Financial Times 14,237 by Bradman
Posted by Jed on February 14th, 2013
Clever, witty and enjoyable
Across
1 SHIPPING transport – sounds like SIPPING (after a few)
5 SPLASH much rain ALPS< (mountains to the west) SH[owers]
10 EVADE skirt round A D[erriere] in EVE temptress
11 WHOLEMEAL bread MOLE spy HEEL end of loaf (Spoonered)
12 GUINEVERE King Arthur’s wife IN (at home) EVER (always) in GUE[sts]
13 COMBO band COMB (skiffle item with paper) O (old)
14 WAIVER surrender I in WAVER (tremble)
15 POT LUCK taken in hope OT (scripture) in PLUCK (courage)
18 CHESTER see – diocese ST (saint) in CHEER (acclaim)
20 MAENAD frenzied woman (&lit) ENA woman in MAD frenzied
22 TEMPO speed TEMP (stand-in employee) O[ffice]
24 SALOON BAR drinking area SAL girl O ON (nothing on) BAR ban
25 REPLICATE copy REP corded cloth CAT (animal) in LIE (story)
26 PATCH mend C[inema] in PATH pavement
27 EVENTS competitions E electronic VENTS outlets
28 DECLARED asserted E eastern CLARE girl in D[a]D (heartless father)
Down
1 SLEIGH vehicle SLEIGH[t] (dexterity for the most part)
2 INANIMATE lacking in spirit ANI (ego) in INMATE (prisoner)
3 PRESERVATIONIST environmentalist (PROTESTOR IS VAIN)*
4 NEW YEAR when revellers turn out WYE (river) in NEAR (close)
6 PREACH THE GOSPEL evangelise (PERTH CHAPEL GOES)*
7 ABEAM across ship AB (sailor) E (energy) AM (morning0
8 HILLOCKS raised lumps ILL bad in HOCKS joints
9 BO-PEEP agricultural girl PEE (accident) in BOP (dance)
16 ULAN BATOR capital of Mongolia (URBAN LOT A)*
17 SCOT FREE totally exempt (COST)* (could be)
19 RASCAL no-good person hidden in [sand]RAS CAL[lous]
20 MALTESE islander MALT whisky E[xport] S[ome] E[verywhere]
21 ORCHID plant ORC monster HID concealed
23 MAPLE tree AMPLE (wide) with M (maiden) moving to the top
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse
February 14th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Thanks Bradman for an enjoyable puzzle and Jed for the blog.
12ac: I am not sure I would spell this confidently without help – the precise wordplay left no doubt.
19dn: Not just hidden, but hidden centrally (in terms of letter count), as precisely indicated by “at heart”.
February 15th, 2013 at 12:13 am
Enjoyed this crossword very much.
There is so much right about it.
As always great surfaces, wit (1ac, 9d), cleverness (20ac).
And above all, it’s very precise.
Perhaps, I will vote for this crossword to be my FT CoM.
Only one serious comment so far, which I find quite out of proportion compared to what is happening at “other places”.
This puzzle is, in my opinion, sheer quality.
Thanks Jed for blogging and Don for another well-appreciated puzzle.