A mournful morning here at Ringo Towers, despite the sunshine, so all I’ll say is that this was a very nice puzzle: not too tough, and no quibbles from me. Thanks, Gurney.
ACROSS
1. STRIPE St [street] + ripe [ready to eat]
4. NAUTICAL Nauti [sounds like naughty, misbehaving]
10. PHOENIX Phoe [sounds like fee, charge] + nix [nothing]
11. BIRD DOG Ir [Irish] + DD [Doctor of Divinity, theologian] within bog [wet ground]
12. HERO Her [woman’s] + O [zero, love]
13. SETTLEMENT Ettlem [mettle, courage, with the M transposed] within sent [transported]
15. RANDOM Rand [currency, money] + OM [Order of Merit, award]
16. ROUTINE Rout [heavy defeat] + in + E [East]
20. LEOTARD Leopard [panther] with t [time] replacing p [piano, quietly]
21. JANGLE J [jack] + angle [standpoint]
24. INSTIGATOR Anagram of organist i(nsisten)t
26. DISC Hidden in muirfielD IS Challenged
28. GLARING Gla(d) [happy] + ring [scene of (boxing) contest]
29. CORRECT Co [company] + reversal of err + ct [court]
30. ENDANGER End [desired outcome] + anger [annoyance]
31. MENTOR Men [soldiers] + to + r(est)
DOWN
1. SAPPHIRE I [one] within anagram of perhaps
2. RIO GRANDE Anagram of adoring within re [about]
3. PANE Pan [criticise] + E [low grade]
5. AMBITION A + MB [doctor] + i(nimical) + anagram of into
6. TORRENTIAL Rent within anagram of tailor
7. CADRE Cared [were affected emotionally] with D [daughter] transposed
8. LEGATE L(ike) + e-gate [entry point on Net]
9. EXCEL Sounds like XL [Latin for forty]
14. CONTRITION Contribution [funding] minus B [British] + U [university]
17. NEGLIGENT Anagram of g(ettin)g lenient
18. TRIANGLE Anagram of altering
19. MERCATOR Reversal of acre [unit of area] within MT [Montana] + (t)or(n)
22. SINGLE Shingle [mass of pebbles] minus h [hard]
23. JOYCE Joy [happiness] + c(learly) e(vident)
25. STAND Hidden in pakiSTAN Decree
27. BRIE Brie(f) [short]
Thanks Gurney for an enjoyable puzzle and Ringo for the blog.
We do seem to be in the middle (or, I hope, at the end) of a rash of horrible grids at the moment in the FT – this one splits almost completely into two halves, and the symmetrical chains joining the halves are three clues long. It would be interesting (to me, anyway) to hear how much freedom FT setters have with the choice of grids, since the same ones do seem to keep cropping up.
Having got that off my chest, the good cluing easily compensates for the poor grid today.
Unlike Pelham I barely noticed the grid but a lovely puzzle in the raich/gurney style I like.
My only reservation is the brie clue which is so hackneyed it’s calling a cab. Still commiserations to Ringo and thanks NMS.