PeeDee’s holiday has given me the chance to return to what used to be my regular Wednesday FT slot (many years ago now!).
A steady solve for me with no hold-ups or head scratching either for the solutions or the parsing so I would say that this is a good puzzle for those relatively new to the cryptic art who are looking to stretch and improve themselves.
Across
1 Primate’s an important person with great standing westwards (6)
GIBBON – NOB (important person) BIG (great standing) reversed (westwards)
4 A racket’s produced by disturbance over in slaughterhouse (8)
ABATTOIR – A BAT (racket) plus RIOT (disturbance) reversed (over)
9 Make pitiful money in Asia, restricting tot (6)
SADDEN – SEN (money in Asia) around (restricting) ADD (tot)
10 US sportsman to remain before game in part of changing facilities? (4,4)
BABE RUTH – BE (to remain) RU (game) in BATH (part of changing facilities)
12 Sound equipment used by Durham psychologist (4)
AMPS – hidden in (used by) ‘durhAM PSychologist’
13 Greek character starts to hobble about on mountain (5)
ALPHA – ALP (mountain) H[obble] A[bout] (starts to hobble about)
14 Callas doesn’t need intro for song (4)
ARIA – [m]ARIA (Callas doesn’t need intro)
17 Father’s on a holiday that’s ridiculously dear – March, in America (6,6)
EASTER PARADE – EASTER (holiday) PA (father) plus an anagram (ridiculously) of DEAR
20 Novelist Jack takes Porsche with Dan, tearing around circuit (6,6)
JOSEPH CONRAD – J (jack) plus an anagram (tearing) of PORSCHE DAN around O (circuit)
23 Sports venue’s toilet round back (4)
OVAL – LAV (toilet) O (round) reversed (back)
24 Sub from United stole limelight ultimately (1-4)
U-BOAT – U (united) BOA (stole) [limeligh]T (limelight ultimately)
25 Weird headless deity is a mythical creature (4)
YETI – an anagram (weird) of [d]EITY (headless deity)
28 Medic’s energy transfixes poet seen by A + E initially? (8)
HOUSEMAN – E (energy) in (transfixes) HOUSMAN (poet seen by A + E initially {i.e. A. E. Housman})
29 Copier’s component has run out inside (6)
PARROT – PART (component) around (has … inside) RO (run out)
30 Slightly flushed woman mixed drink (4,4)
PINK LADY – PINK (slightly flushed) LADY (woman)
31 Early fall leads to Irish colt getting infected (6)
SEPTIC – SEPT{ember} (early fall) I[rish] C[olt] (leads to Irish colt)
Down
1 Thin material in work uniform accepted by Sister (8)
GOSSAMER – GO (work) plus SAME (uniform) in (accepted by) SR (sister)
2 During break, record advert about European city (8)
BUDAPEST – EP (record) AD (advert) reversed (about) in (during) BUST (break)
3 Listen! Little weight’s apparent over six months? (4)
OYEZ – OZ (little weight) around (apparent over) YE[ar] (six months)
5 Just bay horse briefly relaxing on the trailer (2,1,5,4)
BY A SHORT HEAD – an anagram (relaxing) of BAY HORS[e] (horse briefly) plus THE AD (trailer)
6 English runner in casual top, half-exposed (4)
TEES – TEE S[hirt] (casual top, half-exposed)
7 One’s outside light on for work (6)
OEUVRE – O[n]E (one’s outside) UV (light) RE (on)
8 Oriental fellow in desert’s warm again (6)
REHEAT – E (Oriental) HE (fellow) in RAT (desert)
11 One praises director etc’s filmmaking equipment (12)
CLAPPERBOARD – CLAPPER (one praises) BOARD (director etc)
15 Physician collects green ornamentation (5)
DÉCOR – DR (physician) around (collects) ECO (green)
16 Charlie regularly hit out after personal data revealed (5)
IDIOT – [h]I[t] O[u]T (regularly hit out) after ID (personal data)
18 Western street in Paris grey when described by bird (4,4)
TRUE GRIT – RUE (street in Paris) GR (grey) in (when described by) TIT (bird)
19 In command after dynamic raid at sea (8)
ADRIATIC – IC (in command) after an anagram (dynamic) of RAID AT
21 Refusal by mum to increase meal (4-2)
NOSH-UP – NO (refusal) SH (mum) UP (to increase)
22 Did model, in audition, deserve heavenly body? (6)
SATURN – SAT (did model) plus a homophone (in audition) of ‘earn’ (deserve)
26 I’ve turned fifty – head covering needed (4)
VEIL – an anagram (turned) of I’VE plus L (fifty)
27 Spread bit of butter on middle of crepe (4)
PÂTÉ – PAT (bit of butter) [cr]E[pe] (middle of crepe)
Very neat cluing and certainly more challenging than Chifonie who was much too quiptic today.
Thanks Gaufrid and Aardvark.
Surprised to see so few comments on this puzzle. OK, so there are no stand-out clues but there’s nothing exceptional nor is it filled with old chestnuts.
It took a while to sort out my final two – OEUVRE and BABE RUTH, both of which were cleverly clued.
The latter got me musing on the nature of fame. How is it that a Baseball player from 50 years ago is still remembered, whilst I doubt I could name any from the last 40 years!
Thanks Aardvark and Gaufrid
One from my FT backlog pile which I got to in a bit of a lull from the current ones. Not too hard but done over a few 5-10 minute sessions across an elapsed week – it was just one of those stocking filler type solves.
Think that A E Housman was the only new learning from the experience. Can remember reading JOSEPH CONRAD’s “Heart of Darkness” many years ago … and it was pretty dark from memory !!
BABE RUTH was the last in and was surprised that it was !