Financial Times 15,108 / Crux

When I started this one I thought it was going to be a walk in the park because entries were going in at a fair rate of knots but this proved not to be the case as a number of clues then needed a bit more thought. In fact there is one clue (3dn) that I still don’t understand.

I will admit that repeatedly typing ‘cryptic def.’ became a bit of a chore after having blogged yesterday’s Rufus in the Guardian.

Across
1 Consider it unlikely to display tact (10)
DISCRETION – an anagram (unlikely) of CONSIDER IT

7 Pluck heads off guelder roses in temper (4)
GRIT – G[uelder] R[oses] I[n] T[emper] (heads off guelder roses in temper)

9 Too partial in a trial sometimes (4)
ALSO – hidden in (partial in) ‘a triAL SOmetimes’

10 Get together to put cabbies out of work? (5,5)
CLOSE RANKS – def. & cryptic indicator

11 Regret the absence of a Latin book of prayers (6)
MISSAL – MISS (regret the absence of) A L (Latin)

12 Wiggly lines young Edward joined up (8)
ENLISTED – an anagram (wiggly) of LINES plus TED (young Edward)

13 What a procrastinator might say, and a pagan (8)
IDOLATER – I DO LATER (what a procrastinator might say)

15 Lied about being unemployed (4)
IDLE – an anagram (about) of LIED

17 Advanced / fast (4)
LENT – double def.

19 Head for London, say, and act without inhibition (2,2,4)
GO TO TOWN – double def.

22 Go on and on with the chase – foxes prefer it! (4,4)
DRAG HUNT – DRAG (go on and on) HUNT (the chase)

23 An endless task for a newsreader (6)
ANCHOR – AN CHOR[e] (endless task)

25 Carol welcomes possible madman? Most unnerving (10)
SHATTERING – SING (carol) around (welcomes) HATTER (possible madman)

26 Record on old label (4)
LOGO – LOG (record) O (old)

27 What one should do with 28 in prison (4)
STIR – double def.

28 Foreign articles at Ascot, perhaps, used by painters (10)
UNDERCOATS – UN DER (foreign articles) plus an anagram (perhaps) of ASCOT

Down
2 A terrible draught said to benefit nobody (3,4)
ILL WIND – ILL (terrible) WIND (draught)

3 It could mean your setter is angry (5)
CROSS – ???

4 Raise a special case in time? On the contrary (8)
ESCALATE – an anagram (special) of CASE plus LATE (in time? On the contrary)

5 All there! (2,4,5,4)
IN ONE’S RIGHT MIND – cryptic def.

6 Want the French to get on your nerves? (6)
NEEDLE – NEED (want) LE (the French)

7 Equipment on 27 gives control of American vehicles (9)
GEARSHIFT – GEAR (equipment) SHIFT (27 {stir})

8 Item on desktop writers no longer need (7)
INKWELL – cryptic def.

14 Liar got it wrong for the plaintiff (9)
LITIGATOR – an anagram (wrong) of LIAR GOT IT

16 Newcomer, being tougher, is given top mark for nothing (8)
STRANGER – STRoNGER (tougher) with A (top mark) replacing o (nothing)

18 You won’t hear a sound out of it (7)
EARSHOT – cryptic def.

20 Disheartened warrior should be decorated (7)
WROUGHT – W[arrio]R (disheartened warrior) OUGHT (should be)

21 Office in old city held by lover (6)
BUREAU – UR (old city) in (held by) BEAU (lover)

24 Instrument from collection is returned (5)
CELLO – hidden (from) reversal (is returned) in ‘cOLLECtion’