer stocked by British chain (5)
|
| C (cold) + ALE (beer) filled with (stocked by) B (British) | ||
| 5 | TALL TALES |
Like many Trump stories, latest broadcast covers everything (4,5)
|
| Anagram (broadcast) of LATEST covers ALL (everything) | ||
| 6 | SECURABLE |
Fur with fancy ecru lining that can be fastened (9)
|
| SABLE (fur) with an anagram (fancy) of ECRU inserted (lining) | ||
| 7 | ANAGRAM |
What made Christopher Nolan crash in North Pole (7)
|
| CHRISTOPHER NOLAN is an anagram of CRASH IN NORTH POLE
Not aware of the Odyssey director visiting the Arctic but it’s a fun clue, very clever |
||
| 8 | ELATED |
Full of joy, my boss, after spinning yarn (6)
|
| ED (editor = my boss) after a reversal (spinning) of TALE (yarn) | ||
| 12 | COR |
My heart is losing energy (3)
|
| COR[e] (heart) less E (energy) | ||
| 15 | ETON SUITS |
Berks’ formal clothing? (4,5)
|
| Cryptic definition
Could be a reference to the public school being located in Berkshire, or perhaps an alternative meaning of berks |
||
| 16 | FRONT LINE |
RNLI often involved where there’s a danger to life (5,4)
|
| Anagram (involved) of RNLI OFTEN
The aforementioned Danny Thommo is now in custody awaiting trial after filming himself attacking a lifeboat |
||
| 18 | BRISTLED |
Reacted angrily as nothing leaves port in SW England after evacuation (8)
|
| O (nothing) leaves BRIST[o]L (port in SW) + E[nglan]D with middle letters removed (after evacuation) | ||
| 20 | EMPORIA |
Cairo: PM enthusiastically backs hosting retail outlets (7)
|
| cAIRO MP Enthusiastically reversed (backs) is containing (hosting) the solution | ||
| 22 | TIE |
Striker regularly missing match (3)
|
| Alternate letters (regularly missing) of sTrIkEr | ||
| 23 | BEN DELO |
Wealthy chap Tice finally introduced to raunchy blonde (3,4)
|
| Last letter (finally) of ticE inserted in (introduced to) an anagram (raunchy) of BLONDE
The cryptocurrency billionaire recently donated £36m to Richard Tice’s Reform UK |
||
| 24 | GROUND |
Land on account of dodging Air Traffic Control procedure (6)
|
| O/A (on account of) removed from (dodging) G[o a]ROUND (instruction from air traffic control to abort a landing)
Flights were grounded this month due to a glitch in the air traffic control computer systems at several airports across the UK |
||
| 27 | LONER |
A bloke with no mates, Musk cycles back from pier (5)
|
| ELON (Musk) with the letters cycling + last letter (back) from pieR | ||
| 28 | MOWED |
Cut intro from Macklemore that hurt Sheeran? (5)
|
| First letter (intro) from Macklemore + OW (that hurt) + ED (Sheeran)
Support act Macklemore was thrown off Ed Sheeran’s US tour after making comments about the situation in Gaza on stage |
I agree that 7d ANAGRAM is a brilliant clue. Parsing of 24d is beyond me.23d BEN DELO was also very clever.
Thanks Julius and Widdersbel.
Quiet in here blimey.
Thanks for the blog @widdersbel.
The intended parsing for GROUND is G (o/a)round, which is to say the emergency air traffic control instruction given to an aircraft to abort landing GO AROUND minus o/a=on account of.
I wanted to make this clue a bit harder since it forms part of the shtick where the linked across clues are supposed to be read as “9/11 24 19” to highlight the 25th anniversary. This explains why I haven’t used a standard FT grid because I had to design it to accommodate this idea.
Best wishes to all, Rob/Julius
Ah, thanks, Julius! I guessed the form of the wordplay for 24d but didn’t know the ATC procedure. Should have got O/A though, and could have worked backwards from there. Kicking myself now.
Despite the paucity of comments, the view count on the blog is respectable, so I guess it’s simply that people are feeling shy today.
I didn’t spot the clue numbers in 9/11 being part of the clue, since I usually ignore clue numbers altogether! But now that Julius has explained, I think that’s pretty clever. Thanks to both blogger and setter.
I found the ground zero cluing devilishly tricky to get into but then it clicked. Positioning the lights at 9/11 is particularly poignant. Elsewhere I bunged in 4a CITY STATE from the crossers and def without parsing as I do my best to ignore that man. Super spot for the anagram clue in 7d.
As always, I’m so impressed at how much of the month gets fitted into a Julius News puzzle, in either the clues, the answers, or both. Thank you Julius and widdersbel.
Between avoiding social media and not listening to the news, this one was too much form me.
Excellent as always. Sorry to have missed the extra with the enumeration.
Hi Jeremiah @6…for the last few years, the FT has run an online-only puzzle on its website on the last Sunday of each month themed around the news events which have made headlines during the month. It might suit you to give these puzzles a miss.
best wishes, Rob/Julius
Dear Julius @8 i try to solve, and I have solved many before. Furthermore, you may be right. However, I was just saying this one defeated me. I didn’t have enough prior knowledge. I got the 9/11 references and even the balaclavas. Regards