Financial Times 16,868 by ZAMORCA

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Zamorca takes a turn on a Thursday for a change…

…although this mainly felt like a Monday puzzle, albeit with the additional charm of a pangram.

This wasn't too difficult, with the occasional parsing challenge leading to me taking longer to parse the puzzle than to solve it.

No obscure words, no general knowledge, so one for everyone to enjoy?

Thanks, Zamorca.

ACROSS
9 LEMON CURD
Spread in French newspaper abridged arresting copper’s side (5,4)

LE MOND(e) ("French newspaper", abridged) arresting Cu (chemical symbol for "copper") + R (right "side")
10 SPILL
Fall sick after swamp’s drained (5)

ILL ("sick") after S(wam)P [drained]
11 NO SWEAT
It’s not difficult reviewing issue with lunch (2,5)

[reviewing] <=SON ("issue") + W (with) + EAT ("lunch")
12 ELASTIC
Peel a sticker found inside stretchy material (7)

Found inside "peEL A STICker"
13 TEA
Leaves note with key (3)

TE (alternative spelling of ti, so "note") + A (a "key" in music)
14 ESTATE AGENT
English country squire’s retaining American realtor (6,5)

E (English) + STATE ("country") + GENT ("squire") retaining A (American)
17 TRYST
Hear way in which lovers meet (5)

TRY ("hear") + St. (street, so "way")
18 REV
Vicar’s retiring very shortly (3)

[retiring] <=VER(y) [shortly]
19 MAIZE
Old lady regularly sizzles corn on the cob (5)

MA ("old lady") + [regularly] (s)I(z)Z(l)E(s)
21 THIRD PERSON
Husband intercepted pints order sent out for someone else (5,6)

H (husband) intercepts *(pints order) [anag:sent out]
23 MAY
Might perhaps be out (3)

MAY(be) ("perhaps") with BE out
25 RED CARD
Embarrassed about route used to dismiss player (3,4)

RED ("embarrassed") + ca. (circa, so "about") + Rd. (road, so "route")
27 SATIRIC
Mocking luxurious hotel abandoned after located on island (7)

RIC(h) ("luxurious" with H (hotel) abandoned) after SAT ("located") on I (island)
28 ANGEL
High-class new hair product’s dear (5)

A ("high-class") + N (new) + GEL ("hair product")
29 WORK OF ART
Labour over wind sculpture (4,2,3)

WORK ("labour") + O (over, in cricket) + FART ("wind")
DOWN
1 PLANET
Exercise round track for a heavenly body! (6)

PT (physical training, so "exercise") round LANE ("track")
2 EMISSARY
Agent says Emir’s corrupt (8)

*(says emir) [anag:corrupt]
3 INTERESTED
Keen for dentist to be prepared before going in (10)

ERE ("before") going in *(dentist) [anag:to be prepared]
4 QUIT
Fairly abrupt exit (4)

QUIT(e) ("fairly" abrupt (i.e short))
5 ADJECTIVES
Words that describe these times and aims lose old boy (10)

AD (anno domini, so "these times") and (ob)JECTIVES ("aims" lose OB (old boy))
6 ASIA
China is aiding part of uprising here (4)

Hidden backwards in [part of, uprising] "chinA IS Aiding"
7 LITTLE
Drop long working title (6)

L (long) + *(title) [anag:working]
8 BLACK TIE
British want Bond in formal attire (5,3)

B (British) + LACK ("want") + TIE ("bond")
15 TURNED DOWN
Said no to decreased volume (6,4)

Double definition
16 AMMUNITION
Royal Engineers leave main unit more shot, bullets, shells etc (10)

*(main unit mo) [anag:shot] where MO is MO(re) with RE (Royal Engineers) leaving
17 TUTORIAL
Experiment without stress in lesson (8)

TRIAL ("test") with *(out) [anag:stress] in
20 IMMORTAL
Enduring setter’s Monday test – entertaining time? (8)

I'M ("setter's") + M (Monday, on a calendar) + ORAL ("test") entertaining T (time)
22 INDIGO
Half of skin round jab filling with purple colour (6)

DIG ("jab") filling [half of] (sk)IN + O (round)
24 YACHTS
During holiday set up child with crafts (6)

Ch, (child) [during] <=STAY ("holiday", set up)

26 AXLE
Log initially cut to hold wheel rod (4)

AXE ("cut") to hold L(og) [initially]
27 SPRY
Lively ferret about to go under front of sofa (4)

PRY ("ferret about") to go under [front of] S(ofa)

8 comments on “Financial Times 16,868 by ZAMORCA”

  1. Lots of misdirection made for a very enjoyable solve. Didn’t notice the pangram until I had finished which IMO is a sign of a well-constructed pangram.

  2. I agree re the misdirections, Hovis, and the Monday feeling as noted by Loonapick, neither observation diminishing my enjoyment of a quick solve.
    Since J and K popped up in my first couple of answers, I was already primed for a pangram so was somewhat disappointed not to find a Q… well, that’s because I slipped up on 4d having entered CURT (was thinking of curt[ains]/exit!). Oh well, you can’t win them all.
    Laughed out loud at 29.
    Thanks to Zamorca and Loonapick.

  3. I enjoyed this. Not too difficult but not many write-ins either and with the pangram to spot at the end. I liked the misdirection of the ‘American realtor’ at 14a and, OK, I’ll admit it too, the sophisticated humour of WORK OF ART.

    Thanks to Zamorca and loonapick

  5. Fun crossword — thanks Zamorca. Liked YACHTS and the amusing WORK OF ART. Could not parse MAY or QUIT; I only guessed at QUIT knowing I needed a Q to complete the pangram. Thanks loonapick for the blog.

  7. Thanks Zamorca and loonapick
    Got sucked in a little with the drop in intensity of this puzzle and ended up, like Diane@2, making the error with CURT instead of QUIT – sometimes it does pay to take note of a potential pangram.
    Didn’t end up parsing RED CARD, apart from seeing the ’embarrassed’ part.
    Finished in the SW with YACHTS (always a bit tricky to work with these letters), the clever MAY and IMMORTAL the last one in.

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