Financial Times 16304 Gurney

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

Across

9 Eyeing from here, proves boat is not manoeuvring? (11,4)

OBSERVATION POST : Anagram of(… manoeuvring) PROVES BOAT IS NOT.

10 Expression of contempt about colour (5)

OCHRE : OCH!(in Scottish and Irish, an expression of disapproval/contempt) + RE(about/with reference to).

11 Reportedly quiet before lunch, say, patchy (9)

PIECEMEAL : Homophone of(Reportedly) “peace”(quiet) plus(before) MEAL(an example of which/say, is lunch).

12 He takes meat in refurbished Rio cavern (9)

CARNIVORE : Anagram of(refurbished) RIO CAVERN.

14 After tips from teetotaller rejected fish (5)

TROUT : 1st and last letters of(tips from) “teetotaller” plus(After …) OUT(rejected/dismissed).

16 On return, emphasised farmers’ body is in sharing arrangement – sweet (a bit perhaps) (15)

DESSERTSPOONFUL : Reversal of(On return) STRESSED(emphasised/gave particular importance to a point, statement, idea, or syllable in speech or writing) + [NFU(abbrev. for the National Farmers’ Union/body/organisation) contained in(is in) POOL(an agreement for contributors to share usage of their resources, say, cars, finances, etc).

Defn: A small amount/a bit of sweet/dessert measured in a spoon for that purpose, smaller than a tablespoon and larger than a teaspoon.

19 Perfume despatched, by sound of it (5)

SCENT : Homophone of(…, by sound of it) “sent”(despatched/forwarded).

21 A place for bowling impresses writer – time for correspondence (9)

AGREEMENT : A + GREEN(a place/the playing area, specifically a closely trimmed lawn, for the game of bowls) containing(impresses) ME(the writer of this clue, using the self-referential pronoun) + T(abbrev. for “time”).

23 Dined alone cut off in plant (9)

DANDELION : Anagram of(… off) [DINED + “alone” minus its last letter(cut off)].

25 Coming back, make fun of our group? That’s annoying! (5)

SUGAR : Reversal of(Coming back) [RAG(to make fun of/to tease) + US(our group, in contrast to “them”).

Defn: A euphemism for “shit”, as an expression of annoyance, as in “Oh sugar! I just shat (or sugared??) in my pants!”

26 Note usual triers messing about – dangerous game (7,8)

RUSSIAN ROULETTE : Anagram of(… messing about) NOTE USUAL TRIERS.

Down

1 Democrats after review accepting old people, important, may move in these (10)

MOTORCADES : Anagram of(… after review) DEMOCRATS containing(accepting) O(abbrev. for “old”).

Defn: VIPs/important people may move/parade (or be paraded) in these.

2 To some extent likes the rackety girl (6)

ESTHER : Hidden in(To some extent) “likes the rackety“.

3 Note about dance at home – no palms beyond this? (4,4)

TREE LINE : TE(ti/the syllable representing the seventh note in the sol-fa musical scale) containing(about) [REEL(a lively Scottish or Irish folk dance) + IN(at home/not outdoors).

Defn: The altitude on a mountain, or the northern or southern latitudes beyond which trees, whether palms or other trees, cannot grow because of the extreme environment.

4 Not exactly politician’s military life (4)

CAMP : CA(abbrev. for “circa”/about/not exactly when refering to specific historical points in time) + MP(abbrev. for “Member of Parliament”/a politician).

5 Row about Maine’s abbreviation – look up and watch maybe (10)

TIMEKEEPER : TIER(a row/an arranged line of similar objects) containing(about) [ME(abbrev. for the US state of Maine) + reversal of(… up, in a down clue) PEEK(to look quickly or slyly)].

6 Popular group fly perhaps (6)

INSECT : IN(popular/in fashion) + SECT(a sub group of people within, or an offshoot of, a bigger group in a religious, political or philosophical belief system.

Defn: …/is an example of, this.

7 No mixer – learner, individual needing smooth progress on way up (4,4)

LONE WOLF : L(letter associated with, and displayed by, a learner driver) + ONE(an individual/a singular person) plus(needing) reversal of(… up, in a down clue) FLOW(smooth progress on way/a continuous and steady streaming along).

8 From metallics and others (2,2)

ET AL : Hidden in(From) “metallics“.

13 Overnight case? No (10)

OUTPATIENT : Cryptic defn: Not luggage, but a sick person/a medical case who visits a hospital but is not warded/does not stay overnight.

15 Frankly discuss story finally changed with support of country (4,6)

TALK TURKEY : “tale”(a story) with its last letter changed(finally changed) placed above(with support of, in a down clue) TURKEY(the Mediterranean country).

17 Back in Paris is becoming rigorous in the extreme (8)

STERNEST : STERN(the back end of, say, a ship) + EST(“is” in French, the language spoken in Paris).

18 Exaggerated merit of completed series’ introduction – out of date (8)

OVERSOLD : OVER(completed/done with) + 1st letter of(…’ introduction) “series” + OLD(out of date/obsolete).

20 Unproved premise in article so idealistic, silly first of all (6)

THESIS : THE(an article in grammar) + 1st letters, respectively, of(… first of all) “so idealistic, silly“.

22 Describing position of summit, beginning to end (6)

EIGHTH : HEIGHT(a summit/the highest point of a mountain, say) with its 1st letter(beginning) moved to the last(to end).

Defn: … of a specific item in the order of a series.

23 Read about challenge (4)

DARE : Anagram of(… about) READ.

24 Type of light knee joint, nothing odd in that (4)

NEON : “knee joint” minus its 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th letters(nothing odd in that).