A tough challenge today from Wanderer with several new words learnt along the solving process. Very precise cluing as can be expected from the setter.
FF: 9 DD: 10
ACROSS
1 CUBIC CENTIMETRE: A measure of success (5,10)
Cryptic clue; the solution is an expansion of “..suCCess”
9 GODLIKE: “Superhuman” setter, perhaps, returning appreciation on Facebook (7)
GOD (setter = DOG, reversed) LIKE (appreciation on facebook)
10 TOUCH UP: Finish off a bit higher in price (5,2)
TOUCH ( a bit) UP (higher in price)
11, 12 RHODE ISLAND RED: State colour found in layer? (5,6,3)
RHODE ISLAND (state) RED (colour) – name of a hen
13 TETRARCHS: Charters jet ultimately deployed for Four Tops group (9)
CHARTERS T*(jeT, ultimately)
15 GENET: One who wrote about 10, say (5)
reverse of TEN (10) EG (say)
16 EMCEE: Discontented music presenter (5)
expansion of MusiC (discontented is to indicate inner content has to be removed)
18 CARPACCIO: Italian hors d’oeuvre of fish, accompanied by a little Irish duck (9)
CARP (fish) A CC (little) I (irish) O (duck)
20, 23 ALEXANDRE DUMAS: Writer of sexual drama with ending not half bad (9,5)
SEXUAL DRAMA ENDing* (not half)
24 EARLDOM: Represented a model holding right rank and title (7)
[A MODEL]* containing R (right)
25 RELEASE: Once again let loose (7)
read as RE (once again) LEASE (let)
26 SMOKE AND MIRRORS: Use of deception via false nose and moustache, initially with extremely dark glasses (5,3,7)
[NOSE A M (And Moustache, initially) DK (extremely DarK)]* MIRRORS (glasses)
DOWN
1 CIGARETTE PAPERS: Tragic outpouring about film extravaganza starting before press can roll up with these (9,6)
[TRAGIC* around ET (film)] E (Extravaganza, initially) PAPERS (press)
2 BEDPOST: One of three keeping secret when graduate teacher gets job (7)
B.ED (graduate teacher, bachelor of education) POST (job)
3 CRIME WAVE: Warning about border dispute ending with big rise in wrongdoing (5,4)
CAVE (warning) around [ RIM (border)E (disputE, ending) W (with) ]
4 ELEMI: Part of asphodel emitting resin (5)
hidden in “..asphodEL EMItting..”
5 TOTALISER: Sum one’s put on cert, with no limits in betting system (9)
TOTAL (sum) I’S (one’s) ER (cERt, no limits i.e. no starting and ending characters)
6 MOURN: Sadly miss mark on middle of blood vessel (5)
M (mark) O (middle of blOod) URN (vessel)
7 TEHERAN: Number surrounding goddess in capital city (7)
8 EXPEDITIOUSNESS: Haste in which doctor exposes nudities (15)
EXPOSES NUDITIES*
14 CACODEMON: Prison holding protest after officer shows evil spirit (9)
CAN (prison) containing [ CO (office) DEMO (protest)]
15 GLANDULAR: Sort of fever in a lung left a doctor confused (9)
[A LUNG L A DR (doctor)]*
17 CHEERIO: Applaud 10 for so long? (7)
CHEER (applaud) IO (10)
19 CEMBALO: Harpsichord concerts effectively mean Bach, admit local orchestra leaders (7)
starting characters of “..Concerts Effectively Mean Bach, Admit Local Orchestra..”
21 ADDLE: Become confused after two days drinking beer? On the contrary (5)
DD (two Days) in ALE (beer)
22 EPROM: Memory of online concert (5)
E (online, electronic) PROM (concert) – erasable programmable read only memory
Thanks, Turbolegs.
In 18ac [my favourite clue, along with EXPEDITIOUSNESS] I took ACC as ‘accompanied’.
You’ve omitted the explanation of 7dn: TEN round HERA.
I’ve said several times before how much I like the way Wanderer’s composite clues always [?] run on, as in 11,12 and 20,23.
Many thanks, Wanderer, for another very enjoyable puzzle.
I enjoyed this but it took me longer than it should because of my entering “Alexander” at 20ac – forgot that Dumas was French! I shared Eileen’s favourites.
Thank you Wanderer & Turbolegs.
I agree with Eileen re 18ac.
It is indeed ACC (accompanied) + I[rish] (a little bit of it).
I’m afraid ‘I’ cannot stand for ‘Irish’.
Enjoyable crossword which I didn’t find as hard as TB thought it was.
Many thanks to B&S.
Thanks Turbolegs and Wanderer-must remember him on my list.It didnt seem quite so challenging after Enigmatist but you could say that in many cases.Very nice.
I enjoyed this a lot. Many nice clues, I liked a measure of success, the superhuman, the four tops group, CIGARETTE PAPERS and EXPEDITIOUSNESS, and more.
Hadn’t heard of EPROM, and I need to go find out what the story is with bedposts and secrets…
Many thanks Wanderer and Turbolegs
Ah, between you, me and the bedpost, I didn’t know that.
Dutch @6 – I only knew ‘Between you and me and the gatepost’ – but the wordplay here was impeccable, as usual with this setter. [I suppose it depends where you do your gossiping. 😉 ]
Post oct 13th my FT link has not been updated ? anyone here can post a link to the later puzzles?
Thanks Wanderer and Turbolegs
Took three shortish sittings to get through this one and did find it quite hard work, especially with some of the previously unknown words like CARPACCIO, CACODEMON, CEMBALO and the author Jean GENET. Great clues though that guided one to those answers.
Do like some of the complex word plays that he sets – e.g. 1d and 26a. Also thought that the clue for TOTALISER (only known it as a totalisator) was very clever – surface and construction.
EARLDOM and CIGARETTE PAPERS were my last couple in.