Financial Times 14,107 by Aardvark

Fiendishly clever

 

 

 

Across

1 BIOPIC (film) I (international) OP (work) in BIC  (pen)

5 DIES AWAY (disappears) (A WISE)* in DAY (24hrs)

9 BUTTRESS (prop) TT (races) RES (reserve) in BUS (coach)

10 EUROPE (states) even letters of [m]E[n]U ROPE (guy)

11 INSTEP (foot part) INS (inches) PET< (preferred over)

12 ASTEROID (star-shaped) ASTER (24down) I (one) in OD (overdose)

14 OUT OF THE BLUE (unexpectedly) (FOOL THE U TUBE)*

18 HADRIANS WALL (old border) HAD (featured) (A SWAN)* in RILL (stream)

22 KAMIKAZE (reckless) KA (soul) AZ ([am]AZ[on]) in MIKE (chap)

25 TICKET (slip) sounds like TICK IT

26 MAGGOT (grub) (TO GG AM)< (to grams American – converted)

27 SPUMANTE (bubbly) PUMA (cat) in (NEST)*

28 FLATIRON (domestic tool) TIRO (novice) in FLAN (pastry)

29 NEARLY (close) N (noon) EARL (aristocrat) Y[acht]

Down

2 IGUANA (animal) ANT (worker) dropped from [Ant]IGUA NA (Nevada)

3 PETIT FOUR (fancy biscuit) PETIT (small – junior) 4 riders in a polo team

4 CLEOPATRA (snake victim) (C A PORT ALE)*

5 DISTAFF (female – women’s work) IST (first) in DAFF[odil]

6 EJECT (discharge) [on]E C (college) in JET (sprinkler)

7 AIRER (item on patio) river AIRE R ([growe]R)

8 APPLIQUE (decorative design) IQ (intelligence) U in APPLE (IT company)

13 EXE (runner – river) X (the last of ten) in EE (Europeans)

15 HEARTBURN (disorder) (THE URBAN [gou]R[met])*

16 BALACLAVA (battle) BALA (lake) CLAV[icle] A

17 HAD A BALL (raised the roof) A DAB (expert) in HALL (building)

19 INK (writer’s agent) IN (home) K[itchen]

20 STETSON (iconic cowboy hat – &lit) T (west ultimately) SO (such) in STEN (gun)

21 LENTIL (food) LENT (fast) I (single) L (lecturer)

23 INGOT (metal bar) IN[i]GO (Jones) [apartmen]T

24 ASTER (plant) E[nthusiast] from EASTER (festival)

( )* = anagram    < = reverse    [ ] = omit