Financial Times 16776 Basilisk

Thank you to Basilisk. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1. Call up star taking mass medium over (6)

SUMMON : SUN(the nearest star to us on earth) containing(taking) [M(symbol for “mass” in physics) + M(abbrev. for “medium”, in clothing sizes, say) + O(abbrev. for “over”, in cricket scores)].

4. Ringing covert agent to receive information (8)

PLANGENT : PLANT(a covert agent/one placed in a group to spy or inform on its members) containing(to receive) GEN(information/dope on someone or something).

Defn: …/loud and resonant, with a mournful tone.

10. Refuse to be thrown by her line dance starting late (9)

LITTERBUG : L(abbrev. for “line”) + “jitterbug”(a fast dance from the 1940s) minus its 1st letter(starting late).

Defn: The “her” in the clue/one who throws litter indiscriminately.

11. Tense is misused primarily in stupid turn of phrase (5)

IDIOM : “t”(abbrev. for “tense”) replaced by(is) 1st letter of(… primarily) “misused” in “idiot”(stupid/form of address for a stupid person, as in “you’re not listening, stupid”).

12. Return of stolen goods being exploited by third party (4)

TOOL : Reversal of(Return of) LOOT(stolen goods, from a burglary, say).

Defn: A pawn. A being/person exploited/used by a third party/someone.

13. Act deployed regularly in article about political division? (5,5)

PARTY PIECE : PIECE(an article/a piece of writing in a newspaper or other publications) about /relating to a PARTY(a political division/a group in politics).

Defn: … at parties/social gatherings.

15. Changed letter of introduction for delegate going to the Far East (7)

EVOLVED : DEVOLVE(to delegate/to transfer power to a lower level) with its 1st letter(letter of introduction for …) moving to the end of the word(going to the Far East, in an across clue).

16. Decision made by linesman? (6)

RULING : Cryptic defn: The activity by one who draws parallel lines across paper, whom you could call a linesman.

19. Look for evidence of attention in school (6)

SEARCH : EAR(one’s attention/willingness to listen to what someone is saying, is in “he had the ear of the boss”) contained in(in) SCH(abbrev. for “school”).

21. Comply with note to watch clock (7)

OBSERVE : Quadruple defn: 1st: …, as in “you have to observe the rules of the house”; 2nd: To …/to make an observation/draw attention to, as in “the members did observe that certain parties were absent”; 3rd: … carefully, as in “you should observe what the teacher is doing”; and 4th: …, informal term for “to notice”.

23. Man’s crisis shattered his enormous self- regard (10)

NARCISSISM : Anagram of(… shattered) MAN’S CRISIS.

25. Came round every so often for many years (4)

AEON : 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th letters of(… every so often) “Came round“.

Defn: A period of …..

27. Experienced setter’s charging £500 (5)

LIVED : I’VE(“I have”/the setter has /”setter’s”, with the self-referential pronoun substitution) contained in(charging) L(£) + D(Roman numeral for 500).

28. I worried about brine decomposing pickled human being (9)

INEBRIATE : [I + ATE(worried/bothered by)] containing(about) anagram of(… decomposing) BRINE.

Answer: A ….

29. Story by journalist on National Trust getting endowed with gifts (8)

TALENTED : TALE(a story) plus(by) [ED(abbrev. for “editor”, a journalist) placed after(on) NT(abbrev. for the National Trust)].

30. Try on de rigueur clothing over there (6)

YONDER : Hidden in(… clothing) “Try on de rigueur“.

Down

1. Group of Scottish footballers talk and talk incoherently (8)

SPLUTTER : SPL(abbrev. for the Scottish Premier League, the former top-level league competition for Scottish professional football clubs) + UTTER(to talk/to verbalise).

2. Banker reportedly supports railway that keeps time (9)

METRONOME : Homophone of(… reportedly) “gnome”(a banker regarded as having sinister influence in financial matters, as in “the Gnomes of Zurich”) placed below(supports, in a down clue) METRO(an underground railway system, eg. the Metro in Paris).

Defn: The device ….

3. Felt the need to give recital of poet’s work (4)

OWED : Homophone of(recital of) “ode”(a poet’s work).

Defn: …/felt obliged to give.

5. Match substitute perhaps carrying less weight (7)

LIGHTER : Double defn: 1st: … to be used in lighting, say, a cigarette.

6. Secure language for digital application (4,6)

NAIL POLISH : NAIL(to secure/fix with, well, a nail) + POISH(language of Poland).

Defn: …, specifically the cosmetic on one’s finger-/toe-/digital nails.

7. Displaced person twice killing time in Jersey? (5)

EXILE : “t,t”(2 x abbrev. for “time”) deleted from(killing … in) “textile”(an example of which is “jersey”/a soft, fine knitted fabric).

8. Moderate politician divides support on right . . . . (6)

TEMPER : MP(abbrev. for a Member of Parliament, an elected politician) contained in(divides) TEE(an object supporting your golf ball when hitting your shot on the tee) plus(on) R(abbrev. for “right”).

Defn: To ….

9. . . . . in run-down foreign places (6)

ABOARD : “r”(abbrev. for “run” in cricket scores) in(?) ABROAD(foreign places/locations outside one’s country) moving down(down, in a down clue).

Defn: …, a, say, train or ship. The wordplay seems incomplete.

14. Set aside surplus free study (10)

OVERRIDDEN : OVER(surplus/more than) + RID(to make free/dispose of, say, an unwanted thing) + DEN(a study/a private room in a house).

Defn: …/rejected or cancelled in relation to, say, a decision.

17. Woman having issue at work runs media organisation (9)

NURSEMAID : Anagram of(… organisation) RUNS MEDIA.

Defn: …, ie. her employer’s children/issue that she has to take care of.

18. Cupid’s one means of controlling loved one we hear (8)

REINDEER : REIN(means of controlling the horse one is riding) + homophone of(… we hear) “dear”(a form of address for a loved one).

Defn: … of Sana’s sleigh-pullers.

20. Army uncovered files related to acts of war (7)

HOSTILE : HOST(an army in olden times) + “files” minus its 1st and last letters(uncovered …).

Defn: Describing/…

21. Gem manufacturer employs terrifying guards (6)

OYSTER : Hidden in(… guards) “employs terrifying“.

Defn: …, specifically, a producer of a pearl.

22. Insiders in banks allowed enhancement for PIN? (6)

ANKLET : Middle letters of(Insiders in) “banks” + LET(allowed/permitted).

Defn: …/leg, in slang.

Anklet and Nail Polish.

24. Celebrate return of prize (5)

REVEL : Reversal of(return of) LEVER(to prise/to prize/to force apart or open with, well, a lever).

26. Writer’s change of heart shows zest for life (4)

BRIO : BIRO(a kind of ballpoint pen/writer, named after its inventor) with its 2 middle letters exchanging places(change of heart).