Financial Times 15380 Sleuth

Thanks to Sleuth – an enjoyable crossword; tricky enough in some places to give me pause. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

9 Plain background – it disappeared from Berlin leader’s place? (9)

WALLPAPER : WALL(the one in Berlin which disappeared/came down in 1989) + PAPER(or newspaper, where you’d find a leader;a leading editorial).

Defn: Something plain and bland that provides an unobtrusive background, as in “wallpaper music”.

10 Panic or fuss restricted in island (5)

CORFU : Hidden in(… restricted) “Panic or fuss“.

11 Cut endlessly hackneyed material – it’s old hat (7)

TRICORN : “trim”(to cut, especially the edges of something) minus its last letter(endlessly) + CORN(hackneyed;banal material).

12 Old college in shade beyond hope of revival? (7)

EXTINCT : EX-(prefix indicating “old”;former) + [ C(abbrev. for “college”) contained in(in) TINT(a shade of colour) ].

13 Individual cycling for a long period (3)

EON : Anagram of(… cycling) ONE(an individual).

14 Sweet cider duping drunk (4,7)

RICE PUDDING : Anagram of(… drunk) CIDER DUPING.

Defn: A dessert course.

17 It could be kept by sacred order (5)

CREDO : Hidden in(kept by) “sacred order “.

Defn: A formal system of beliefs, that could be kept by a religious order. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.

18 Queen and King show frailty (3)

ERR : ER(abbrev. for “Elizabeth Regina”, the Queen) plus(and) R(abbrev. for “Rex”, a king).

Defn: To show a frailty;a fault in character or morals.

19 Support walk in ostentatious style (5)

STRUT : Double defn.

21 One keen on butter picks spread in small quantity (11)

LICKSPITTLE : Anagram of(… spread) PICKS contained in(in) LITTLE(a small quantity).

Defn: Somewhat cryptic: One who is keen on;likes to butter up;to servilely flatter someone, ie. a toady.

23 Fitting bathroom feature, first to last (3)

APT : TAP(a bathroom feature) with its 1st letter moved to the end of the word(first to last).

25 Comical Welsh politician on drugs? (7)

AMUSING : AM(abbrev. for “Assembly Member”, of the legislative National Assembly of Wales) + USING(slang for being on drugs).

27 Unorthodox priest admitting nothing in quick comeback (7)

RIPOSTE : Anagram of(Unorthodox) PRIEST containing(admitting) O(letter indicating 0;nothing).

28 For audience, catalogue composer (5)

LISZT : Homophone of(For audience) “list”(a catalogue of items).

Defn: Franz, Hungarian composer.

29 German and English police trailed by journalist lacking resolve? (9)

UNDECIDED : UND(German for “and”) + E(abbrev. for “English”) + CID(abbrev. for “Criminal Investigation Department”, a branch of the police force) plus at the end(trailed by) ED(abbrev. for “editor”, a journalist).

Down

1 Heavy blow given to man in bandage (6)

SWATHE : SWAT(a heavy blow, like what you’d do to a fly) plus(given to) HE(pronoun for a man).

2 Day lost in involvement in union (8)

ALLIANCE : “d”(abbrev. for “day”) deleted from(lost in) “dalliance”(a brief and casual involvement with something, or a brief and causal romantic or sexual involvement with someone).

3 University sportsman with several heading off producing racket (10)

UPROARIOUS : U(abbrev. for “university”) + PRO(short for a “professional”, often refering to a sportsman) plus(with) “various”(several kinds) minus its 1st letter(heading off).

4 Put positive slant on brief road excursion? (4)

SPIN : Double defn: 2nd: … in a vehicle.

5 What generous barman might offer individualist (4,6)

FREE SPIRIT : Cryptically, drinks at no charge from a generous barman.

6 Murray, say, starts to serve clinically on tour (4)

SCOT : The 1st letters, respectively, of(starts to) “serve clinically on tour“.

Defn: An example;say, of a Scottish surname; a well-known person with it is Andy, tennis champion.

7 Drink nearby announced in kingdom (6)

BRUNEI : Homophone of(… announced) [ “brew”(an alcoholic drink that is brewed, such as beer) + “nigh”(nearby) ].

Defn: An oil-producing kingdom in S.E. Asia.

8 Labour intensively to include American label in bar (4,1,3)

BUST A GUT : [ US(abbrev. for things American) + TAG(an attached label) ] contained in(to include … in) BUT(bar;except for, as in “no-one, but no-one, is allowed in”).

15 Cold and cutting, fool held up something for a champ? (7,3)

CHEWING GUM : C(abbrev. for “cold”) plus(and) HEWING(cutting, with an axe, say) + reversal of(… held up, in a down clue) MUG(a fool).

Defn: … or a chew. I got hung up trying to find a sort of “cup”, for a champion.

16 Middle-ranking policeman’s particular incivility (10)

DISRESPECT : DI(abbrev. for “Detective Inspector”, a middle-ranking policeman)‘S + RESPECT(a particular;a detail, as in, “in some respects, he was likeable”).

17 Rowdy pub? Call last of clientele blameworthy (8)

CULPABLE : Anagram of(Rowdy) PUB? CALL + the last letter of(last of) “clientele “.

20 Bars that are affecting construction of posh yard (8)

RHAPSODY : Anagram of(construction of) POSH YARD.

Defn: Somewhat cryptic: A musical composition;bars that is highly emotional;affecting in character, one that might send you into rapturous delight?

22 Passage in main that’s relaxing actor (6)

CRUISE : Double defn: 1st: A pleasure trip on the sea; and 2nd: Tom, professional name of actor Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.

24 Aristocrat ultimately insignificant like an upper-class hearty? (6)

TWEEDY : The last letter of(.. ultimately) “Aristocrat” + WEEDY(insignificant;thin and weak in appearance).

Defn: Describing one who is fond of the hearty and robust outdoor life, as personified by the upper-class country gentry in tweeds.

26 Greek character detained in Cypriot airport (4)

IOTA : Hidden in(detained in) “Cypriot airport“.

Defn: …, ninth in the Greek alphabet.

27 Stay undisturbed in lift in New York (4)

RIDE : Double defn: 1st: Let things continue undisturbed, as in, “he let the matter ride, in consideration of what could happen if he didn’t”; and 2nd: As a New Yorker might say if he were giving you a lift: “I’ll give you a ride home”.