Financial Times 15067 by AARDVARK

Just assume that nothing in there means what you think it does and you should have no problems… thanks Aardvark!

completed grid
Across
1, 5 TREASURE ISLAND
Novel prize I malign without hesitation (8,6)

TREASURE (prize) I SLANDer (malign) missing ER (hesitation)

9 IRRIGATE
Cook in boiling water (8)

RIG (cook) in IRATE (boiling)

10 TILLER
One directs packet to central Somerset (6)

TILL (to) somERset (centre of) – a handle for the rudder on a boat (packet)

12 SCINTILLA
A bit hurt during wild antics (9)

ILL (hurt) inside ANTICS* anagram=wild

13 IDYLL
Some fully discussed retrospective poem (5)

found inside (some of) fuLLY DIscussed reversed (retrospective)

14 PAIR
Match beginning in party atmosphere (4)

Party (beginning letter of) and AIR (atmosphere)

16 PROSAIC
Dull experts reflecting intelligence (7)

PROS (experts) then CIA (intelligence agency) reversed (reflecting)

19 CAFE BAR
Bachelor in panic, going on about where to drink (4,3)

B (bachelor) in FEAR (panic) following (going on) CA (circa, about)

21 MYTH
Fairy story writer’s wanting first and last to teach (4)

MY (the writer’s) with (wanting) TeacH (first and last to, letters of)

24 OVERT
Public old green in Provence (5)

O (old) VERT (green, French, in Provence)

25 PERTINENT
Appropriate training drained Robert in medical department (9)

PE (physical exercise, training) RoberT (drained, no middle) IN ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat, hospital department)

27 LISBON
City’s the centrepiece for A-list bigwig on the comeback (6)

a-LISt (the centrepiece for,middle of) then NOB (bigwig) reversed (on the comeback)

28 IMBECILE
Stupid one putting insects back among decoration (8)

I (one) then LICE (insects) reversed (back) inside MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a decoration)

29, 30 DANISH PASTRIES
Bakery produce Prince, extremely adventurous, samples with tongue (6,8)

P (prince) AdventurouS )extremes of) TRIES (samples) following (with) DANISH (a language, tongue)

Down
1 THIRST
Desire short-sleeved top, when moving south (6)

T-SHIRT (short sleeved top) with S (south) moved

2 EARWIG
Bug creating rage around female group (6)

RAGE* anagram=creating contains WI (Women’s Institute, female goup)

3 SIGHT
Sense this rising will stifle government (5)

THIS reversed (rising) contains (will stifle) G (government)

4 RATTLER
Beyond river, one struggles to behead snake (7)

R (river) then bATTLER (one who struggles) beheaded (no first letter)

6 SPIT IT OUT
Speak now to vacant upstart after one refuse area’s overturned (4,2,3)

TO UpstarT (vacant, no middle letters) following I (one) TIPS (refuse areas) all reversed (overturned) 

7 ALLEYCAT
Everyone joined Tracey right away handling stray animal (8)

ALL (everyone) with (joined) TrACEY* anagram=handling missing R=right

8 DERELICT
Neglected food shop keeps on casual types primarily (8)

DELI (food shop) contains RE (regarding, on) then Casual Types (primarily, first letters of)

11 CARP
Given fish, have a bone to pick (4)

dpuble definition

15 ALBATROSS
High-flyer’s under-par performance? (9)

double definition – a three-under-par hole in golf

17 SCHOOLED
Did train drive away, guided around cape (8)

SHOO (drive away) LED (guided) containing (around) C (cape)

18 AFTERSUN
A Parisian attracted by sweet cream (8)

UN (a, Parisian, in French) following (attracted by) AFTERS (sweet)

20 RIPE
Seasoned beef not the starter (4)

gRIPE (beef) missing starter

21 MARIMBA
One makes music graduates entertain outer circle (7)

MA and BA (graduates) contain (entertain) RIM (outer circle)

22 GEMINI
Modern artist seen among private stars (6)

Tracy EMIN (modern artist) inside (seen among) GI (private, soldier)

23 STRESS
Force opening of safety lock (6)

Safety (opening letter of) TRESS (lock, hair)

26 INERT
At home, regularly regret being immobile (5)

IN (at home) rEgReT (regular selection from)

*anagram
definitions are underlined

6 comments on “Financial Times 15067 by AARDVARK”

  1. Just looked at the first three solutions to try and get into this. I don’t think I’ll bother trying to continue with it..

  2. Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee

    Found this pretty daunting at first, eventually getting INERT and SCINTILLA to open up two fronts. The ‘daunting-ness’ continued throughout with each clue having to be prised out of twisted logic. Even the last pair CAFE BAR and AFTERSUN resisted for a good while after the rest was done. Enjoyed the challenge immensely !!!

    The misdirection away from the definition in most clues was masterly. The mark of it’s excellence comes from looking back over the answers – and there is not one sign of ambiguity in any part of them. Did momentarily think there may have been at 20d where I originally parsed TRIPE as beef, but then saw GRIPE – aha !

    This was certainly a puzzle that hit the sweet spot. Well done, Aardvark !

  3. Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee.

    Excellent intro to the blog PeeDee. This was certainly a masterclass in misdirection and I was ultimately beaten by SCHOOLED, AFTERSUN and CAFE BAR.

    Aardvark also beat me with the full parsing of TILLER.

    I struggled with the SW corner for so long that I thought I’d gone wrong but having read over the blog I only have even greater admiration for this setter.

    Favourites are too many to mention although I think IRRIGATE was exceptional.

    So thanks again.

Comments are closed.