Financial Times 14,139 by Orense

Good start to the day

 

 

 

Across

1 PLAINTIFF (litigant) sounds like (say) PLANE TIFF

6 STICK (criticism) S[kinhead] TICK (credit)

9 LOCUM (doctor) sounds like (rumours) LOW COME (depression, arrive)

10 PREDATORY (greedy) (PA[i]RED)* TORY (politician)

11 TEMPERANCE (moderation) ME< (returning setter) PE (exercises) in

TRANCE (spell)

12 TYPO (printing error) sounds like TYPE O

14 SCARLET (red) [f]LE[x]  in SCART (television socket)

15 SLENDER (thin) L (line) in SENDER (dispatcher)

17 ABYSMAL (poor) (LAMB SAY)*

19 STORIES (accounts) I (Independent) in STORES

20 ELAN (style) hidden in [mich]ELAN[gelo]

22 DOWNMARKET (budget) D (day) (MEN AT WORK)*

25 MOUSTACHE (feature) CAT< (return of Tom) H (hot) in MOUSE (Jerry)

26 IMBUE (inspire) [f]I[l]M[s] B[r]U[t]E

27 NIECE (relative) [peac]E in NICE (amenable)

28 BE MY GUEST (go ahead) (ME BY)* GUEST (person invited)

Down

1 PILOT (experimental) I[nformation] in PLOT (scheme)

2 ACCOMPANY (travel with) A C (cold) COMPANY (group of soldiers)

3 NOM DE PLUME writer’s screen for anonymity

4 IMPLANT (graft) IMPL[y] (almost suggest) ANT (worker)

5 FLEECES (rips off) layer(s?) of clothing

6 SEAL (creature) SEA (the deep) L (lake)

7 IRONY (sarcasm) IRON (press) Y (unknown)

8 KEYBOARDS (instruments) KEY (crucial) BOARDS (lodges)

13 DECORATING (decking) DEC (Christmas) ORATING (speaking)

14 STATESMAN (politician) STATES (says)  MAN (piece –  chess)

16 DRINKABLE (water may be) RINK (skating area) in (BALED)*

18 LION CUB (creature) (BINOCUL[ars])*

19 SUNBEAM (light) SUN (tabloid) BEAM (broadcast)

21 ACUTE (accent) A CUTE (delightful)

23 TWEET (noise from birds) WEE (little) in TT (race)

24 STYE (infection) hidden in [na]STY E[ar]

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