I found this a little bit trickier than the usual FT Thursday offering, but it was clever, original and in the end very enjoyable. For a while I thouht there might be something clever going on with all the words ending in -o, but if there was then it was lost on me… Thank-you, Sleuth.
ACROSS
1. TABASCO Tab [bill] + Asco(t) [(race) course]
5. MECCANO Mecca [pilgrimage site] + no [denial]
9. ACUTE A + cute [pleasing]
10. SHELF LIFE He [man] + l [left] + f [fellow] within anagram of files
11. DEMARCATE Anagram of cream within date [fruit]
12. ENNUI Nu [Greek character] within E [Eastern] + NI [Northern Ireland, province]
13. ERUPT Peru [country] minus P [piano, quiet] + pt [part]
15. GANGPLANK N [new] within gag [joke] + plank [political programme, though if I were feeling pedantic I’d argue that a plank is a component of a programme, not the programme itself]
18. MODERATOR Moder(n) [new] + reversal of rota [set of duties]
19. TEMPO M [metre] within anagram of poet
21. COLON Colon(y) [settlement]
23. REMINISCE Anagram of crimes in plus E [Espana, Spain]
25. ENTOURAGE ENT [Ear, Nose and Throat, part of hospital] + our age [what lines show us]
26. CHILL Chili [hot food] minus I + l [liberal]
27. ELEGANT Leg [stage of match] within anagram of neat
28. GROWN-UP W(ellingto)n within group [band]
DOWN
1. TWADDLE (Pundi)t + Waddle [former England footballer Chris]
2. BLUE MOULD Blue [depressed] + mould [sounds like Mold]
3. STEER Double definition
4. ONSLAUGHT Anagram of logs a hunt
5. MY EYE My [fancy, exclamation of surprise] + eye [detective]
6. COFFEE POT Coffe(r) [chest] + EP [Extended Play, record] + OT [Old Testament, books]
7. ALIEN A + L [Learner, rookie driver] + ie [id est, that is] + n(eedle)
8. OBELISK OB [Old Boy, former student] + anagram of likes
14. TARANTULA An [indefinite article] within tart [baggage, contemptible woman] + U [posh] + l [lecturer] + a
16. NUREMBERG Re [about] within numb [cold] + erg [unit of work]
17. ADMISSION D [daughter] within A + mission [religious settlement]
18. MACHETE Che [Guevara, revolutionary] + t [time] within Mae [West]
20. OVERLAP Double definition
22. LATHE Lather [stew] minus r [rector]
23. ROAST Double definition
24. NACHO Hidden in kitcheN A CHOcolate
I too found this tricky for an FT crossword, butI enjoyed working my way through it.
Thanks to Sleuth and Ringo
Unlike some of Sleuth’s recent puzzles under other monikers I found this rather easy although I had the same reservations about plank. Quite an gentle week in the FT so far so will probably be monk in the morning. Thanks Ringo and Sleuth.
Enjoyed this, and particularly liked ENTOURAGE, my LOI. Thanks, Sleuth and Ringo.