Financial Times 13933 Gurney

A straightforward, accessible puzzle, I think, thanks to Gurney.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.  Picture set at the bottom has an unidentified link with the crossword.

Across

1 Calm and able to move fast when doubt’s repressed (6)

PACIFY :  IF(expressing doubt,on condition) contained in(repressed) PACY(able to move at a fast pace,pacey)

Answer: Calm as a verb

4 Learn by accident maybe contents of cover he arranged (8)

OVERHEAR :  Anagram of(arranged) [OVE(inner letters,contents of “cover”) + HE]   Edit.note:  Thanks to mike04@2 the correct parsing is:  Hidden in(contents of) cOVER HE ARranged.  I got fixed on “arranged” as an (obvious) anagrind.

10 Nats aim, after turmoil, to find energy to go on (7)

STAMINA :  Anagram of(after turmoil) NATS AIM

11 In recession mines stop regular payment (7)

STIPEND :  Reversal of(in recession) PITS(mines,holes in the ground) + END(stop,cease).

Answer: Regular payment as allowance especially to, a scholarship holder, or a clergyman.

12 Playing part as Romeo? Bravo! (4)

ROLE :  R(indicated by Romeo in the phonetic alphabet) + OLÉ(with an accent, the Spanish cry of approval, equivalent to the Italian “bravo!”).

13 Flier unhappy with liquid container (10)

BLUEBOTTLE :  BLUE(unhappy,down with the blues) plus(with) BOTTLE(liquid container) 

Answer: A blowfly with an iridescent blue colouring

15 Way to behave in large house, we’re told (6)

MANNER :  Homophone of(we’re told) “manor”(large house,mansion with a lot of land around it)

16 Look at dry English official publication (7)

GAZETTE :  GAZE(look at) + TT(abbrev. for teetotal, as an adjective for abstaining from intoxicating drink,dry) + E(English) 

Answer: A British government journal listing what’s happening in officialdom.

20 British pop band of the 60s were better than the French (7)

BEATLES :  BEAT(were better than) + LES(one of the French words for “the”)

21 A lot of people accepting Nebraska is free of deceit (6)

HONEST :  HOST(a multitude,lot of people) containing(accepting) NE(abbrev. for the state of Nebraska, USA)

24 Strangely obstinate man finally endorsing no candidate (10)

ABSTENTION :  Anagram of(strangely) [OBSTINATE + N(last letter,finally of “man”)] 

Answer: Endorsing no,refraining from voting for a, candidate..

26 Pram recycled into aircraft steps? (4)

RAMP :  Anagram of(recycled) PRAM 

Answer: A boarding ramp,moveable staircase,steps for passengers to board/disembark from an aircraft.  It’s becoming a relic, with modern airports and their jet bridges/aerobridges/airbridges

28 They work hard in Thailand alongside fuel tankers (7)

TOILERS :  T(international vehicle registration code for Thailand) plus(alongside) OILERS(fuel tankers)

29 Empress finds artisan in revolt (7)

TSARINA :  Anagram of(in revolt) ARTISAN

Answer: A Russian empress

30 Phonily grin and get initially eager word of welcome (8)

GREETING :  Anagram of(phonily) [GRIN plus(and) GET + E(first letter of,initially eager)]

31 Squirm seeing legal document he’s appended (6)

WRITHE :  WRIT(legal document ordering to whom it is served to do or refrain from doing a specified act) plus(…‘s appended) HE

Down

1 No longer able to run in the morning over island? Here’s some meat! (8)

PASTRAMI :  PAST(past it,no longer able to) + R(run in cricket notation) + AM(morning) placed above(over, in a down clue) I(abbrev. for island)

2 A difficult task to modify having to incorporate lines (eastern) (9)

CHALLENGE :  CHANGE(to modify) containing(having to incorporate) [LL(double lines) + E(eastern)]

3 Moderately good promotional exhibition (4)

FAIR :  Double defn:

5 Sadly, real CV is instinctive (8)

VISCERAL :  Anagram of(sadly) REAL CV IS 

Answer: Descriptive of something characterised or proceeding from instinct rather than intellect.  Derived  from “viscera”,guts, hence “gut feel”.  But scientifically incorrect – instinct stems from the brain, though you might feel it in your stomach (or the rest of your body).

6 Native of Africa could become richer soon (10)

RHINOCEROS :  Anagram of(could become) RICHER SOON 

Answer:  Only 2 species, the black and white rhinos, out of 5, are native to Africa.  It’s dreadful that some people, as a result of folklore, mistakenly think that rhino horns have healing properties – you might just as well chew your fingernails, same basic substance, for all the good it does.

7 Equally balanced over time in long jump, say (5)

EVENT :  EVEN(a draw,equally balanced) placed above(over, in a down clue) T(time) 

Defn: An example,say of an athletic event

8 Blush when looking up earned derision to some extent (6)

REDDEN :  Hidden in(to some extent) and reversal of(when looking up, in a down clue) earNED DERision

9 Political meeting – Republican supporter is there (5)

RALLY :  R(abbrev. for Republican) + ALLY(supporter,friend)

14 Test afresh, allow men to be included: it resolves the matter (10)

SETTLEMENT :  Anagram of(afresh) TEST + {MEN contained in(to be included) LET(allow)}

17 Health worker seeing believer receiving rebuke (9)

THERAPIST :  THEIST(believer in a god or gods) containing(receiving) RAP(a rebuke,criticism)

18 Abandon black colour? No, it’s fantastic! (8)

JETTISON :  JET(a hard variety of coal, black in colour, polished and used for jewellery and ornaments) + anagram of(fantastic) NO, IT’S

19 Opts to change hotel employee, strike results (8)

STOPPAGE :  Anagram of(to change) OPTS + PAGE(hotel employee who performs various errands for guests, or “concierge” to use a fancier word)

22 Disorganised in Agra, got disheartened? (6)

RAGTAG :  Anagram of(disorganised, if you allow a word doubling up in a clue) [AGRA + GT{“got” minus its inner letter(disheartened)}]

23 Show disapproval of the unfinished compartment for voting (5)

BOOTH :  BOO(show oral disapproval) + TH{“the” minus its last letter(unfinished)}

25 Fishing net in river (5)

SEINE :  Double defn: 1st:  A type of fishing net which essentially hangs vertically in the water; and 2nd: The river that runs through Paris

27 What’s normally expected to include one (or two?) (4)

PAIR :  PAR(what’s normally expected, as in “par for the course”) containing(to include) I(Roman numeral for one).

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