Financial Times No. 14,752 by JASON

This was a smooth flowing puzzle that gave me no trouble at any stage…

…and a good thing too given how late this post is appearing. I really want to apologise for the delay in posting this blog. I was so caught up in something else that I even failed to inform Gaufrid about my tardiness.

The puzzle itself was hugely enjoyable. In spite of the hurried job I had to do, I couldn’t help but stop and savour the excellent surface stories in most clues. If any nits are to be picked, it is with the repeated use of same single letter abbreviations – Caught and One. 

Thank you JASON for the entertainment.

All clues have definitions marked like this.

* anagram, + charade, – deletion,  H hidden, ~ homophone, CD cryptic definition, DD double definition

ACROSS
1 Fertiliser made from the residue of burning grass? (6) POTASH [CD with grass=POT]
4 Turned excited horse at a distance from the breakers, perhaps (8) OFFSHORE [turned=OFF + HORSE*]
9 Stocking material of funny Londoner (5) NYLON [H]
10 “Caught by Australian” entered in bowling records here (9) SCORECARD [Caught Australian inside RECORDS*]
11 It’s a big blow being in two minds about party (7) TORNADO [being in two minds=TORN + About + party=DO]
12 Hobby done by one, yours truly (7) PASTIME [done=PAST + one=1 + yours truly=ME]
13 Irish broadcaster gets round a charge (4) RATE [Irish broadcaster=RTE outside A]
14 He toils in testing place with yours and my Queen (8) LABOURER [testing place=LAB + yours and my=OUR + queen=ER]
17 Utter failure is seen in dead flower (8) DISASTER [IS inside Dead + flower=ASTER]
19 Wound in small curtain for actors (4) STAB [Small + curtain for actors=TAB]

22 Songs on the back of records full of energy as well (7) BESIDES [songs on back of records=B SIDES outside Energy]
24 Editor’s abused drug (7) STEROID [EDITORS]*
25 Pack church bearing a folder for the rest? (4,5) DECK CHAIR [pack=DECK + CHurch + bearing=AIR]
26 Stop Conservative wealth (5) CEASE [Conservative + wealth=EASE]
27 Separate island east of hell (8) DISCRETE [hell=DIS + island=CRETE]
28 Like posted agreement (6) ASSENT [like=AS + posted=SENT]

DOWN
1 Court following peacekeepers in simple leak (8) PUNCTURE [peacekeepers=UN + CourT  inside simple=PURE]
2 Put up with a letter and do dreadfully (9) TOLERATED [A LETTER DO]*
3 Gossip’s caught out – she put her foot in it? (6) SANDAL [gossip=SCANDAL – Caught]
5 Chef perhaps forces poor sod to jump about (4,9) FOOD PROCESSOR [FORCES POOR SOD]*
6 Old writer writes during short sermon (7) SPENSER [writes=PENS inside SERmon]
7 Arab chap caught by old one (5) OMANI [chap=MAN inside Old + one=1]
8 Whirls little lad and fails to get a laugh (6) EDDIES [little lad=ED + fails to get a laugh=DIES]
10 Grass helping server (4,9) SHOP ASSISTANT [CD with grass(v)=shop]
15 Underlying reason for budget brew (9) RATIONALE [budget=RATION + brew=ALE]
16 Following gong dine drunkenly on time (8) OBEDIENT [gong=OBE + DINE* + Time]
18 A cider’s stirred in cocktail (7) SIDECAR [A CIDERS]*
20 A tender editor waited (6) ABIDED [A + tender=BID + EDitor]
21 Guards // who shift hot stuff (6) FENCES [DD]
23 Gets rid of instrument for the hearer (5) SACKS [~instrument=SAX]