A very easy challenge from Orense and ripe for beginners on the FT.
FF: 8 DD: 6
| Across | ||
| 1 | TAPESTRY | Hanging records go! (8) |
| TAPES (records) TRY (go) | ||
| 5 | SCORES | Twenties examples of composer’s output (6) |
| double def | ||
| 10 | CALVE | Length in chamber needed to produce young (5) |
| L (length) in CAVE (chamber) | ||
| 11 | STAIRCASE | Flight bag goes after celebrity pinches one (9) |
| CASE (bag) after [ STAR (celebrity) pinches I (one) ] | ||
| 12 | INCEPTION | Welcoming group’s first couple going for popular inauguration (9) |
| reCEPTION (welcoming group, with the first couple of letters RE being replaced by IN – popular) | ||
| 13 | OOMPH | Gauge speed and energy (5) |
| OO (gauge – 00, railway) MPH (speed) | ||
| 14 | SCONCE | Cake containing primarily cream must be light (6) |
| SCONE (cake) containing C (Cream, primarily) | ||
| 15 | HEFTIER | The timeless newspaper that’s right to be weightier (7) |
| tHE (without T – timeless) FT (newspaper) IE (that is) R (right) | ||
| 18 | PARAPET | Primate protected by section in this low wall (7) |
| APE (primate) in PART (section) | ||
| 20 | PROOFS | Checks for errors in note about cover for house (6) |
| PS (note, post script) around ROOF (cover for house) | ||
| 22 | ALTAR | Area and end of football pitch at which one may worship (5) |
| A (area) L (end of footbalL) TAR (pitch) | ||
| 24 | STAG PARTY | Role welcomed by theatrical group celebrating match (4,5) |
| PART (role) in STAGY (~theatrical) | ||
| 25 | TRIANGLES | Shapes of braid regularly found in knots (9) |
| RI (bRaId, regularly) in TANGLES (knots) | ||
| 26 | IDIOT | I had one before returning to fool (5) |
| I’D (i had) I (one) OT (reverse of TO) | ||
| 27 | RETURN | Retire disheartened and go for yield (6) |
| RE (RetirE, disheartened i.e. without central letters) TURN (go) | ||
| 28 | AS IT WERE | Satire we developed to some extent (2,2,4) |
| SATIRE WE* | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TUCK IN | Share of proceeds rising? Family eat! (4,2) |
| TUC (share of proceeds = CUT, reversed) KIN (family) | ||
| 2 | POLICE CAR | Reciprocal arrangement with no right for official transport vehicle (6,3) |
| rECIPROCAL* (without R- right) | ||
| 3 | SLEEPING PARTNER | Investor who only backs naps? (8,7) |
| (not so) cryptic clue | ||
| 4 | RESPITE | Relief especially found during ceremony (7) |
| ESP (especially) in RITE (ceremony) | ||
| 6 | CARBON FOOTPRINT | How to track down a supplier of fossil fuels? (6,9) |
| cryptic clue | ||
| 7 | REALM | The province of Labour leader overwhelmed by paper (5) |
| L (Labour, leader) in REAM (paper) | ||
| 8 | SHEPHERD | Person tending to be a crooked employer (8) |
| Not really a double def as it is two expressions having the same meaning – crook here means the staff used by a shepherd | ||
| 9 | HAUNCH | Gut feeling about a cut of meat (6) |
| HUNCH (gut feeling) about A | ||
| 16 | INFERTILE | Gather tradesman finishing early is non-productive (9) |
| INFER (gather) TILEr (tradesman, finishing early i.e. incomplete) | ||
| 17 | SPLATTER | Splash made by second record in America (8) |
| S (second) PLATTER (record, in the US) | ||
| 19 | TUSSLE | Worrying lest invaded by American fighting (6) |
| LEST* containing US (american) | ||
| 20 | PRAISES | Honours head of protocol with increases (7) |
| P (head of Protocol) RAISES (increases) | ||
| 21 | MYRTLE | Evergreen setter’s right – and let out (6) |
| MY (setter’s) R (right) + LET* | ||
| 23 | TAINT | Spot of contamination from area in shade (5) |
| A (area) in TINT (shade) | ||
*anagram
Thanks to Orense and Turbolegs for the clear blog.
A minor suggestion for the parsing of 24ac. I think it is STAGY (theatrical) around PART with the clue meaning “group celebrating match”, i.e. group is associated with the party rather than theatrical.
Thanks Bracoman@1 .. but of course! Perils of a hastily written blog … 🙂
Regards
Mahesh
Thanks Orense and Turbolegs
Found this to be much easier than usual from this setter with only a few minor holdups along the way – the 00-Gauge railway was new to me as was the PLATTER referring to a record.
I had SHEPHERD more as just a cryptic definition which would have made more sense if it had of been ‘crooked worker / employee’ rather than ‘crooked employer’ – the latter didn’t make sense to me. Had initially written in HEAVIER at 15a but was having trouble trying to equate the Bible (AV) to a newspaper !! 😮
Interesting that he used cryptic definitions only for the two long down clues.
Finished with one of those, CARBON FOOTPRINT, which was impacted by having the errant A as the beginning of the second word.