Thanks to Goliath for the super puzzle.
A great puzzle, with some stand-out clues. The Wednesday FT can be quite tricky, but I found this accessible and a fun steady solve. Many thanks to Goliath.
ACROSS
1/4. Buyer’s recommendation to persuade enrolment in bespoke AA cover (6,6)
CAVEAT EMPTOR
TEMPT (to persuade enrolment) in (AA COVER)* (*bespoke)
8. Not easy to accept abbreviated answer in parliamentary report (7)
HANSARD
HARD (not easy) to accept ANS (abbreviated answer)
9. Finally in Covid, the leadership party is corrupt (7)
DEPRAVE
[Coi]D [th]E [leadershi]P (finally in) + RAVE (party)
11. Teflon-coated Rev out among the godless (10)
IMPERVIOUS
REV* (*out) among the IMPIOUS (godless)
12. Isn’t common parlance used in plain text? (4)
AINT
13. Haven of love in status quo (5)
OASIS
O (love) + AS IS (in status quo)
14. Worker’s tactic to steal emcee’s heart (8)
EMPLOYEE
PLOY (tactic) to steal C in EM[c]EE (i.e. its heart)
16. American leader, strong, well-spoken and prosperous (8)
AFFLUENT
A[merican] (leader) + F (strong, in music) + FLUENT (well-spoken)
20. Soon to be unidentifiable (4)
ANON
Double definition
Anonymous, for the second definition
21. Once again, avail yourself of map to find a drink (10)
CHARTREUSE
Cryptic definition
CHART RE-USE
23. Litter gear sent out (7)
KITTENS
KIT (gear) + SENT* (*out)
24. Forced to be grateful (7)
OBLIGED
25/26. Obesity is what NHS patients suffer from, according to report (6,6)
EXCESS WEIGHT
“EXCESS WAIT” (what NHS patients suffer from, “according to report”)
DOWN
1. Spell ‘amulet’ (5)
CHARM
2. Service scooters, say (7)
VESPERS
“VESPAS” (scooters, “say”)
3. It’s a river trip for social climber (9)
ARRIVISTE
5. Events providing charcuterie for the audience (5)
MEETS
“MEATS” (charcuterie, “for the audience”)
6. Road not adapted for poor weather (7)
TORNADO
7/22. One’s pudding follows, say, never over, as a cold dish will be enjoyed (7,2,5)
REVENGE IS SWEET
SWEET (one’s pudding) follows (E.G. (say) + NEVER)< (<over)
Reference to the saying: Revenge is a dish best served cold
10. Make sharp political group upset by sexy lure (9)
HONEYTRAP
HONE (make sharp) + PARTY< (political group, <upset)
13. Rude attempt to curry favour after 1 Down (9)
OFFENSIVE
15. Tasteful friend with what she may need to eat (9)
PALATABLE
PAL (friend) with A TABLE (what she may need to eat)
17. Continual, not on/off, and mad (7)
LUNATIC
C[on]TUNIAL* (not ON, *off)
19. Looking safe at last in old capital (7)
PEEKING
[saf]E (at last) in PEKING (old capital)
21/18. Wolf of Canvey Island half seen at the top by you and me (5,5)
CANIS LUPUS
CAN[vey] ISL[and] (half seen) + UP (at the top) by US (you and me)
Goliath in relatively gentle mood today with some nice clean assemblies, especially the partial anagrams which worked particularly well today. Also some sideswiping at the politicians in the surfaces which is always fun. Mind you, if the polls are right then, from tomorrow, we will be in the hands of the pure and the chaste and there won’t be any more shenanigans … Hmmm: I wish I had faith in politicians of any persuasion!
Lots of nice clues but the Wolf of Canvey Island really stood out to me today. A lovely image.
Thanks Goliath and Orile
Oops – sorry – Oriel. For some reason, the Edit option did not pop up when I needed it.
As on the Guardian (Picaroon) thread, I’m following right behind PostMark in my admiration for this puzzle.
My ticks were for 1/4 CAVEAT EMPTOR, 25/26ac EXCESS WEIGHT and /22 REVENGE IS SWEET (all of which – as Goliath’s composite clues almost invariably do – run together seamlessly in the grid) and I could add the linked CHARM OFFENSIVE 1/13.
I also liked 11ac IMPERVIOUS, 10dn HONEYTRAP and 21/18 CANIS LUPUS.
Many thanks, as ever, to Goliath for the mid-week treat and to Oriel for the nice blog.
[Eileen – Ha: if you tackle Eccles, you’ll discover you’re behind me commenting on that one too! 🤣]
[A long way behind, PostMark – I have to go out now!]
For 7D/22D, I had the IS element deriving from “one’s” = “I’S,” and SWEET = just “pudding.”
I filled this in rather quickly, despite the sophistication of the clues. Enjoyable.
Really enjoyed this – some lovely clues – my favourites being the same as Eileen’s @3
Found the top half went in quickly but the bottom half took much longer.
Thanks Goliath and Oriel
Thanks for the blog, enjoyable puzzle , neat and tidy clues . I am surprised that 1D , 11D was not a single clue.
Minor quibble for REVENGE IS SWEET , never plus the reverse in both clue and answer.
I agree with you all on every point, including the cluing of CHARM OFFENSIVE, altho the clue for the first was very neat by itself. My pink was greatly tickled. Many thanks all round.
I also greatly enjoyed this. I echo what Oriel wrote in the introduction and everyone’s positive comments. Eileen@3 nailed my favourite clues
I only wonder whether steal the heart in EMPLOYEE is really an insertion indicator.
Many thanks to Goliath and Oriel
Martyn @10: technically, I think it’s a substitution. Which is, of course, an insertion of sorts.
A nice steady solve with no help needed; what more can we add except to nomonate CANIS LUPUS as our favourite with CHARM and CAVEAT EMPTOR as close runners-up.
Thanks, Goliath and Oriel.
Thanks Goliath for a gentle but nonetheless excellent crossword with my top picks being AINT, AFFLUENT, ANON, EXCESS WEIGHT, VESPERS, and LUNATIC. My only quibble is with the surface of REVENGE IS SWEET, uncharacteristically clunky for Goliath. Thanks Oriel for the blog.
Tony@13, I agree that Goliath’s surfaces are so good that a slightly less smooth one like REVENGE IS SWEET might seem clunky. In a puzzle by some other setters (who shall remain nameless) it might be considered praiseworthy.
Hard to choose a favourite from so many good clues, but I’ll go with the bullet-dodging missionary at 11a IMPERVIOUS.
Thanks Goliath for the charming puzzle, and Oriel for the excellent blog.
Thanks PostMark@11. I appreciate the advice
Cellomaniac@14 – I agree with you. In my first comment@10, I wrote that I shared favourites with Eileen. But reading Tony’s list at@13, made me realize there is a long list of clues deserving honourable mention.