Financial Times 16516 Sleuth

Thanks to Sleuth. Definitions are underlined under the clues.

There are a number of clues/solutions connected to food, and to mental states, whether coincidentally or not.

Across

1 Merriment shown by artist in varied rides in charitable event? (10)

FUNDRAISER : FUN(merriment/amusement) plus(shown by) [RA(abbrev. for “Royal Academician”, a member of the Royal Academy of Arts/an artist)] contained in(in) anagram of(varied) RIDES.

7 Criticism about marks in entry to underground car park? (4)

RAMP : RAP(severe criticism/reprimand) containing(about) M(abbrev. for “marks”).

9 Modernist painter is tense getting off a Caribbean island (4)

CUBA : “Cubist”(a painter who is a follower of the relatively modern Cubism art movement) minus(… getting off) [“is” + “t”(abbrev. for “tense”, in grammar)] + A.

10 Terrible fault lots principally hide with very great speed (2,4,4)

AT FULL PELT : Anagram of(Terrible) [FAULT + 1st letter of(… principally) “lots“] + PELT(hide/the skin of an animal with fur, wool or hair still on it).

11 Figure I ignored in place to get small basket (6)

PUNNET : “nine”(figure 9) minus(… ignored) “I” contained in(in) PUT(to place in position).

12 Wild supporter, one entering clubs almost packed (8)

FANCIFUL : FAN(a supporter/one who has a strong interest in someone or something) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) contained in(entering) [C(abbrev. for the suit of clubs in a deck of playing cards) + “full”(packed/containing the maximum amount) minus its last letter(almost …)].

Defn: …/illogical.

13 Rail route diverted to avoid Austria? It’s not immediately apparent (8)

ULTERIOR : Anagram of(… diverted) “Rail route” minus(to avoid) “A”(the International Vehicle Registration code for Austria).

15 Leading demonstration with no end of pandemonium (4)

ARCH : “march”(a form of demonstration/protest) minus last letter of(with no end of) “pandemonium“.

17 Fancy greeting retained by western male (4)

WHIM : HI!(a friendly greeting) contained in(retained by) [W(abbrev. for “western” + M(abbrev. for “male”)].

19 Brash ways found in middle of Indiana and Montana (8)

IMMODEST : MODES(ways/methods of doing something) contained in(found in) [middle letter of(middle of) “Indiana” + MT(abbrev. for the US state of Montana)].

22 Triumphantly exhibit part of a grain-based diet? (8)

BRANDISH : [BRAN DISH](literally a food made from bran, as part of a grain-based diet).

23 Meat for a picnic container (6)

HAMPER : HAM(salted or smoked meat from a pig’s leg) + PER(for a/for each one, as in “a fee of $1500 per day”).

25 One tent is assembled around hotel in the most showy way? (2,3,5)

TO THE NINES : Anagram of(… assembled) ONE TENT IS containing(around) H(letter represented by “hotel” in the phonetic alphabet).

Defn:  …, especially in dressing.

26 Comment unavailable online? (4)

NOTE : [NOT E-](not available online over the Internet, represented by the prefix e-, as in “e-book”)

27 Ring inventor (4)

BELL : Double defn: 2nd: Alexander Graham, the inventor of the phone.

28 Centre as is has to mobilise opposition (10)

RESISTANCE : Anagram of(… has to mobilise) CENTRE AS IS.

Down

2 Turn out soup ably on a regular basis? That’s not customary (7)

UNUSUAL : Every other letter, starting with the 2nd letter of(… on a regular basis) “Turn out soup ably“.

3 Thing that can get blocked in Germany with wet weather (5)

DRAIN : D(the International Vehicle Registration code for Germany) plus(with) RAIN(wet weather).

4 Rota a bit changeable in food processing venue? (8)

ABATTOIR : Anagram of(… changeable) ROTA A BIT.

5 Ordinary paper providing on board ship curtains, maybe (4,11)

SOFT FURNISHINGS : [O(abbrev. for “ordinary” – anyone who can quote an example?) + FT(abbrev. for the Financial Times, a daily newspaper) + FURNISHING(providing/supplying with)] contained in(on board) SS(abbrev. for “steamship” in ships’ names).

Defn: Room decorations made of cloth, such as/maybe curtains.

6 Regulation characterising a party in power? (6)

RULING : Double defn.

7 Carpet and rug initially displayed by fellow in form of pride (9)

REPRIMAND : 1st letter of(… initially) “rug” plus(displayed by) [MAN(a fellow) contained in(in) anagram of(form of) PRIDE].

8 Furry creature without a tail, not half attractive – and one with a shell (7)

MOLLUSC : “mole”(a furry rodent) minus its last letter(without a tail) + “luscious”(sexually attractive/ravishing) minus its last 4 letters(not half …).

14 Male then working to accommodate rightwinger in consortium, element on a Swiss board? (9)

EMMENTHAL : Anagram of(… working) MALE THEN containing(to accommodate) last letter of(rightwinger in) “consortium“.

Defn: …, a cheeseboard, that is.

16 Writer upset over short period is getting stress (8)

EMPHASIS : Reversal of(… upset, in a down clue) ME(the writer using the self-referential pronoun) placed above(over, in a down clue) “phase”(a distinct period of time/a stage in a series of events) minus its last letter(short …) + IS.

18 Chemical agent has second name in support needing no introduction (7)

HORMONE : [MO(short for “moment”/a second/a very short time) + N(abbrev. for “name”)] contained in(in) “shore”(a support/a prop or beam against something weak) minus its 1st letter(needing no introduction).

Defn: … /an ingredient in your body chemistry.

20 One doubtful in this way about church power over time (7)

SCEPTIC : SIC(in this way/thus, used in text to indicate that it was thus written, despite it seeming peculiar) containing(about) [CE(abbrev. for the Church of England) + P(symbol for “power” in physics) + T(abbrev. for “time”)].

21 Meal in end cooked close to another (6)

DINNER : Anagram of(… cooked) IN END + last letter of(close to) “another“.

24 Obsession arising in Spain amazingly (5)

MANIA : Reversal of(arising) hidden in(in) “Spain amazingly“.