Financial Times 14,672 by Magwitch

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of July 12, 2014

This was my second Magwitch and I liked it as much as the first. My top clues are 21a (SCAR TISSUE), 3d (CURRY SUPPER) and 23d (DEBUT). I also like the inventiveness of 12a (EXHILARATE) and 20d (DIE OUT). There is something I do not understand in 8d (EXISTENCE).

ACROSS
1 Plunged scoundrel into lawsuit against daughter (8)
CASCADED – CAD (scoundrel) in CASE (lawsuit) + D (daughter)
6 Centre of storms blew off hat (6)
BOWLER – anagram of [st]OR[ms] BLEW
9 Need a drink to manage test (3,3)
DRY RUN – DRY (need a drink) + RUN (manage)
10 Punctilious journalist in a flap about Times leader (8)
PEDANTIC – ED (journalist) in PANIC (flap) with T[imes] inserted
11 Persuade state to accept introduction of wiretapping (4)
SWAY – W[iretapping] in SAY (state)
12 Cheer up, cook, relax and eat Thai – no thanks (10)
EXHILARATE – anagram of RELAX EAT [t]H[a]I
14 Rejoin revolution after army corps starts to take over (6,2)
RETURN TO – RE (army corps) + TURN (revolution) + T[ake] O[ver]
16 No amount included in promotion on eBay (4)
NONE – hidden word
18 First of winter fruit crop perhaps (4)
WHIP – W[inter] + HIP (fruit)
19 Died last month freed from pain (8)
DECEASED – DEC (last month) + CEASED (freed from pain)
21 Misguided racists take legal action as a result of old wounds (4,6)
SCAR TISSUE – anagram of RACISTS + SUE (take legal action)
22 Puritan drops publicity for dead guy (4)
DUDE – PRUDE (puritan) with ‘PR’ (publicity) replaced by ‘D’ (dead)
24 A large number appeal about unauthorised centre (8)
PLETHORA – [unau]THOR[ised] in PLEA (appeal)
26 Only part of the truth is bearable for ill-fated lover (6)
THISBE – hidden word
27 Young bird which sounds like a seal (6)
CYGNET – homophone (“signet”)
28 About to bring to life design again (8)
RECREATE – double definition

DOWN
2 Indicator of Cockney part of London (5)
ARROW – [h]ARROW
3 Indian meal for tea in Guildford with Spooner (5,6)
CURRY SUPPER – Spoonerised “Surrey Cuppa”
4 Waste long periods in prisons (8)
DUNGEONS – DUNG (waste) + EONS (long periods)
5 Intensities of rapes I’d suffered led to utter hopelessness (6,2,7)
DEPTHS OF DESPAIR – DEPTHS (intensities) + OF (of) + anagram of RAPES ID
6 Dazed by idol in the flesh (6)
BODILY – anagram of BY IDOL
7, 25 Chinese speciality not currently served up (3,3)
WON TON – NOT (not) + NOW (currently) all backwards
8 Being a divorcee, I catch son returning by chance finally (9)
EXISTENCE – EX (a divorcee) + I (I) + NET S (catch son) backwards + [chan]CE. When I originally posted this blog I wrote that the ‘C’ in EXISTENCE seemed to be unaccounted for in the wordplay. The consensus now seems to be that “chance finally” clues CE rather than simply E. I have to say that I do not like this. One of my dictionaries gives a definition for ‘finally’ of “The item at the end” and, overlooking the fact that this definition does not seem exactly adverbial, that is the way I think of it. For me, “chance ending” would suffice to clue CE but “chance finally” is, well, chancing it.
13 Troops in the position of 6 across and 23 down, say (4,3,4)
RANK AND FILE – double definition. I take it that “6 across and 23 down” are intended merely as examples of rank (across) and file (down) clues respectively.
15 Extremely idiotic to stand by the corrupt partner honourably (9)
ETHICALLY – anagram of THE + I[dioti]C + ALLY (partner)
17 Those chosen include Tory I initially considered as broadminded (8)
ECLECTIC – C (Tory) in ELECT (those chosen) + I (I) + C[onsidered]
20 Eid to become extinct? (3,3)
DIE OUT – reverse anagram of EID
23 Start of French objection (5)
DEBUT – DE (of French) + BUT (objection)