Financial Times 15,268 by PETO

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Four mini-puzzles from Peto.

The grid for this puzzle was uninspiring, so although everything else is above board and straight forward, I did feel that I was solving four puzzles rather than one, as you had to find an “in” to each of the corners.

It was helpful, however, that an error in the clue meant that we had the solution given to us.

Thanks, Peto.

Across
1 TEA PARTY A political movement up till now backing nurses separately (3,5)
  <=YET (“up to now, backing”) “nurses” APART (“separately”)

The Tea Party is a political movement in America that opposes taxes and government spending, named after the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
5 SUPERB Excellent form of transportation brought back across most of the country (6)
  <=BUS (“form of transportation”, brought back) “across” PER(u)
9 RETICENT Entice Rex around back of coconut shy (8)
  *(entice R) “around” (coconu)T
10 SCHOOL John’s about to tour Switzerland in train (6)
  <=LOOS (“john’s”, about) “touring” CH (“Switzerland”)
11 UNCLE SAM Vague for the most part over son getting married in America (5,3)
  (UNCLEA (r) (“vague, for the most part”) “over” S(on)) + M(arried)

Uncle Sam is a personification of America.
12 IMAGES Fancy ignoring popular Socialist leader’s ideas (6)
  IMAG(in)E (“fancy” without “popular”) + S(ocialist)
14 NOTEWORTHY Interesting to reflect on failure of Tory wet to keep close to Heath (10)
  <=ON (“to reflect on”)+ *(tory wet) “keeping” (heat)H
18 ILLUMINATE Enlighten incompetent university pal about batting (10)
  ILL (“incompetent”) + U(niversity) MATE (“pal”) “about” IN (“batting”)

Initially, I wasn’t sure about “incompetent” for ILL, as it’s a bit old-fashioned in that sense, but I’ve convinced myself it’s OK.
22 EXPOSE Show up with former model (6)
  EX (“former”) + POSE(“model”)
23 SET PIECE Appoint to church beyond Pie corner for instance (3,5)
  SET (“appoint”) + PIE +  C.E. (“church”)

In football, a “set piece” is another name for a dead-ball situation, such as a free kick or a corner.
24 ADAGIO Slowly stir to obtain a strong daiquiri ultimately (6)
  ADO (“stir”) “obtaining” A (stron)G (daiquir)I , indicated in the clue by “ultimately”
25 ALIENATE Turn away as foreign girl’s beheaded (8)
  ALIEN (“foreign”) + (k)ATE (“girl’s beheaded”)
26 ENGAGE Begin an action against well- organised gang involved in drugs (6)
  *(gang) involved in E E (ecstasy, twice, therefore “drugs”)

Not sure what the “well-” adds to the clue.  “Organised” would have sufficed.
27 PROSPECT Expectation of pressure to stop tedious discourse at court (8)
  P(ressure) in PROSE (“tedious discourse”) +Ct. (“court”)
Down
1 TURN UP Arrive in court after a short walk (4,2)
  TURN (“a short walk”) + UP (“in court”)
2 ATTACH Guard ignoring Welsh volunteers going in to join (6)
  (w)ATCH (“guard” ignoring W) with T.A. (Territorial Army = “volunteers”) “going in”
3 ARCHER Writer becoming expert on soldiers in retreat (6)
  ARCH (“expert”) on <=R.E. (Royal Engineers, so “soldiers”, in retreat)

Probably refers to Jeffrey Archer aka Baron Archer of Weston-Super-Mare, but could also be Geoffrey Archer, who writes spy and adventure stories.
4 TANTAMOUNT The same as blood group found in mutant ant? Not exactly (10)
  O (“blood group”) “found in *(mutant ant)
6 UNCOMMON Rare to find a French article on the lower classes? Not entirely (8)
  UN (“a French article”) + COMMON(s) “(the lower classes”, not entirely)
7 ELONGATE Extend loan and get sorted out by the end of June (8)
  *(loan get) + (jun)E
8 BULL’S EYE Bull’s EyeThis comic book character’s sweet (5,3)
  Double definition.

I don’t know how this clue appeared in the print edition, but online, the answer seems to have infliltrated the clue!

I have a vague memory of Bull’s Eye as a comic character from my youth, but that’s a while ago now, so I may be mistaken.  There is a Marvel Comics character called Bullseye, who may be the character implied by the clue.
13 BEST SELLER Most excellent prophet embodying lines from the Bible perhaps (4,6)
  BEST (“most excellent”) + SEER (“prophet”) “embodying” LL (“lines”)
15 LIBERATE Release a false statement implicating Repton’s head in strike (8)
  LIE (“a false statement”) “implicating” R(epton) in BEAT (“strike”)

A pedant may say the “a” before “false statement” is unnecessary”.
16 SLAP-BANG Right kind of vocabulary to describe Penny taken in by sailor (4-4)
  SLANG (“kind of vocabulary”) containing (indicated by “to describe”) P(enny) “taken in by” A.B. (“sailor”)
17 SMASHING Wonderful food in prison? Not half (8)
  MASH (“food”) in SING (half of Sing Sing, an infamous New York “prison”)
19 SPEEDS Moves quickly when first of potatoes is eaten by sows (6)
  P(otatoes) “eaten by” SEEDS (“sows”)
20 REGALE Entertain with talk about Capone being seen in Georgia (6)
  RE (“about”) + AL (“Capone”) “seen in” GE (IVR for “Georgia”)
21 REVERT At all times protected by right to go back (6)
  EVER (“at all times”) “protected by” Rt. (“right”)

*anagram

8 comments on “Financial Times 15,268 by PETO”

  1. Thanks PETO and loonapick.

    I pciked slowly at this over several sessions, as I had other things to do, so it never really caught fire for me. I couldn’t believe the error in 8, so didn’t enter that until I had all the crossers (I’ve never heard of the cartoon character is my excuse).

    In 11 I think it’s UNCLEA(r) surrounding (over) S & M, as otherwise the A of SAM isn’t accounted for.

  5. No setter error in 20dn. GA is the abbreviation for Georgia, the US state, but GE is the IVR for Georgia, the country.

  6. Thanks loonapick and Peto.

    I usually struggle with this setter but seemed to make steady progress this time.

    This was indeed a game of four halves due to the grid with the SW the last to yield for me.

    Interesting to see the two double envelopes at 16 and 17 – loonapick I think that it’s P inside AB, all inside SLANG at 17 – side by side. They took a while to decipher.

    Finally, shame about 8dn. These things happen.

  8. Thanks Peto and loonapick

    Good standard crossword which did feel like four mini puzzles. Was able to just ply away with it as the opportunity arose throughout the day till it completed.

    Tried to squeeze RUSSIA in at 5a for longer than I should have – thought that SUPERB when I did get it was rather clever – probably more the journey of getting to it than the clue itself.

    Finished in the NW quadrant with RETICENT, TURN UP and ARCHER the last few in.

    Was odd to see the gifted answer at 8d – a rare mistake for the FT.

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