The FT crossword puzzle blog: row, row, row your boat, in a crossword theme

A blog that takes a look at the highlights from the week’s cryptics, and some of the puzzles coming up this weekend.

Clues of the weekend 

A cheeky one from Zamorca in Saturday’s cryptic puzzle -

Gravelly bottom supports house (6)

Here’s a hidden clue from Zamorca, helpfully highlighted -

During earthquake rescued friend (6)

In the Saturday Polymath general knowledge puzzle, set by Hamilton, here’s a long clue about democracy -

In the UK parliament, the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal and the Commons (7,2,3,5)

And one that guitarists should know -

US singer/songwriter/ musician (1915-2009) who has a guitar named after him (3,4)

Sunday’s monthly themed puzzle on Numbers tests your knowledge about bingo, the first world war, space films and Roman numbers, and also asks if you know:

Ancient Rome’s CDLXXXII

How to solve

Need a bit of cryptic help? Try out the magazine hybrid puzzle, which mixes straight clues and cryptic. So if you can solve this straight clue . . .

Sword sheath (8)

. . .its last letter is the first for this cryptic one:

Get larger fruit I left inside (6)

Hint: Think of a four-letter fruit, inside which you can insert the letters I and L (for left)

How to solve 

From today’s Boat Race-themed puzzle by Gaff, here’s an anagram-based clue -

Alter a crew to make a real difference (10)

Alter a crew can be made into CLEARWATER, which in rowing terms is the stretch of water between the stern of a boat and the bow of another.

And Zamorca’s Saturday’s puzzle includes this clue -

Carries drinks around hospital (5)

Think of a word for drinks, in this case the verb, then put its letters around the common abbreviation for hospital, and you get a verb which means carries.

So -

SIPS (drinks) around H gives you -

SHIPS (carries)

Did you spot . . . 

In Guy’s Wednesday puzzle, this clue was neat -

Very dry, very famous artist (9)

Word of the week

VINDALOO

In Tuesday’s puzzle by Bobcat, this tricksy clue -

Spicy stuff John served with French wine and dhal every now and then (8)

The answer is VINDALOO (spicy stuff), made up of VIN (French for wine), DA (dhal every now and then, or the alternative letters of dhal) and LOO (John)

The OED says the word probably comes from the Portuguese vin d’alho, meaning wine and garlic sauce. It’s come a long way from that food item.

From the FT Style Guide

Presumptuous (not presumptious) means tending to presume, impertinently bold, impudent.

Presumptive means grounded on probable evidence; giving grounds for presuming.

To access the FT’s Cryptic, Polymath and FT Weekend crosswords, go to https://www.ft.com/puzzles-games or solve them on the iOS and Android apps.