Financial Times 18,092 by NEO

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A breezy challenge from NEO this Friday

FF: 8 DD: 6

I had no clue about 1D, and I hadn't encountered the spelling of the solve in 18A. Barring these two, it was very smooth sailing.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
7 ARSENAL
Country roads run back past a club (7)

reverse of [ LANES ( country roads ) R ( run ) ] after A
8 UNICORN
Fabulous animal rook in college study (7)

R ( rook ) in [ UNI ( college ) CON ( study ) ]
10 EAR
Dread losing loud musical talent (3)

fEAR ( dread, without F – loud )
11 GLIMPSE
Look relaxed in G&S role at last (7)

[ LIMP ( relaxed ) in GS ] E ( rolE, last letter )
12 IRKED
Riled member unable to stand by Irish king (5)

IR ( irish ) K ( king ) ED ( unable to stand, Erectile Dysfunction )
13 PETAL
Piano not in time backed viola part (5)

P ( piano ) ETAL ( LATE, not in time, reversed )
14 SKID ROW
Princess in factory returning poor parts (4,3)

reverse of [ DI ( princess ) in WORKS ( factory ) ]
15 AFOOT
First-class trotter perhaps for cooking? (5)

A ( first class ) FOOT ( trotter, perhaps )
18 TICK-TACK-TOE
Credit to English on strategic move in game (4-4-3)

TICK ( credit ) [ TACK ( strategic move ) TO E ( english ) ] ; for the longest time, i couldnt get myself to go past tic tac toe
22 AT ALL
Fully accepting thanks for any reason? (2,3)

ALL ( fully ) containing TA ( thanks )
23 STRAYED
Arrested Romeo’s inside: fell from grace (7)

R ( romeo ) in STAYED ( arrested )
25 DOTTY
Spotted cuckoo (5)

double def
27 PUNIC
Wordplay one contrived initially in old tongue (5)

PUN ( wordplay ) I ( one ) C ( Contrived, first letter )
29 SOMEONE
Celeb very like Neo using MDMA (7)

SO ME ( very like neo ) ON ( using ) E ( mdma, ecstasy )
30 MET
Satisfied with Rowley’s force? (3)

cryptic def; mark rowley is the commissioner of police of the metropolis, uk
31 RESOLVE
Decide to crack clues again (7)

cryptic def; read as RE-SOLVE ( crack clues again )
32 EVIDENT
Plain endive cooked twice for starter (7)

[ ENDIVE ]* T ( Twice, starting letter )
DOWN
1 ASPIDISTRA
Dutiful detectives in a Vauxhall plant? (10)

[ PI DIS ( dutiful detectives, private investigator, detective inspector ) ] in ASTRA ( vauxhall )
2 SNIPER
Marksman at distance up on legs (6)

reverse of RE ( on ) PINS ( legs )
3/16 SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN
Eliot’s nephew out to assess old writer: 24 5 22 26 (5,4,3,3,4)

[ ELIOTS NEPHEW ]* EYE ( assess ) O ( old ) PEN ( writer ); the answers to 24 5 22 26 reads REMAIN VIGILANT AT ALL TIMES
4 BURST
Clean standing stone in rush (5)

[ reverse of RUB ( clean ) ] ST ( stone )
5 VIGILANT
Six humongous guards left on watch (8)

[ VI ( six ) GIANT ( humongous ) ] containing L ( left )
6 CORK
Put stop to drink in Irish city (4)

double def
7 ARGOSY
Ship journey south in a line (6)

[ GO ( journey ) S ( south ) ] in A RY ( line )
9 NUDITY
Without clothing in fresh air did you say? (6)

sounds like NEW ( fresh ) DITTY ( air )
17 ECOSYSTEM
Arrange meets involving intimate community (9)

[ MEETS ]* containing COSY ( intimate )
19 COLD CALL
Unexpected buzz from Parky’s visit? (4,4)

COLD ( parky, british slang as i found out ) CALL ( visit )
20 GASPER
Fermented grapes and cheap cigarette (6)

[ GRAPES ]*
21 ADVERT
Commercial demands at first frustrate nurses (6)

D ( Demands, first letter ) in AVERT ( frustrate )
24 REMAIN
Old woman in control to persist (6)

MA ( old woman ) in REIN ( control )
26 TIMES
Bond’s keeping millions by (5)

TIES ( bonds ) containing M ( millions )
28 NASH
Northern wood for designer John (4)

N ( northern ) ASH ( wood ) ; referring to the architect by the name

10 comments on “Financial Times 18,092 by NEO”

  1. AFOOT and SOMEONE were my faves.

    Thanks Neo and Turbolegs.

    1D I think dutiful=pious=PI
    Detectives=DI’s=DIS

  3. I thoroughly enjoyed this one with my favourites ARSENAL, GLIMPSE and ARGOSY.

    Thank you for explaining ED😳😳

  4. Thanks Neo and Turbolegs. All good fun.
    Like Moly@3 I needed you to explain ED, in spite of the fact that, in another life many years ago, I have conducted research on the subject.

  5. Loved it! SO ME ON E raised a laugh, as did “member unable to stand.” And I’m sure it’s been done before, but this was the first time I’d seen a series of cross-references used to provide the definition.

  6. Thanks for the blog , many fine clues , neat and concise mainly .
    I also think of tic-tac-to but Chambers has several spellings and the one used here is first .
    ED is member unable to stand , very Cyclops .

  8. Thanks Neo for an excellent crossword with 3/16 being very neat. I missed AFOOT and I needed the blog to understand ED of IRKED. (I’ll have to remember that, maybe Mister ED = lame horse will help.) Anyway, many fine clues like ARSENAL, TICK-TACK-TOE, DOTTY, & SOMEONE added to the fun. Thanks Turbolegs for the blog.

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