I am back again following endless problems with my Internet connection, so first a big thank you to Gaufrid for covering for me over the last couple of weeks. I think this is the new Aardvark, elegant and interesting with a range of difficulty. I remember older Aardvark puzzles being straighforward, whereas the more recent puzzles have been a mixture of the easy and the hard (something for everyone). I wonder if this is deliberate on the part of the setter or just my own personal perception?
I should mention that this puzzle is a pangram (every letter of the alphabet used at least once).
Across
1 Fit old man in legend, beheading with axes (8)
APOPLEXY: POP (old man) in tALE (legend, beheaded) with XY (axes, on a graph) – definition is ‘fit’
6 That woman entering health resort’s a guide (6)
SHERPA: SHE (that woman) in SPA (health resort)
9 In Spanish sun, drift, turning reddish-brown (6)
SORREL: ERR (drift) reversed (turning) in SOL (Spanish sun) – a reddish brown colour
10 Such an animal goes round bend behind horse perhaps (8)
UNGULATE: GNU (an ungulate) reversed (going round) LATE (behind) – roughly speaking an ungulate is a hoofed animal, a horse is an example. For an altogether more technical explanation see here…
11 Singer in Scotland’s retrospective (4)
ALTO: found in Scotland reversed
12 Extremely political to be back around cities, hustling for vote (10)
PLEBISCITE: PoliticaL (extremes of) to (next to) BE reversed (back) going round CITIES* (anagram=hustling) – definition is ‘vote’
14 Expert with prose deciphered Shakespearean role (8)
PROSPERO: PRO (expert) with PROSE* anagram=deciphered – character from The Tempest
16 Berth, seen from either end (4)
ROOM: both ‘room’ and ‘moor’ mean berth
18 Current boundary of drive area that’s marked by a light-bulb? (4)
IDEA: I (current, symbol in electrics) DrivE (boundaries of) A (area) – a cartoon light bulb over the head
19 Asian resident, no learner, evenly roasted animal (8)
MONGOOSE: MONGOl (Asian resident) missing L=learner then rOaStEd (even letters only)
21 Common sense, note, used in nursing course here (10)
CARNOUSTIE: NOUS (common sense) TI (note, music) in CARE (nursing) – definition is ‘course here’
22 Music zones agreed by German earlier (4)
JAZZ: ZZ (zone, twice) with JA (agreed, German) earlier – definition is ‘music’
24 Dot lends an ‘and, redirecting around skating venue (8)
SPRINKLE: ‘ELPS (lend an ‘and) reversed (redirecting) around RINK (skating venue) – definition is ‘dots’
26 Woman losing capital in Spanish speaking country (6)
OLIVIA: bOLIVIA (Spanish speaking country) losing head (capital)
27 The old interrupt celebrity marathon man (6)
STAYER: YE (the, old) in (interrupting) STAR (celebrity)
28 One avoids axe in first half of secretary’s reshuffling (8)
ESCHEWER: HEW (axe) in SECRE* (half of secretary’s) anagram=reshuffling
Down
2 What predator does for seconds in Swiss Alps (5)
PROWL: PRO (for) sWiss aLps (second letters of)
3 Where Columbus departed from and landed? (4,2,5)
PORT OF SPAIN: cryptic definition – capital of Trinidad and Tobago, possible destination for Columbus?
4 City reporter defending impudence’s overshadowed (8)
ECLIPSED: EC (City of London postal code) then ED (editor, reporter) containing (defending) LIP’S (impudence’s)
5 With goal achieved, acknowledgment given to helper I don’t know? (5,3,2,5)
YOU’VE GOT ME THERE: double/cryptic definition – “thank you for getting me to my goal” and “I don’t know”
6 Small number avoid particular innings. What club members do? (4,2)
SIGN IN: INnINGS* (anagram=particular) missing N=number
7 Swimmer finds Lake Erie deserted firstly (3)
EEL: L (lake) with EriE (deserted, no middle) at first
8 Tiptoe sneakily through to sample served up vegetable (5,4)
PETIT POIS: TIPTOE* (anagram=sneakily) in SIP (to sample) reversed
13 Drink stimulant, hearing score in tennis match (6,5)
CARROT JUICE: CARROT (stimulant, carrot and stick) JUICE sounds like deuce
15 Flushed with vehicle that’s dearest, celebrity expects this treatment (3-6)
RED CARPET: RED (flushed) with CAR (vehicle) PET (dearest)
17 Timid Italian one accepts that woman in charge (8)
UNHEROIC: UNO (one, Italian) contains (accepts) HER (that woman) IC (in charge)
20 Charlatan caught out royal, religious type (6)
QUAKER: QUAcK (charlatan) missing C=caught ER (a royal, The Queen)
23 Old country’s heartland for dozens receiving broadcast (5)
ZAIRE: AIR (broadcast) in doZEns (heartland of) – former name for The Democratic Republic of Congo
25 Climber injured, visibly yearning peaks (3)
IVY: Injured Visibly Yearning (peaks=first letters)
Coo quiet, welcome back. Don’t like clues like 16 unless they are palindromes, not really fair with no crossing letters. Thanks PD.
I thought the same about 16. No-one turns up on the FT blog in the school holidays.
Yes quite a hard solve. Although I completed the grid I couldn’t parse some of the clues in particular 1A.
So thanks PeeDee for the explanations.
By the way you seem to have left out ‘u’ for bend in 10A.
Thanks also to the ‘antbear’.
Thanks PeeDee and Aardvark. An enjoyable puzzle. I agree re 16: some indication in the clue of which way round the answer should be is desirable (though I will allow, not essential).
Thank you peedee & thank you Aardvark. I came to this a day late, but I am so glad I made the effort to attempt it.
The best weekday FT I’ve done for ages. I particularly liked ‘axes’ = xy and ‘seconds in’.