Financial Times 15948 Slormgorm

Thanks to Slormgorm, perhaps more restrained here than when he sets under another pseudonym. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Pine for one tender to court daughter (8)

SOFTWOOD : SOFT(gentle;tender) plus(to) WOO(to court;to seek the favour of someone) + D(abbrev. for “daughter”).

Defn: The wood from, for example;for one, the pine tree.

5 Extend study on Soviet Politburo leaders (6)

SPREAD : READ(to study a specific subject at university) placed after(on) 1st letters, respectively, of(… leaders) “Soviet Politburo“.

10 Woman granny cannibalised (reportedly) (7)

NANETTE : NAN(term for one’s grandmother;granny) + homophone of(… (reportedly)) “ate”(consumed;cannibalised).

11 Follow the rules of conservative in fine fettle (7)

CONFORM : C (abbrev. for a Conservative, member of the Conservative Party) + [ ON FORM ](in fine fettle;performing well).

12 May one go out with enthralling Dutch runner (9)

CANDIDATE : [CAN I DATE](can;may I;one date;go out with somebody, especially when courting) containing(enthralling) D(abbrev. for “Dutch”).

Defn: One who runs;stands for election.

13 Crime that makes clergyman lose head (5)

ARSON : “parson”(a clergyman) minus its 1st letter(lose head).

15 Cad with Irish accent’s not British (5)

ROGUE : “brogue”(a marked Irish accent when speaking English) minus(…’s not;has not) “B”(abbrev. for “British”).

16 Lively article one friend finally read (8)

ANIMATED : AN(an article in grammar) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) + MATE(a friend) + last letter of(finally) “read“.

19 Breaking up can be wonderful (8)

SMASHING : Double defn: 2nd: Slang for “wonderful!”;excellent!

20 Possibly unhappy about wind-up (3,2)

PUT ON : Reversal of(… about) [NOT UP](feeling down;unhappy).

Defn: A deception;an attempt to make someone believe something that is false.

The nounal answer should perhaps be hyphenated, as the definition is.

21 Dance music record by Orbital originally (5)

DISCO : DISC(a format for reproducing a recording) plus(by) 1st letter of(… originally) “Orbital“. The latter is an English electronic dance music duo.

23 Synopses of a bishop’s religious treaties (9)

ABSTRACTS : A + B(abbrev. for “bishop” in chess notation) + TRACTS(religious pamphlets;treatises). There’s a typo in the clue’s last word.

25 Might one create a ring of cattle? (7)

COWBELL : Cryptic defn: An article worn around a cow’s neck which might give a ringing sound.

27 Trained doctor meeting unwell editor (7)

DRILLED : DR(abbrev. for “doctor”) plus(meeting) ILL(unwell;sick) + ED(abbrev. for “editor”).

28 Kid singer with wig on head (3,3)

RUG RAT : RAT(a singer;an informer) placed after(with … on head) RUG(slang for a wig).

Defn: A child not old enough for school.

29 Captured renegade ran sneakily around cages (8)

ENSNARED : Reversal of(… around) and hidden in(… cages) “renegade ran sneakily“.

Down

1 Cushy job initially selling popular drug remedy (8)

SINECURE : 1st letter of(initially) “selling” + IN(popular;in fashion) + E(abbrev. for the drug, Ecstasy) + CURE(a remedy).

2 Manage funds differently for entertainments (3,3,5)

FUN AND GAMES : Anagram of(… differently) MANAGE FUNDS.

3 One who sees over time one’s clever humour (9)

WITTINESS: WITNESS(one who sees) containing(over) [ T(abbrev. for “time”) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) ].

4 High-brow musical work the Queen admires primarily (5)

OPERA : OP(abbrev. for “opus”, a musical or literary piece of work) + ER(abbrev. for “Elizabeth Regina”, the Queen) + 1st letter of(… primarily) “admires“.

6 Rubbish lawyer, one with two black eyes? (5)

PANDA : PAN(to rubbish;to criticise severely) + DA(abbrev. for “District Attorney”, in the US, a lawyer).

7 I shot subordinate of ensign at the front (3)

EGO : GO(a shot;an attempt, as in “have a go at it”) placed below(subordinate of;inferior to, in a down clue) 1st letter of(… at the front) “ensign“.

Defn: One’s self;one’s sense of identity.

8 Fellow describing flipping yours truly as a fiend (5)

DEMON : DON(a fellow;a lecturer in a university) containing(describing) reversal of(flipping) ME(yours truly;the one who’s writing/speaking).

9 Crafty GM in chess Short annoyed (8)

SCHEMING : Anagram of(… annoyed) [ GM IN + “chess” minus its last letter(Short) ]. And Nigel Short is an English chess GM (grandmaster) himself.

14 Acts clear up after tumbling in this? (11)

SPECTACULAR : Anagram of(… after tumbling) ACTS CLEAR UP.

Defn: A performance consisting of spectacular acts.

A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.

16 Friendly catholic absorbed by self-doubting question? (8)

AMICABLE : C(abbrev. for “Catholic”) contained in(absorbed by) [ AM I ABLE? ](a question expressing doubt about one’s own ability).

17 When individual internalises one malicious remark (9)

ASPERSION : AS(when, as in “as you enter the door”) + PERSON(an individual) containing(internalises) I(Roman numeral for “one”).

18 Unbalanced? Indeed so, having to whirl about! (3-5)

ONE-SIDED : Anagram of(…, having to whirl about) INDEED SO.

21 Dean’s half-finished my interior design (5)

DECOR : “Dean” minus its last 2 letters(…’s half-finished) + COR!(like “my!”, an expression of surprise).

22 Old and wicked Greek character (5)

OMEGA : O(abbrev. for “old”) + MEGA(like “wicked”, slang for “excellent”).

24 Bit of a lather heading to any northern country (5)

SUDAN : SUD(a bit of;singular of suds;bubbles;lather, as in its derivative “soapsud”) + 1st letters, respectively, of(heading to) “any northern“.

26 You might say Victoria Beckham is comic (3)

WAG : WAG(the wife or girlfriend of a sportsman, from the acronym for Wives And Girlfriends, characterised by a high media profile. You might say that Mrs. David Beckham is one).

Defn: A joker.