I thought we might be in for a hard time today what with this being puzzle number 13,000 and it being Friday the 13th but no, the only problem seems to be the absence of the scheduled blogger. Another enjoyable FT puzzle with some pleasing clues, though 30a may have flummoxed those who haven’t met this device before.
.
Across
1 RESIST IS in REST (what’s left)
4 CAPSICUM CAP (beat) *(MUSIC)
9 PLANET LANE (way) in PT (exercises)
10 HOWITZER homophone of ‘how (the way in which) it’s a’
12 DELIVERY DELI (food shop) VERY (real)
13 AGENDA A homophone of ‘gender’ (sex)
15 YAWN N (new) WAY (road) reversed
16 ANTAGONIST *(STAGNATION)
19 NIGHTSHADE *(EIGHT HANDS)
20 REAM dd
23 GAGGLE GAG (pulling of leg) *(LEG)
25 ECLECTIC L (line) in EC EC (two cities) CIT[y] reversed
27 AROMATIC A ROMA[n]TIC (a dreamer)
28 STUCCO CUTS (reductions) reversed CO (company)
29 DILATORY LID (cover) reversed A TORY (a Conservative)
30 TWELVE 30 ÷ 2½ = 12
Down
1 RAPIDLY RAP (talk) IDLY (in vain way)
2 SCALLYWAG C (caught) ALLY (cohort) in SWAG (loot)
3 SHEAVE HE (that man) in SAVE (rescue)
5 ALOE [minn]EOLA reversed
6 SMIDGEON MIDGE (fly) in SON (boy)
7 COZEN DOZEN (30) with the initial letter changed to the preceding one
8 MORDANT *(RANDOM) T (time)
11 TRANCHE H (heroin) in TRANCE (ecstatic state)
14 PADDOCK PAD (home) DOCK (weed)
17 IDENTICAL *(IN DIALECT)
18 STALWART *(LAW) in START (begin)
19 NIGGARD DRAGGIN[g] reversed
21 MICROBE ROB (loot) in MICE (vermin)
22 BESTOW hidden in ‘baBES TO Whom’
24 GROWL GR (Greek) OWL (bird)
26 PIER PI[p]ER
Yep, didn’t know what 30ac was all about.
My reasoning was ‘over’ meant ‘reverse’, ‘two’ 2, ‘and a half’ (of two) 1. So 2,1 reversed is 12.
Never seen this device before.
ACP,
I don’t know what Gaufrid thinks, but your justification appears to me to be acceptable – it’s so simple without one having to look at the clue number and without having to do any calculation.