Financial Times 16256 Crux

Thanks Crux for an enjoyable puzzle. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 A minor embarrassment for the French? (6,8)

ENFANT TERRIBLE : Cryptic defn: French for a spoiled child/an embarrassing minor, translated literally as a “terrible infant”.

10 A bit of colour in season, commonly blue (5)

RINSE : Hidden in(A bit of) “colour in season“.

Defn: A commonly used preparation on grey or white hair to give it a temporary colour, viz. blue.

11 Even foreign degrees give honours (9)

VENERATES : Anagram of(… foreign) EVEN + RATES(degrees/measures of relative quality, class or grade).

12 Finally spotted more unusual woodpecker, say (7)

DRUMMER : Last letter of(Finally) “spotted” + RUMMER(more rum/unusual/odd).

Defn: What you might/say call a woodpecker which makes a drumming noise with its pecking.

13 The number left outside could be infinite (7)

ETERNAL : “X”(the Roman numeral for the number 10) deleted from(left) “external”(outside of).

14 Saw a danger for high-wire act – turning round (5)

TENON : Reversal of(… – turning round) [NO NET](a dangerous situation for a high-wire act).

16 Sally taking unknown dog in back row (9)

EXCURSION : [X(symbol for an unknown quantity in mathematics) + CUR(a savage or unkempt dog)] contained in(in) reversal of(back) NOISE(row/din).

Defn: …/a brief journey.

19 Compass direction to observe, it’s said, off Alaska (6,3)

BERING SEA : Homophone of(…, it’s said) [“bearing”(compass direction) + “see”(to observe)].

Defn: It’s …’s coastline.

20 What a wrongful death would be, no doubt (5)

HATED : Anagram of(wrongful) DEATH.

A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.

22 He has spread out in the west (7)

RANCHER : Cryptic defn: Owner of a large farm/a spread in the American West.

25 A foreign famille in disgrace (3,4)

ILL FAME : Anagram of(A foreign) FAMILLE.

27 A doctor needs superior sharp blade here, possibly (9)

AMBULANCE : A + MB(abbrev. for “Medicinae Baccalaureus”/Bachelor of Medicine/a doctor) plus(needs) U(letter denoting “upper class”/superior) + LANCE(a sharp blade, used mainly in medicine).

A WIWD clue.

28 Some notes Putin returned cause trouble (5)

UPSET : Hidden in(Some) reversal of(… returned) “notes Putin“.

29 Safety precautions for smokers in bed? (8,6)

ASBESTOS SHEETS : Cryptic defn: For safety sake, smokers in bed might/? need bedsheets of fireproof asbestos, not of linen or other flammable material.

Down

2 Not a bean, being idle perhaps (3-6)

NON-RUNNER : NON-(prefix signifying “not”) RUNNER(a type of bean/pulse).

Defn: One not participating and …

3 Topside of meat cooked with one (1-4)

A-TEAM : Anagram of(… cooked …) [MEAT plus(with) A(a quantity of one)]

Defn: Top side/the first, as opposed to the reserve, team.

4 State involved in unfair rents for publicans (9)

TAVERNERS : AVER(to state/to assert) contained in(involved in) anagram of(unfair) RENTS.

5 Irene’s new name (and gender!) (5)

ERNIE : Anagram of(…’s new) IRENE.

Defn: A different name of a different gender from Irene.

A WIWD clue.

6 One of those elements are rather strange (4,5)

RARE EARTH : Anagram of(… strange) ARE RATHER.

Defn: Any one member of a group of 17 chemical elements.

7 Famous uprising without the French marshal’s staff (5)

BATON : Reversal of(… uprising) “notable”(famous/of note) minus(without) “le”(French for the article “the”).

8 Poles in mix-up with a foreign letter (7)

EPSILON : Anagram of(… mix-up) POLES IN.

Defn: …, viz. the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet.

9 Tick means a good grade (6)

CREDIT : Double defn: 1st: On …/arrangement for a buyer to pay the seller some time after the sale; and 2nd: …, ie. a grade above a pass in an examination.

15 Just 50% of course (4,5)

NINE HOLES : Cryptic defn: Half of the eighteen holes of a golf course.

17 “Licorice sticks” much appreciated by Goodman (9)

CLARINETS : Cryptic defn: Musical instruments informally called “licorice sticks”, preferred by Benny Goodman.

18 On the way in, trains not usually on time (2,7)

IN TRANSIT : Anagram of(… not usually) IN, TRAINS placed above(on, in a down clue) T(abbrev. for “time”).

19 Shaw’s major article on public houses (7)

BARBARA : A(article in grammar) placed below(on, in a down clue) BAR,BAR(2 public houses).

Defn: Name of the major in the Salvation Army in George Bernard Shaw’s play titled the same.

21 They are on the same score, à l’italienne (6)

DUETTO : Cryptic defn: In Italian, a duo performing from the same music score.

23 Article upset Robert Clive, for instance (5)

NABOB : Reversal of(… upset, in a down clue) AN(an article in grammar) + BOB(short for the name Robert).

Defn: A person of high status, an example of which/for instance was Robert Clive, Commander-in-Chief of British India.

24 Star performer at 12 (5)

RINGO : Starr, drummer/answer to 12 across, with the Beatles, star performers).

I was wondering if “performer” could be used as a homophone indicator as well.

26 Parasites maintained by public expense – I’m just one! (5)

LOUSE : I’m a single individual/just one of “lice”(parasites) contained in(maintained by) “public expense“.