I found this the hardest Tuesday FT for some time. A handful of answers in the bottom half corners held me up, and I hope I’ve got them right. But no complaints. Enjoyed the challenge; thanks to Armonie. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle.]]
Across
1 Learning about bad weather in France (8)
LORRAINE : LORE(the body of learning,knowledge, especially that which is handed down by tradition) containing(about) RAIN(bad weather).
Answer: One of the regions in France.
5 Foolishness of motorist changing hands (6)
DRIVEL : “driver”(motorist) with “r”(abbrev. for “right”) replaced by “l”(abbrev. for “left”) (changing hands).
9 Woman set about Romeo after information from cop (8)
GENDARME : [DAME(formerly a form of address to a woman) containing(set about) R(represented by “Romeo” in the phonetic alphabet)] placed after(after) GEN(information, derived from “general information”).
Answer: From the French, term for cop,policeman, more strictly speaking, a soldier performing police duties among the civilian population.
10 In favour of accepting a pound in coin (6)
FLORIN : FOR(in favour of) containing(accepting) L(abbrev. for the English currency unit, the pound) + IN.
Answer: A former British coin worth 2 shillings pre-decimalisation.
12 Tell man to transform plot of land (9)
ALLOTMENT : Anagram of(transform) TELL MAN TO.
Answer: In Britain, a plot of land rented by an individual for cultivation.
13 Meat containing a trace of nitrite is corrupt (5)
VENAL : VEAL(meat from a calf raised for its meat) containing(containing) N{initial letter(a trace) of “nitrite”}.
14 Celestial ruler gives back Middle Eastern port (4)
ZEUS : Reversal of(back) SUEZ(a Middle Eastern port, in NE Egypt).
Answer: The supreme god of the heavens, celestial ruler, of the ancient Greeks.
16 Noble family blasts other ranks (7)
WINDSOR : WINDS(blasts of air) + OR(abbrev. for “other ranks”, those in the military without a commission).
Answer: The official name of the current British royal,noble family.
19 Public work is best (7)
OVERTOP : OVERT(public,not hidden) + OP(abbrev. for opus, a piece of musical work).
Answer: As a verb, to better others.
21 Addict found in substance-abuse rehabilitation (4)
USER : Hidden in(found in) substance-abUSE Rehabilitation.
24 It can be used to strike a sovereign (5)
RULER : Double defn:.1st: In use during those days when teachers were allowed to inflict corporal punishment.
25 Put back in place to control the nation (9)
REINSTATE : REIN(to control,restrain, literally, as with a horse, or figuratively) + STATE(a nation).
27 Drink induced trance (6)
NECTAR : Anagram of(induced) TRANCE.
28 Entice one round summit of volcano (8)
COTOPAXI : [COAX(to entice,tempt, one way of coaxing somebody) + I(Roman numeral for one)] containing(round) TOP(the summit,peak).
Answer: A volcano in the Andes in Ecuador.
29 Closure is imminent when project leader goes (6)
ENDING : “pending”(not happening yet but imminent) minus(goes) “p”{initial letter(leader) of “project”}.
30 Gemstone makes them stay (8)
AMETHYST : Anagram of(makes) THEM STAY.
Down
1 Record and preserve an impasse (6)
LOGJAM : LOG(a record of events) plus(and) JAM(a preserve, the type you spread on your bread).
2 Cause irritation right on the joint (6)
RANKLE : R(abbrev. for right) placed above(on, in a down clue) ANKLE(joint in your leg)
3 Tailor has fitting interrupted by attorney (5)
ADAPT : APT(fitting,appropriate) containing(interrupted by) DA(abbrev. for district attorney,prosecutor in the USA).
4 Old book of narcotics (7)
NUMBERS : Double defn: 1st: The book in the Old Testament; and 2nd: The class of substances that blunt,numb the senses.
6 Alec never misrepresented suitability (9)
RELEVANCE : Anagram of(misrepresented) ALEC NEVER.
7 Painter overseen by arrangement (8)
VERONESE : Anagram of(by arrangement) OVERSEEN.
Answer: Paolo, 16C Venetian painter.
8 Peer under berth for letter (8)
LANDLORD : LORD(a peer) placed under(under, in a down clue) LAND(as when a ship goes into berth).
Answer: One who lets out his property,letter.
11 Good man has a cry when put away (4)
STOW : {ST(abbrev. for “saint”(a good man)} plus(has) OW(a cry expressing pain).
15 Set down reservists in harbour (9)
ENTERTAIN : [ENTER IN](to write or copy a record in writing,to set down) containing(…in) TA(abbrev. for Territorial Army, the volunteer reserve force).
Answer: To have in mind,harbour, eg. thoughts of being President.
17 Go steady when assimilating an oriental dance (8)
COURANTE : [COURT(go steady,date someone exclusively) containing(AN)] + E(abbrev. for eastern,oriental).
Answer: A dance dating from the 17C.
18 Trot round area that’s made good (8)
REPLACED : RED(a communist, who could be a Trotskyite, abbreviated to Trot, a follower of Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary) containing(round) PLACE(an area,locality).
Answer: If something is defective, it could be made good by being replaced.
20 Usual time to say goodbye (4)
PART : PAR(the usual,standard) + T(abbrev. for time).
21 Even a place of higher education has class (7)
UNIFORM : UNI(short for “university”, a place of higher education) plus(has) FORM(a class in school).
22 Virginia Cooper’s caprice (6)
VAGARY : VA(abbrev. for Virginia, US state) + GARY(Cooper, American actor, star of many Westerns).
Answer: A capricious, whimsical or unusual idea, desire or action.
23 Forgo sleep when touring island (6)
RESIST : REST(sleep) containing(when touring) IS(abbrev. for island).
Answer: Not to accept,forgo.
26 Wanting queen in the picture (5)
SHORT : R(abbrev. for Regina, Queen) contained in(in) SHOT(the photograph,picture).
Answer: Lack of,wanting, usually money.
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