I always enjoy Redshank’s puzzles, but I have to say that for me this wasn’t one of his very finest: I wasn’t fond of the recurring ‘augmented anagram’ mechanism (do we have a term for those?), as at 9ac, 23dn and elsewhere, and a few of the &lits seemed a little forced. Technically flawless, though, as ever, and still a satisfying solve – plus one or two real zingers. Thank-you, Redshank.
ACROSS
1. REWORKED E [electronic] + work [study] within red [scarlet]
5. MANTLE Hidden in reversal of spELT NAMe
9. CELIBATE Anagram of excitable minus X [kiss]
10. DRY ROT Reversal of Tory [right] + rd [road, way]
12. SQUID Qui [French for ‘who’ (see 20ac.)] within S D [shillings and pence, old money]
13. OVERPOWER Anaram of prove + ower [debtor]
14. SMUTTY Mutt [dog] within S(hrewsbur)y
16. TRAINEE Anagram of apprentice minus c [college] and pp [pianissimo, very quiet]
18. UKELELE UK [this country] + anagram of EU Well minus W [Wales]
20. THE WHO Anagram of white hot minus it [sex appeal]
22. TITLE ROLE Anagram of or little + (theatr)e
23. CITED T(h)e within CID [detectives]
24. COCOON Coco [clown] + on [leg(-side in cricket)]
25. WORLD WAR L(an)d within reversal of raw [bitter] + row [dispute]
26. SEE RED Steered [directed] minus T [time]
27. ODDBALLS O [zero, love] + DD [big-chested] + Balls [Ed, the politician]
DOWN
1. RECESS Anagram of Ceres + S(ocrates)
2. WALRUS MOUSTACHE Masterly anagram of wet oscular mush
3. RABID Reversal of bar [except] + ID [identity papers]
4. ENTROPY Op [surgery] within entry [competitor]
6. AEROPLANE L [left] within anagram of open area
7. THROW IN THE TOWEL Anagram of how R(ocky) won the title
8. EXTORTED Reversal of Trot [Trotskyite, red] within ex [former] + E [east] + D [Deutschland, Germany]
11. JEST Initial letters of Joe Entertained Some Troops
15. THEREFORE (H)erefor(d) [cattle] within the [definite article]
17. BUTTOCKS Reversal of OTT [Over The Top, excessively] within bucks [dollars]
19. ETON (G)et on(e)
20. TOEHOLD To + behold [view] minus b [bomber]
21. ADORNS RN [Royal Navy] within ados [fusses]
23. CELEB Anagram of bracelets minus letters of tsar
Thanks, Ringo, for the blog.
I’m a Redshank fan and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t mind the ‘augmented anagrams’ at all – I thought they were something of a theme, in fact.
Favourite of those was 9ac – a laugh-out-loud moment – and I thought 7dn was brilliant.
Lovely surfaces throughout, as always, and several ‘ahas’. Ticks for 9, 10, 16, 22 and 26ac and 6 and 7dn.
Many thanks to Redshank for the fun.
[It’s been an excellent day for crosswords!]
Seems to be missing a clue at 27ac…
Thanks Brian, well spotted – amended now.
Unusually I slightly disagree with Eileen. As Ringo says a satisfying solve with some great clues, particularly the walrus moustache, but I had fewer ticks than Eileen did.
Thanks to Redshank for the entertainment and Ringo for the explanations.
A very good FT puzzle. I ticked several and I liked most of all the clues at 9, 16 & 26ac .
Vheers
Rowls.
Thanks Ringo.
Unfortunately for you, I am completely with Eileen (and Rowland).
Although this was a relatively easy puzzle, it was full of adventurous ideas and great surfaces.
I have said it before but for me Redshank has the edge over his more heavyweight alter egos (Radian, Crucible).
I find the lightness of touch very appealing.
I agree that there was an overdose of “augmented anagrams” but one must also realise that this setter does it all the time in all his broadsheet disguises. Surely one of his trademarks.
My ticks of the day go to: 9ac, 16ac, 18ac, 22ac, 25ac, 27ac, 1d, 2d, 6d, 7d, 8d.
Quite a lot but then I thought this was once more a great crossword.
I have a slight quibble with 12A. ‘Qui’ is French for ‘who’ not ‘the who'(in 20A).
A good testing puzzle nevertheless.
ernie @7, despite my overall enthusiasm I do agree with you on 12ac.
And to be honest, I also didn’t like S & D for “old money” very much in that clue, even if it’s fully justifiable.
Just a matter of taste.
Did this in bed last night. The anagram at 18 gives Ukulele not the alternative Ukelele.