Financial Times 13,261 / Satori

A few weeks ago we had the last Taupi in the Guardian. Now we are told that this is Satori’s final puzzle. It is a fitting tribute to the talents of the late Albie Fiore.

Nothing overly difficult, but a fine mixture of clue types coupled with some good surfaces made this puzzle a pleasure to solve. I particularly liked the conciseness of 25ac and the wordplay in several other clues made me smile.

Across
1 LEGALISE SILAGE (fodder) reversed in LE (the French)
5 SCREAM S (Sunday) CREAM (best)
9 CLOISTER C (cold) S[haven] in LOITER (hang around)
10,27 BUTTER SCOTCH Spoonerism of scutter (run off) botch (muck up)
12 TANGERINE ANGER (great vexation) in TINE (spike)
13 GLEAN *(ANGLE)
14,21 COMEDIES COME (move towards) DIES (passes on)
16 PITHEAD IT (object) HE (that man) in PAD (flat)
19 DRESS UP DR (physician) E (drug) PUSS (cat) reversed
24 LATER LAT[h]ER (bubbles losing height)
25 AESTHETIC *(IT TEACHES)
28 PINAFORE hidden reversal in ‘mothER OF A NIPper’
29 DETEST *(SETT[l]ED)
30 REVEREND EVER (always) in REND (split)

Down
1 LOCATE CO (company) in LATE (delayed)
2,22 GROUND STROKE GROUND (earth) STROKE (mother’s loving gesture)
3 LISLE hidden in ‘girL IS LEft’
4 STERILE ER (the queen) in STILE (steps)
6 COURGETTE URGE (egg) in COT (bed) [cra]TE
7 ESTEEMED MEETS (sporting events) in DEE (river) reversed
8 MARINADE IN A D (day) in MARE (horse)
11,20 REAPPEAR REAP (cut) PEAR (fruit)
15 OBSTRUCTS B[ack] ST (street) in *(COURTS)
17 IDOLISED I DO (matrimonial vow) S (direction) in LIED (wasn’t truthful)
18 SEA TROUT SEAT (bottom) ROUT (beating)
21 DESPITE IT in *(SPEED)
23 SCREED S (southern) CREED (belief)
26 HEAVE E (English) in HAVE (own)