Financial Times 15404 Dante

Not the usual day for this setter, but the usual fare, heavy on CDs,DDs, and anagrams, from Dante; thanks to him. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Note girl may be careless (6)

REMISS : RE(syllable representing one of the notes in a musical scale) + MISS(an unmarried girl).

4 Strong law is broken in the beginning (8)

STALWART : Anagram of(… is broken) LAW contained in(in) START(the beginning).

9 Wild feline put in an enclosure (6)

SCATTY : CAT(a feline animal) contained in(put in) STY(an enclosure for farmyard pigs).

Defn: Irrational; disorganised.

10 Talk of cut after backing strike (8)

PARLANCE : LANCE(to cut open an abscess or boil with a lancet) placed after(after) reversal of(backing) RAP(a quick sharp blow;strike).

11 One in a car club (6)

DRIVER : Double defn: 2nd: … in a golf set.

12 Showed – or not showed? (8)

SCREENED : Double defn.

13 Copy out of a newspaper (3)

APE : Hidden in(out of) “newspaper “.

14 Girl with a new angle (6)

ANGELA : A + anagram of(new) ANGLE.

17 Seeing about making it genuine (7)

SINCERE : SINCE(seeing, as in “seeing you are like this, I’ll leave you alone”) + RE(about;with reference to).

21 French city‘s name is being changed (6)

AMIENS : Anagram of(… being changed) NAME IS.

25 Inexperienced in retreat in combat (3)

WAR : Reversal of(… in retreat) RAW(inexperienced).

26 Space travel in novel form (8)

INTERVAL : Anagram of(… novel form) TRAVEL IN.

27 Light, for example, in it goes out (6)

IGNITE : Anagram of(… goes out) [EG(abbrev. for “exempli gratia”;for example)+ IN IT].

Defn: …, as a verb.

28 Yet pairs splitting up may lead to acrimony (8)

ASPERITY : Anagram of(… splitting up) YET PAIRS.

29 Trapped and dismissed the batsman (6)

CAUGHT : Double defn.

30 Surprise shots in a melee (8)

ASTONISH : Anagram of(… melee) SHOTS IN A.

31 Quiet place for a break (6)

RECESS : Double defn: 1st: A secluded or secret place.

Down

1 Used rail transport and left (8)

RESIDUAL : Anagram of(… transport;to cause to move) USED RAIL.

Defn: That which is left or leftover.

2 Sign name to alter imports (8)

MEANINGS : Anagram of(… to alter) SIGN NAME.

Defn: Pural noun of “import”;the implicit meaning or significance of something.

3 Of course, there’s no choice with these (3,5)

SET MEALS : Cryptic defn: Reference to the food courses that constitute a set meal.

5 A medium state, perhaps (6)

TRANCE : Cryptic defn: Reference to a spiritual medium.

6 A purely symbolic bunch of flowers (6)

LILIES : Cryptic defn: Reference to the white flower that is the symbol for purity.

7 A shade partly drawn in good weather (6)

AWNING : Hidden in(partly) “drawn in good“. And, as the surface suggests, it would be drawn in good weather, unless you want shade from the sun of course.

8 Close in an attempt to be fashionable (6)

TRENDY : END(the close;the finish) contained in(in) TRY(an attempt at something).

12 Particular place is rearranged (7)

SPECIAL : Anagram of(… rearranged) PLACE IS.

15 Piece of music that’s inspired (3)

AIR : Double defn: 2nd: … or inhaled.

16 Are in the ascendant for a time (3)

ERA : Reversal of(… in the ascendant, in a down clue) ARE.

18 Move to a new country home (8)

EMIGRATE : Cryptic defn: … or a home in a new country.

19 No summer in guest house would be complete without this cake (8)

MERINGUE : Hidden in(No … would be complete without this) “summer in guest“.

20 Material not to be made light of (8)

ASBESTOS : Cryptic defn: The building material that is fireproof;cannot be made light of; and subsequently found to be hazardous;not to be ignored or made light of.

22 A train goes off the rails in the capital (6)

TIRANA : Anagram of(… goes off the rails) A TRAIN.

Defn: … of Albania.

23 Superior going in to take exam orders delay (4,2)

STOP IT : TOP(superior) contained in(going in) SIT(to take an exam).

24 Rehearsal for a TT race? (3,3)

DRY RUN : Cryptic defn: Reference to a run by or for TT(abbrev. for teetotallers), who are dry(abstaining from consuming alcohol). And, TT races are the annual motorcycle races held in the Isle of Man.

25 Was upset, so deserts (6)

WASTES : WAS + reversal of(up…, in a down clue) …SET.

Defn: Wastelands.