Financial Times 14,905 / Redshank

21 comments on “Financial Times 14,905 / Redshank”

1. Well done Gaufrid, and commiserations to Redshank for the inevitable frustration he must feel. Fortunately not to difficult to discern what was wrong in the grid.

   I parsed 6 down as you did, and had similar reservations about truss as a bag.

2. Whilst agreeing that there is something wrong with the grid, the version I printed off has 28a, 29a, 30a, and 31a in the grid but no clues. I have a feeling there is a lot more wrong with this one than two rogue black squares as many of the clue numbers/enumerations just don’t work.

3. Thanks Gaufrid and Redshank – and no thanks to whoever messed up the grid/numbering! My shot at 6d was DIS AS (bad mouth) TROUS(ers) (bum bag some) -but I’m not entirely convinced. Apart from this snag, and the layout problem, a nice puzzle.

4. Hi crypticsue
   You just need to remove the black squares at c11r5 and c5r11 and then renumber the grid accordingly. You will end up with grid numbering and enumeration that matches the clues.

5. Thanks Gaufrid – I’ll give it a go.

6. 6d sums up the misrepresentation of Redshank’s excellent puzzle.

7. I think “bag? Some. . .” invites us to use some of the word “trousse”, which is a small bag.

8. Thanks Redshank and Gaufrid

   6dn: How about truss as a verb in the sense “to bundle up”?

9. Correct version should appear on the website shortly….Apologies.

10. Hi su_dav @7
    The word ‘trousse’ does not appear in any of the usual references (and it would only seem to be in a couple of non-mainstream on-line dictionaries) so I don’t think Redshank would have used it as part of the wordplay.

11. Easy enough to work out what had gone wrong in the grid. It’s happened before. Presumably a software glitch of some sort.

    Lovely puzzle – some splendid invisible joins.

    6d – I had similiar thoughts. Pun on DISS ASS TRUSS.
    Wiktionary has TRUSS as obsolete for “A bundle; a package” and gives the example:

    Spenser: “bearing a truss of trifles at his back”

    which Mr Google further informs me is extracted from:

    Bearing a truss of trifles at his back,
    As belles and babies, and glasses in his packe.

    Not all that clear but probably one of the bigger dictionaries would support the same thing. Best I could come up with.

    PDM. I wrote in NOOK for 23d but hadn’t twigged KO for “fell over”.

    Many thanks both.

12. Hi Pelham @8
    I did consider that possibility but found it difficult to equate ‘to bag’ with ‘to bundle’. The first means to put something inside a container (or to trap, capture etc) whilst the second, for me, means to collect together.

    However, I now see that one of the definitions for ‘bundle’ in Chambers is “to pack up one’s things for a journey” so this could be synonymous with ‘to bag’ except that the former is intransitive and the latter transitive so I’m still not convinced.

13. Or it could be “trousseau” with “some” working to shorten it.

    That would make the pun groanworthy – which any self-respecting pun should be of course.

    Unusual situation – this setter frequently makes me work hard but rarely leaves me with any loose ends.

14. Hi JS @13
    Again, I did consider that possibility but the usual references only give it as ‘a bundle’. It has the same derivation as ‘truss’ and we are left with the same problem.

15. @Gaufrid. I don’t have a problem going from BAG to BUNDLE. Bag can mean (ODO has this) the contents of a bag – ie what a bag might hold.

16. It is a poor clue really, there should not be any doubt with what is meant. At least it has ‘some say’ for what is presumably meant to sound like ‘arse truce’ or something. But not ‘truss’ anyway? To bundle up as you would a bird’s legs? I’m not convinced.

    I have to complain about the ‘&lit’ too as most people in a rest home are NOT mistreated, which makes it all the more horribly newsworthy when something does go wrong.

    Pity about the grid errors, for this is, all in all, a very nice and well-crafted puzzle. I think I like 25a the best for a nice idea and picture.

17. Re 6 down: Chambers has ‘bag’ (in pl) as trousers, and ‘truss’ (in pl) as breeches. I know that breeches and trousers are not really the same, but under ‘breeches’ it gives ‘often generally used for trousers’.

    So, if you are still with me this far, ‘bags’ = ‘trusses’, so ‘bag’ = ‘truss’ (there is a question mark). ‘Some say’ for the (approximate) homophone, and there you are!

    I’ll get me coat…

18. Re 6
    As trousers are bags could ‘trous’ be taken as singular version bag?

19. 6d, surely a truss pad would be usually be contained in a bag…

20. Well I persisted with this and cracked it, same query about trous but the and answer was obvious.
    Redshank/radian etc does like compound anagrams and extended def cum &lots, in fact to be honest its probably over done for a normal daily. Me I love tortuous clues and hate plain cryptic definitions especially when blogging and there isn’t anything more there. See optic nerve by nutmeg yesterday, a beautifully hidden anagram that to a while to spot.
    Rufus is the worst for this, once in a while he puts a fantastic &lit and the blogger and everyone else misses it leaving us looking silly.
    Anyway well done Gaufrid for sorting the mess and getting a full blog out on time.

21. Thanks Redshank and Gaufrid

    Late to this one, only picking it up late last night – and after unpicking the faulty grid was able to enjoy the good solve that it turned into.

    DIET was the last one in – and took an age to spot and figure out what was going on.

    A few of the surfaces where the setter looked to be making a social comment – with the GREEKS, FAT CAT, CHILEANS and REST HOMES.

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