Financial Times 15,012 by ARMONIE

by

In for a penny…

A straightforward offering from Armonie, with a couple of above average clues, and a few cliches.

The only criticism I have (and it is a small one) is an over-reliance on P = “penny” or “pence”.  Variations on the theme appear three times at least.

Across
1 IMPRESARIO
Cut a dash, largely, with a Spanish banker and promoter (10)

IMPRES(s) + A RIO

RIO is Spanish for river, therfore a “Spanish banker”
7 DUPE
Fool expected to carry cash (4)

DU(P)E

P = penny
9 POMP
Splendour of chamberpot’s representative (4)

PO + M.P.
10 ABSOLUTION
Deliverance provided in washing (10)

AB(SO)LUTION
11 CANDLE
Light carriage initially badly laden (6)

C(arriage) + *(laden)
12 INTENDED
Fiancée’s at home being looked after (8)

IN + TENDED
13 PENTAGON
Interned a girl working in military base (8)

PENT + A + G + ON
15 TOBY
Mug bowled during play (4)

TO(B)Y, as in a Toby jug
17 SCAM
Avuncular American entertained many a swindle (4)

S(C)AM

“Avuncular American” is (Uncle) Sam

C = 100 ~ “many”
19 OVERRATE
Make too much of frequency of deliveries (8)

Double definition
22 COVERALL
Ring up about unwanted baby’s garment (8)

C(OVER)ALL
23 INDEED
Actually denied arrangement (6)

*(denied)
25 DEVASTATED
Dead woman said to be heartbroken (10)

D + EVA + STATED
26 RUSE
Kick oneself for storing small device (4)

RU(S)E
27 HAKE
Fish convulse when decapitated (4)

(s)HAKE
28 THE PRESENT
Article coppers feel bitter about now (3,7)

THE + P + RESENT
Down
2 MOORAGE
Heath needed time to make the berth (7)

MOOR + AGE
3 RAPID
Speedy coppers in surprise attack (5)

RA(P)ID
4 SCAVENGE
Scottish leaders retaliate and clean up the streets (8)

SC(ottish) + AVENGE
5 RUSSIAN ROULETTE
Rules out nastier play in dangerous game (7,8)

*(rules out nastier)
6 OF LATE
Oscar got deflated by oriental recently (2,4)

O + FLAT + E
7 DETONATOR
Primer father keeps in school to read initially (9)

D(ETON)A + TO + R(ead)
8 PROVERB
Saw pirate in lead (7)

P(ROVER)B

Pb is the chemical symbol for lead
14 TEMPERATE
Paddy consumed mild (9)

TEMPER + ATE

A paddy is a rage, or a fit of temper
16 BEWILDER
Confuse when crazy in drink (8)

BE(WILD)ER
18 CHOLERA
Caught artist concealing depression and sickness (7)

C(HOLE)R.A.
20 TREASON
Senator organised acts of betrayal (7)

*(senator)
21 PAST IT
A heartless sot in bed is over the hill (4,2)

P(A S(o)T)IT
24 DARTS
Moves quickly in board game (5)

Double definition
*anagram

4 comments on “Financial Times 15,012 by ARMONIE”

  2. Thanks Armonie and loonapick.

    ABSOLUTION
    ‘provided’ is one of the meanings given for ‘so’ in Chambers.
    However, I’m struggling to come up with a sentence in modern
    English to illustrate the equivalence of the two words.

    “provided that” and “so long as” are certainly interchangeable
    but they weren’t used in the clue. Can anyone help?

  3. Thanks loonapick and Armonie.

    Not only too many ‘p’s for money (at 7ac, 28ac and 3dn) but in two of these Armonie uses ‘coppers’ (plural) for ‘p’ (singular). That does look a bit like the puzzle was dashed off.

    I’m afraid I can’t add more to the ‘provided’ – ‘so’ question raised by Mike04. Surely ‘very much’ would have worked better.

    Otherwise a very quick solve with just 16dn throwing me for a while. At first I thought of TEASMADE (‘mad’ in ‘tease’) on the assumption that the sloppiness in some of the clueing had resulted in omission of ‘maker’ from the end of the clue. Clearly I had to think again when the crossers said no.

    Having said all that, there were a few very nice clues. IMPRESARIO was well-constructed and I also liked POMP and RUSE.

    So thanks.

  4. Thanks Armonie and D&L

    Quite straightforward as has been stated. The characteristic use of single letters in the construction of solutions marred with the repetitive P’s.

    Noticed that I got RUSE wrong on checking – had RASP instead even though the definition as a ‘device’ seemed rather loose and I guess a RAP is more on somebody else rather than oneself.

    Strange how it is these ‘easier’ setters that often draw the error.

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