Financial Times 16020 Hamilton

This was quite difficult in parts. Thanks to Hamilton. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1,18across Obeying Thatcherism requires a new approach to foreign aid policy (7,6,2,4)

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME : Anagram of(… new) [OBEYING THATCHERISM plus(requires) A].

Defn: An ironic approach to aid to other than yourself.

9    Survive fall of tenth wicket? (7)

OUTLAST : Cryptic defn: In reference to cricket, where the tenth wicket is the last to fall/called out.

10    Unimaginative, like one in thrall (7)

SLAVISH : Double defn: 1st: Shows no attempt at being original/merely follows in, say someone’s footsteps; and 2nd: Under the power and control of/in thrall to someone.

11    Bachelor blows his top by the fire (5)

INGLE : “single”(bachelor, as an adjective/unmarried) minus its 1st letter(blows his top).

Defn: A fire in the fireplace home.

12    11 then used to inform (9)

ENLIGHTEN : Anagram of(… used) [ INGLE(answer to 11 across) + THEN].

13    Manager holds very ambiguous grievance (8)

GRAVAMEN : Anagram of(… ambiguous) [MANAGER containing(holds) V(abbrev. for “very”) ].

15    Some retiring, genteel artisans in town (6)

TRALEE : Hidden in(Some) reversal of(retiring) “genteel artisans“.

Defn: … in County Kerry, Ireland.

18    See 1 across

19    Bar to Jack (among others) having proof of discount (8)

RAILCARD : BAR(a rail, eg. one for hanging towels) plus(to) CARD(one in a deck of playing cards, the Jack being one card among others).

Defn: A pass entitling the holder to discounted rail fares.

22    She set up government department shed (9)

FOUNDRESS : FO(abbrev. for the Foreign Office, a government department) + UNDRESS(to strip off one’s clothes).

Defn: … /established an institution or settlement.

24    Half a point to Bond girl who’s smart (5)

CUTIE : 1st 2 letters of(Half a) “cusp”(a point/pointed end where two curves meet, say, the sharp end of a leaf, amongst others) + TIE(to bond/to join together).

25    Nonsensical officialese? Not as if it’s a problem for mariners! (3,4)

ICE FLOE : Anagram of(Nonsensical) “officialese” minus(Not) “as if“.

26    See 8 down

27    See 16 down

Down

1    Finishing with large number going down (7)

CLOSING : C(Roman numeral for 100, a large number) + LOSING(going down/failing to win).

2    Which star signs? (9)

AUTOGRAPH : Cryptic defn: That which a star/a celebrity would sign for a fan.

3    That is grandma inside, which is ludicrous (5)

INANE : IE(abbrev. for “id est”/that is) containing(… inside) NAN(familiar term for one’s grandmother/grandma).

4    Wittered on so treated badly after close of play (8)

YATTERED : Anagram of(… badly) placed after(after) last letter of(close of) “play“.

Defn: …/spoke at length about trivial matters/twitter/Twitter.

5    Talked about support for Yankee without embarrassment (6)

EASILY : Homophone of(Talked about) “easel”(support for an artist’s canvas, say, while it is being painted) plus(for) Y(letter represented by “Yankee” in the phonetic alphabet).

6    First one sincere, though huge middle revealed when shirt removed (9)

INAUGURAL:  I(Roman numeral for “one”) + “natural”(sincere/not faked like some airline attendant’s smile) with 2 middle letters of(… middle) “huge” replacing(revealed when … removed) “t”(short for “tee shirt”).

7    Journeys to the north by jet (5)

SPIRT : Reversal of(… to the north, in a down clue) TRIPS(journeys).

Defn: An old-fashioned spelling of “spurt”.

8,26across Go for it! There’s risk (so moaners need to be prepared) (6,4,3)

CHANCE ONE’S ARM : CHANCE(to risk/to do something in spite of it being dangerous) plus(so) anagram of(… need to be prepared) MOANERS.

14    Animal protection said to work when sick at heart (9)

ARMADILLO : Homophone of(… said) “armour”(protection/tough layer or shell protecting warriors, military vehicles, or animals and plants) plus(to) [DO(to work/to perform) containing(when … at heart /… in its centre) ILL(sick)].

Defn: … having a tough protective shell.

16,27across Get back on good terms with repair man by keeping quiet? (5,4,7,6)

LEAST SAID, SOONEST MENDED : LEAST SAID(keeping quiet, as much as possible) + SOONEST MENDED(if one’s on good terms with the repair man, it can be assumed that things will be mended as quickly as possible/soonest).

Defn: …, per the proverb.

17    Brusque request after posh dinner for ID (8)

PASSPORT : [ PASS (the) PORT ](what one could possibly hear as a curt/brusque request for the port/after-dinner drink – port being associated with posh dinners, though nowadays it could be served after any dinner, posh or not).

18    Romance is a fine objective (6)

AFFAIR : A + F(abbrev. for “fine”) + FAIR(objective/not biased).

20    Imagined fear developed yours truly (7)

DREAMED : DREAD(fear) containing(developed/caused to grow bigger) ME(yours truly/pronoun refering to the speaker).

21    Pay homage to US folk hero (6)

REVERE : Double defn: 2nd: Paul, US folk hero of the American Revolution who rode, warning – not “The British are coming!” as he is misquoted, but the more likely “The Regulars are coming”.

23    The FT begins early-risers service for subscribers (5)

USERS : US(the self-referential pronoun for the FT, the paper publishing this crossword) + 1st letters, respectively, of(begins) “early-risers service“.

24    Island‘s secret enterprise exposed (5)

CRETE : Hidden in(… exposed) “secret enterprise“.