Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of June 20, 2020
Two weeks ago we had a Mudd that I called atypical. This weekend we have a much more typical one. My favourite clue is the nostalgic 5dn (AS TIME GOES BY) and I also very much like 17ac (BOY-MEETS-GIRL) and 6dn (LILY).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MOBILE | Instant bitterness, moving (6) |
| MO (instant) + BILE (bitterness) | ||
| 4 | HALLOWED | Holy Church finally approved (8) |
| [churc]H + ALLOWED (approved) | ||
| 9 | NOOKIE | Absolutely not fine, that is, sex (6) |
| NO (absolutely not) + OK (fine) + IE (that is) | ||
| 10 | I TELL YOU | Something to watch in acknowledgement of obligation, that’s for sure (1,4,3) |
| TELLY (something to watch) in (in) IOU (acknowledgement of obligation) | ||
| 12 | TOKE | Draw symbol, shortly (4) |
| TOKE[n] (symbol, shortly) | ||
| 13 | RUMMY | Strange, setter’s game (5) |
| RUM (strange) + MY (setter’s) | ||
| 14 | BULL | Central target, male on the field? (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | BOY-MEETS-GIRL | Romantic, when Tim goes out with Beryl? (3-5-4) |
| Anagram (out) of TIM GOES BERYL | ||
| 20 | BILATERALISM | Around end of marriage, marital bliss briefly restored – that relationship could go either way (12) |
| Anagram (restored) of [marriag]E MARITAL BLIS[s] | ||
| 23 | LUTE | Stringed instrument: instrument’s first plucked (4) |
| [f]LUTE (instrument’s first plucked) | ||
| 24 | MAYBE | A little toe, by a miracle, put back perhaps (5) |
| Reverse (put back) hidden (a little) word | ||
| 25 | PASS | Search me for visa, say? (4) |
| Double definition. The first works in the sense of meaning, “I have no answer to your question”. The second serves as a document that gives one permission to travel somewhere. | ||
| 28 | SEMANTIC | Acts: mine lost in meaning (8) |
| Anagram (lost) of ACTS MINE | ||
| 29 | YEMENI | Arabian monster with no time to cage people (6) |
| MEN (people) in (to cage) YE[t]I (monster with no time) | ||
| 30 | ANYTHING | Whatever you like in tangy broth, ultimately surprising (8) |
| Anagram (surprising) of IN TANGY [brot]H | ||
| 31 | BADEGG | Villain, a stinker? (3,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MANITOBA | Boatman struggling to catch one in Canadian province (8) |
| I (one) in (to catch) anagram (struggling) of BOATMAN | ||
| 2 | BROOKLYN | Accept New York location’s first to come up – for this place? (8) |
| BROOK (accept) + NY (New York) + L[ocation] reversed (to come up) | ||
| 3 | LAIR | Hide style, not showing head (4) |
| [f]LAIR (style, not showing head) | ||
| 5 | AS TIME GOES BY | Number you must remember while the clock’s ticking (2,4,4,2) |
| Double definition with the first referring, of course, to the song As Time Goes By from the movie Casablanca | ||
| 6 | LILY | Girl likely to lose heart (4) |
| LI[ke]LY (likely to lose heart) | ||
| 7 | WAY OUT | Unconventional exit? (3-3) |
| Double definition.
I was surprised years ago to learn that many Americans find it odd and amusing that we Brits use ‘way out’ to mean exit. It is such an everyday term for us yet Americans generally understand it only in the ‘unconventional’ sense. |
||
| 8 | DOUBLE | Make blue waves increase substantially? (6) |
| DO (make) + anagram (waves) of BLUE | ||
| 11 | AUSTRALASIAN | European cases, I’m sorry to say, coming from New Guinea, perhaps? (12) |
| ALAS (I’m sorry to say) in (cases) AUSTRIAN (European) | ||
| 15 | LEGIT | Lawful run! (3,2) |
| LEG IT (run) | ||
| 16 | CROAK | Die – as might an amphibian? (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | MILANESE | Seminal works on European from Italy (8) |
| Anagram (works) of SEMINAL + E (European) | ||
| 19 | SMASHING | Wonderful beat in chorus (8) |
| MASH (beat) in (in) SING (chorus) | ||
| 21 | ALASKA | State in a reggae-like style? (6) |
| A LA SKA (in a reggae-like style) | ||
| 22 | STUMPY | Sturdy stomach in mole (6) |
| TUM (stomach) in (in) SPY (mole) | ||
| 26 | ANKH | Angry neighbour kicking hedge, initially cross (4) |
| A[ngry] N[eighbour] K[icking] H[edge] | ||
| 27 | VEGA | Star in sleazebag eventually shown up (4) |
| Reverse (shown up) hidden word (in) | ||
Please parse PASS. Other than being short for passport, I’m not getting either def.
Certainly. I have expanded the explanation of the clue.
Yes, I liked the Casablanca clue too, along with BAD EGG and NOOKIE. I can’t comment on Mudd’s signature style, having only done a couple. I just know this one was much more straightforward than the previous week’s with only I TELL YOU unsolved. Thanks both to Mudd and Pete Maclean. The PASS clue reminded me of an old Mastermind-themed episode of Sooty and Sweep in which all Sooty’s answers were PASS yet correct!
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Only got to this one last weekend and was able to nearly get it through it my first session with a quick mop up sitting to finish it off early Sunday morning. Satisfying after still trying to work out the final clue of his puzzle from a fortnight prior.
Was embarrassed to have never thought of New Guinea as being a part of Australasia – so new learning of my own part of the world.
Thought that the clues for I TELL YOU (nice construction) and AS TIME GOES BY (with the hint of ‘You must remember this …’ a nice touch) were among the best.
Finished up with SMASHING and the tricky but clever LEG IT as the last couple in.
Diane, Thank you for commenting. I have been solving Mudd’s crosswords for well over 20 years although it is only over the fewer years that I have been blogging his puzzles that I have come to develop a sharp sense of his style. I liked NOOKIE too — reminding me of an old girlfriend who was inclined to blame any and all ills on, as she put it, “lack’a nookie”.
It’s always fun to tackle a Mudd crossword and this was no exception. Favorites were NOOKIE, ALASKA, YEMENI, and MOBILE. Great surfaces throughout esp. for NOOKIE. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Many thanks to both. As always an ultimately enjoyable experience even if there was the odd bump in the road. I was amused by the third row (9 & 10) being read together and then noticed 17a so wondered if they, along with some of the other answers, made an identifiable theme.
it certainly is winter here with negative numbers outside this morning for a start.
Cluing was enjoyable but I can’t say I like this grid with all the short words and reduced checking, such as 15d (my LOI). That might have been better enumerated as (5): too many three letter words with E and too many twos with I just made it a slog. Thanks to Mudd and the PM.