Very pleasant and gentle. Thanks, Sleuth.
| Across | ||
| 9 | NICARAGUA |
A racing rogue with posh amateur in country (9)
An anagram (rogue) of racing plus U for posh (Alan Ross coined the terms) plus A for amateur |
| 10 | WIPER |
Caribbean salesman backed car feature (5)
WI for West Indies (in the Caribbean) plus PER (rep, or salesman, reversed (backed)) |
| 11 | GRUYERE |
Chap keeping recipe with note about fondue ingredient? (7)
GUY (chap) with R for recipe inserted, plus E, a note, plus RE (about). |
| 12 | EXPLOIT |
Milk? Show it around entrance to larder (7)
EXPO (a show) plus IT surrounding L, the first letter of larder |
| 13 | TEA |
Place to drive, we’re told, for meal (3)
A homophone of tee, the place from where a golfer takes his first drive. |
| 14 | IMPLAUSIBLE |
I slim, rejecting noon pub meal that’s cooked? Unlikely (11)
Am anagram of I slim, minus the letter m for noon (as in am and pm) and pub meal |
| 17 | STYLE |
Elegance in set of steps reported (5)
A homophone of stile |
| 18 | ROD |
Switch symbol of office (3)
A double definition. |
| 19 | UNION |
One vows to enter this college cricket side (5)
Presumably relating to matrimony. UNI for college plus ON or leg, in cricket |
| 21 | COUNTENANCE |
Allow facial expression (11)
A double definition |
| 23 | TAG |
Barring outsiders, put on children’s game (3)
sTAGe without its first and last letters |
| 25 | NORWICH |
Paupers only presumably touring western city (7)
NO RICH surrounding W for western |
| 27 | GODSEND |
Depart with foreign money inside two days, unexpectedly welcome event (7)
GO (depart) plus D for day twice with SEN (a hundredth of various Asian currency units) inserted |
| 28 | TRACE |
Follow closely temperature before marathon, say (5)
T for temperature plus RACE (of which a marathon is an example) |
| 29 | OBTRUSIVE |
Noticeable virus to be analysed (9)
An anagram (analysed) of virus to be |
| Down | ||
| 1 | KNIGHT |
One with honour spoke of dark period (6)
A homophone (hence, spoke of) of night |
| 2 | ACCURACY |
A Conservative minister’s office showing precision (8)
A plus C for Conservative plus CURACY |
| 3 | PRE EMINENT |
Outstanding change of temper in men losing money (3-7)
An anagram (change of) temper in men, minus one letter M for money |
| 4 | AGUE |
Fit in extra guests (4)
Contained in extra guests |
| 5 | GAME WARDEN |
Go, say, and wander off to get wildlife protector (4,6)
Go is a board GAME originating in Asia. Add WARDEN, an anagram (off) of wander. |
| 6 | SWAP |
Exchange hands when climbing (4)
Paws backwards |
| 7 | APLOMB |
See in a priest and doctor self- confidence (6)
A plus P for priest plus MB (denoting Bachelor of Medicine) for doctor, with LO (see), inserted |
| 8 | ERITREAN |
Flag that’s put up near cultivated African (8)
ERIT (tire, or flag in the sense of lose energy, backwards (put up) with an anagram (cultivated) of near |
| 15 | PARENTHOOD |
Being in charge of issue? (10)
A cryptic definition |
| 16 | STUPENDOUS |
Good man to affect greatly old American? That’s astonishing (10)
ST (saint) plus UPEND (greatly affect) plus O for old plus US for American |
| 17 | SICK NOTE |
Confirmation company needs of complaint? (4,4)
A cryptic definition |
| 20 | INTREPID |
Fearless institute printed works (8)
An anagram (works) of I for institute and printed |
| 22 | UPROAR |
Commotion for area in old city (6)
UR is the old city, as it usually is in crosswords. Insert PRO (for) and A for area |
| 24 | GADGET |
Gizmo tagged criminal (6)
An anagram (criminal) of tagged |
| 26 | ITEM |
Pair feature in bulletin (4)
A double definition. Two people in a relationship can be referred to as “an item” and a news bulletin comprises several items. |
| 27 | GATE |
Indication of scandal in entrance (4)
As in Watergate, Irangate and now #piggate. Yuk. |
Thanks both and to Sleuth.
I am glad that there was one crossword I could solve today. Monk and Enigmatist were beyond me.
A nice solve but over too quickly.
Thanks Sleuth and D&L
Nice to get a couple of easier ones in the FT this week to counter the tough ones at the Guardian.
No real notables, although I did struggle with STYLE as my last one in until I noticed that had wrongly put in ACCURATE instead of ACCURACY at 2d.
David, for posterity, I think that you’ve missed the first A in the anagram fodder at 1a.
Thanks D&L and Sleuth.
Nice and gentle. Like NORWICH.
Why are Africans almost always Eritreans in crossword-land? (rhetorical).