Financial Times 16,648 by SLEUTH

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A very satisfying Tuesday puzzle.

Mostly straightforward, but with several head-scratching definitions. I had second thoughts about e.g. 25a and 7d, two which I would probably have mis-solved if I hadn't been blogging. Stiff-ish for a midweek, I thought, and.as I say, I was pleased to finish. Played, Sleuth.

image of grid
ACROSS
1 BARRAGE Storm is uncovered about tabloid (7)
 

BAR.E ('uncovered') contains RAG ('tabloid' newspaper).
5 DIGEST Like time in Washington DC in summary (6)
 

DIG (to 'like') + E[astern] S[tandard] T[ime].
8 BEDSPREAD English county beginning to promote study in retirement coverage? (9)
 

BEDS (abb., Bedfordshire) + P (1st of 'Promote') + READ (to 'study' at uni).
9 BALTI Temperature adopted in Asian island for Indian food (5)
 

BAL.I ('Asian island') contains T[emperature].
11 NICHE Highly specialised hotel in Mediterranean resort (5)
 

H[otel] in NIC.E.
12 SISAL HEMP Slim shape is constructed as element in a painter? (5,4)
 

Anagram ('is constructed') of SLIM SHAPE. A 'painter' is a mooring rope, of course,
13 COLTRANE Young athlete rushed close to fine Scottish actor (8)
 

COLT ('young athlete', usu. in youth-team name, e.g. 'Buxton Colts') + RAN ('rushed') + last of 'finE'. Big Robbie Coltrane, of course, Hagrid inter alia.
15 OYSTER Story made up about European that’s often in bed? (6)
 

Anagram ('made up') of STORY around E[uropean] w cryptic definition.
17 LOCATE Spot couple at ground, not at college (6)
 

Anagram ('ground') of COupLE AT without 'UP' ('at college').
19 VESPUCCI Noted Florentine loves Puccini essentially (8)
 

Hidden in 'loVES PUCCIni'. Amerigo Vespucci, after whom America is named.
22 GONDOLIER Punter’s doing role playing (9)
 

Anagram ('playing') of DOING ROLE.
23 LANCE Offensive weapon in manner of speaking not normal (5)
 

parLANCE (a 'manner of speaking') minus PAR ('normal').
24 EVITA Musical relatively free of trappings on reflection (5)
 

relATIVEly, shorn of outside letters and reversed.
25 PARCHMENT Paper replaced such leading chaps in part (9)
 

P[ar]T contains ARCH ('leading') + MEN ('chaps'),
26 IMPEDE Obstruct young devil facing garden no end (6)
 

IMP ('young devil') + EDEn, 'garden' without last.
27 PARSLEY Talk about special seasoning (7)
 

PAR.LEY ('talk') contains S[pecial].
DOWN
1 BUBONIC PLAGUE A couple in GB upset about topless pub in terrible disorder? (7,6)
 

Anagram ('upset') of A COUPLE IN GB around 'pUB' without 1st.
2 RADICAL No defender of the status quo spoke about Cuba (7)
 

RADI.AL (a 'spoke') around C[uba].
3 AMPLE Well-built model deprived of sun (5)
 

sAMPLE ('model' without 'S[un]').
4 EVENSONG Service still no good (8)
 

EVEN SO ('still') + NG. Rather disparaging clue for a beautiful word.
5 DUDISH Useless type with desire uncovered to be like a dandy (6)
 

DUD ('useless type') + wISH ('desire' without 1st, 'uncovered' in this down clue). New construct to me, but Chambers gives it.
6 GO BELLY UP Game trailed by inventor certainly has come to an end (2,5,2)
 

GO (Japanese 'game') + (Alexander Graham) BELL + YUP ('certainly').
7 SOLVENT Note opening above water? (7)
 

SOL (sol-fa 'note') + VENT. If you're solvent, you're (keeping your head) 'above water'..
10 IMPERTINENTLY Imply internet is faulty in a cheeky way (13)
 

Anagram ('faulty') of IMPLY INTERNET.
14 RATIONALE Reasoning in temperance movement’s slogan? (9)
 

I.e., 'ration ale', as the killjoys might say.
16 PEAR DROP By the sound of it, couple fall for sweet (4,4)
 

Homophone of 'pair drop'.
18 CONFIRM Establish first of cricketers in form after knock (7)
 

C (1st of 'Cricketers') + anagram ('after knock') of IN FORM.
20 CONCEAL Hide a line put under chapter previously (7)
 

C[hapter] + ONCE ('previously') before A + L[ine].
21 SIMPLE Politician engaged in awful lies is easily understood (6)
 

MP in anagram of LIES.
23 LEHAR Composer, tragic figure capturing hearts (5)
 

LE.AR ('tragic figure') contains H[earts].

8 comments on “Financial Times 16,648 by SLEUTH”

  1. Yes, I too found this tough-going for a Tuesday being unable to land LEHAR and PARSLEY. I didn’t know SISAL HEMP as this sort of ‘painter’ so couldn’t be sure I had the anagram right. I always mutter darkly when there are cricket clues but luckily 18d required no knowledge of the game! For all my toil, though, there were many clues to enjoy including GO BELLY UP and GONDOLIER. Liked the variations on ‘couple’ in the cluing too.
    Thanks to Sleuth and Grant both.

  2. Found this mostly pleasant.

    I would rather COLTRANE was referenced by the great musician although i enjoyed Robbie.

    Dodnt much like SOLVENT and had to work out SISAL HEMP as no scrambler seemed up to the job

    i dont remember Sleuth appearing that often

    nice change-thanks GB and Sleuth

  3. Nice to have Sleuth back again and slightly trickier than I’d expected, with lots to enjoy

    Thanks to him and Grant

  4. To copmus @2:
    Robbie Coltrane (born McMillan) took his stage-name from ‘Trane, his musical hero (and mine) so it’s a sort of oblique tribute anyway.
    Re SISAL HEMP, I knew the ‘painter’ = ‘rope’ wrinkle and could see anagrams of both SISAL and HEMP, both ‘rope’ constituents as I knew but had never before seen them together, A lovely clue.
    My favourite was BUBONIC PLAGUE for the ‘terrible disorder’ pointers towards another non-existent anagram.

  5. A steady and satisfying solve, with plenty to exercise the grey matter and several ‘aha’ moments.  4dn is something of a chestnut but the rest was all fine – too many superb clues to nominate a CoD.

    Thanks, Sleuth and Grant.

  6. Thanks to Sleuth and Grant for filling part of my afternoon. I solved PARCHMENT by having “leading chaps” giving me both CH and MEN to be put in PART. Yes, a bit odd but it worked.
    There were some lovely misdirections, like 19 & 22, which raised a decent smile. On the hardness scale, I rated this a “one snooze” as I only had one drop off in the sun while doing it.

  7. A slow start with SIMPLE my FOI. Everything eventually fell into place with RADICAL and IMPERTINENTLY being favourites, the latter for its apt surface. Thanks Grant for parsing esp. LANCE which I only guessed at. Thanks Sleuth for a rare appearance.

  8. Thanks Sleuth and Grant

    A lot going on in this one for so early in the week.  Was able to finish in average time but it did feel like harder work getting there, with the puzzle stretching over three shortish sessions across the afternoon.

    Didn’t know VESPUCCI (was looking for a composer rather than an explorer – interestingly enough he popped up in a Polymath that I was doing this afternoon).  Took a while to work out the word play of the BUBONIC PLAGUE.

    Started off well enough with a couple of Aussie favourites in 9a.  Finished in the top half with EVENSONG, SISAL HEMP (knew the fibre but took a leap of faith to get to the ‘painter’ definition and COLTRANE (didn’t recognise Hagrid and had to look him up).

    Didn’t know VESPUCCI (and was looking for a composer rather than an explorer – interestingly enough he popped up on a Polymath that I was doing this afternoon).  Too a while to work out the word play of the BUBONIC PLAGUE.

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