A mostly straightforward challenge from BRADMAN today. A couple of clues held me a bit but in general, was smooth sailing. Thanks Don.
FF:8 DD:7
| Across | ||
| 1 | BOWMAN | B…. difficult woman who has a target to aim at? (6) |
| B WOMAN* | ||
| 4 | SCRAMMED | Son worked hard before exam and buzzed off (8) |
| S (son) CRAMMED (worked hard before exam) | ||
| 9 | SHIFT | Say nothing – one paper is making change (5) |
| SH (~say nothing) I (one) FT (paper) | ||
| 10 | SORE POINT | Something painful – thus salesperson has soothing preparation (50% off) (4,5) |
| SO (thus) REP (salesperson) OINTment (soothing preparation, 50% off) | ||
| 11 | BARISTA | Gentleman overwhelmed by a bill set about cafe’s employee (7) |
| SIR (gentleman) in [A TAB (bill)], all reversed (about) | ||
| 12 | SURGEON | Move suddenly, operating – this person might, in emergency? (7) |
| SURGE (move suddenly) ON (operating) | ||
| 13 | LOUD | Vulgar Conservative leaves a pall of gloom? (4) |
| cLOUD (pall of gloom, without C – conservative) | ||
| 14 | PENITENT | Remorseful writer, I will need wine (8) |
| PEN (writer) I TENT (wine) | ||
| 17 | DOCUMENT | Paper dunce Tom makes a hash of (8) |
| DUNCE TOM* | ||
| 19 | BRAT | Black animal, one of a pack? (4) |
| B (black) RAT (animal) | ||
| 22 | ABSTAIN | Fail to make a mark, maybe a black mark (7) |
| A B (black) STAIN (mark) – ref voting | ||
| 24 | ICH DIEN | Nasty hedonistic sot sadly ignored commitment to serve (3,4) |
| HEDoNIstIC* (sot ignored) – german motto (similar to welsh ‘eich dyn’) | ||
| 25 | SCRATCHER | Rake maybe is casual when meeting royalty (9) |
| SCRATCH (casual) ER (royalty) | ||
| 26 | KRAYS | Bad brothers having passion to be heard (5) |
| sounds like CRAZE (passion) – the kray twins were prominent lawbreakers in London in the 1950’s and 60’s. / Thanks Geoff. | ||
| 27 | PENELOPE | Girl in prison wanting to escape for romance (8) |
| PEN (prison) ELOPE (escape for romance) | ||
| 28 | ANGERS | Drives up the wall in French town (6) |
| double def | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BASEBALL | Game’s HQ having a social event (8) |
| BASE (HQ) BALL (social event) | ||
| 2 | WHIP ROUND | Having bagged minimal amount, who’d run badly organised collection? (4-5) |
| WHO’D RUN* containing IP (minimal amount – 1p) | ||
| 3 | ATTEST | Demonstrate during international match (6) |
| AT (during) TEST (international match) | ||
| 5 | CHRISTIAN DIOR | As a man of style, I’d train choirs to present new image (9,4) |
| I’D TRAIN CHOIRS* | ||
| 6 | ASPERSE | Slander – talk ultimately coming from nasty speakers (7) |
| SPEAkERS* (without K – talK ultimately) | ||
| 7 | MAINE | State what’s belonging to me, article secured (5) |
| MINE (what’s belonging to me) containing A (article) | ||
| 8 | DATING | Becoming old-fashioned like regular sweethearts? (6) |
| cryptic clue – regular sweethearts would be dating | ||
| 10 | STATESMANSHIP | Nastiest MP has abandoned quality expected of senior politician (13) |
| NASTIEST MP HAS* | ||
| 15 | TERMINATE | Finish second half of season in team that’s hammered (9) |
| winTER (season, second half) [IN TEAM]* | ||
| 16 | STENOSIS | Blockage in passage or street accompanied by weird noises (8) |
| [ST (street)] NOISES* | ||
| 18 | CHATTEL | Talk on phone – someone has this legally (7) |
| CHAT (talk) TEL (phone) | ||
| 20 | PASS UP | Turn down conceited youngster, idiot needing introduction (4,2) |
| PUP (conceited youngster) containing ASS (idiot) – i am interpreting ‘introduction’ as the insertion indicator | ||
| 21 | SHAKEN | Has troubled little man trembled? (6) |
| HAS* KEN (little man, short for kenneth) | ||
| 23 | SIREN | Signal of anger keeping opposites apart (5) |
| IRE (anger) in [ S (south) N (north) – opposites ] | ||
*anagram
I had DOTING for 8d which can mean ‘loving excessively’ or ‘being weak-minded from old old age’ which kind of fits but I prefer your answer.
A nicely-measure work-out from Bradman.
Guru that he is, I wonder if Don has an opinion on the idea that, as ICHDIENSOT is one possible anagram outcome, the extra anagrind in 24A is technically redundant?
Thanks to both.
Thanks Turbolegs and Bradman.
Since Ich Dien is the motto of Prince Charles, I did wonder whether the clue contains an implicit comment.
BTW anyone remember the Selective Employment Tax (SET)of the Wilson era? Employers in service industries paid more than those in manufacturing. It was rumoured that in the light of this HRH was going to change his coat of arms to carry ‘I manufacture’. K’s D can tell us what that would be in German.
Yes, Conrad! Perhaps Mr Manley is a Roundhead rather than a Cavalier.
Crimper, I’m coimg down on your side with that (if indeed you were implying that the second indicator is unnecessary).
A very good puzzle, well-made and super-fair.
ICH DIEN was a brute to clue so I added a few letters for an anagram — no reflection on him whose motto it is!
Failed miserably on a few – didn’t know the wine or the German phrase and stupidly couldn’t get the ‘little man’! As for ‘scratch’ – I was amazed to read in the BRB that ‘casual’ is one of the definitions.
Ah well – we live and learn. Thanks to Bradman and to Turbolegs.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
Was away without access to a printable version of the FT puzzles for a week and only got to this one yesterday. Enjoyable puzzle but my ignorance of royalty brought the error with ICH DIEN (had written in ICH EIDN which a translator recognised as ‘I love’ and strangely didn’t recognise ICH DIEN). Anyway, I’ll know now for next time.
The only other cause for any concern was IP for ‘minimal amount’ – and a head slap when I saw the 1p !!
Finished in the SE corner with STENOSIS, ANGERS and that ICH DIEN the last few in.