Financial Times 17,028 by BRADMAN

by

A typical BRADMAN offering this Friday. Thanks Bradman.

FF: 8 DD: 8

ACROSS
1 SHAMAN
Practitioner of magic shut up a fellow (6)

SH ( shut up ) A MAN ( fellow )
4 CLAPTRAP
After a bit of applause mouth “Rubbish!” (8)

CLAP ( bit of applause ) TRAP ( mouth )
9 RISHI
Sage from Dublin maybe – one going right to the end (5)

iRISH ( from dublin maybe, with the first I ( one ) moving to the end )
10 HESPERIAN
Female accepts praise when playing in Western (9)

[ PRAISE ]* in HEN ( female ) ; i didnt know this word but could get it from the clue and crossers
11 OPENS UP
Oxford publisher, having gathered writers, speaks frankly (5,2)

[ OUP ( Oxford University Press, oxford publisher ) ] containing PENS ( writers )

12 ONAGERS
Tricky range traversed by very big beasts (7)

[ RANGE ]* in OS ( very big, Over Size )
13 NEIL
Man showing love, having swallowed drug (4)

NIL ( love ) containing E ( Ecstasy, drug )
14 ORIENTAL
That is set of books needed in exam in Japanese? (8)

[ IE ( that is ) NT ( set of books ) ] in ORAL ( exam )
17 EARDROPS
Hangers-on – might they get waxy? (8)

cryptic def
19 INNS
Watering-holes with trendy partners at table (4)

IN ( trendy ) NS ( partners at table, game of bridge )
22 REALIST
Group of soldiers of the top rank? Such won’t have fanciful ideas (7)

RE ( group of soldiers, Royal Engineers ) A-LIST ( of the top rank )
24 APPEASE
A pulse audible? Calm down (7)

sounds like A PEAS ( pulse )
25 HEARTACHE
Listen to something hairy, bringing sorrow (9)

HEAR ( listen ) TACHE ( something hairy, moustache )
26 CREWS
Groups of sailors go on sea trip, we hear? (5)

sounds like CRUISE ( sea trip )
27 RENT ROLL
Register associated with one letter? (4,4)

cryptic def; letter here referring to one who lets

28 SCOTER
Duck in two-wheeled vehicle – duck escapes (6)

SCOoTER ( two wheeler, without O – duck )
DOWN
1 SORBONNE
University type wasting time – good Parisian female (8)

SORt [ type, without T ( time ) ] BONNE ( good in french, feminine )
2 AUSTENITE
Fan of Jane’s, we may surmise, offers a solid solution (9)

cryptic def; jane austen reference
3 AHIMSA
Gosh: I am joining the Sally Army to convey religious doctrine! (6)

AH ( gosh ) I'M ( i am ) SA ( Salvation Army )
5 LOSE ONE’S PLACE
Have trouble reading what an evicted person might do? (4,4,5)

double def
6 PRECAST
Like concrete or new carpets? (7)

[ CARPETS ]*
7 RAINE
Poet from country adjoining Russia, not UK (5)

ukRAINE ( country adjoining russia, without UK )
8 PUNISH
What could be fine joke is hard to follow (6)

PUN ( joke ) IS H ( hard )
10 HYPERCRITICAL
Too fussy? React chirpily, after getting drunk (13)

[ REACT CHIRPILY ]*
15 LINEAMENT
Feature of piece of writing meant to be different (9)

LINE ( piece of writing ) [ MEANT ]*
16 ASSESSOR
Examiner giving some crosses, say, when upset (8)

hidden, reversed in "..cROSSES SAy.."
18 ROISTER
Go wild when one features in list (7)

I ( one ) in ROSTER ( list )
20 ARTHUR
King with skill facing endless harm (6)

ART ( skill ) HURt ( harm, endless )
21 IPECAC
This dried root may flourish with rain in picnic area (6)

reverse anagram; [ IPECAC RAIN ]* = picnic area
23 AGAIN
A win – not for the first time (5)

A GAIN ( win )

6 comments on “Financial Times 17,028 by BRADMAN”

  2. A generally crisp, straight-forward and enjoyable puzzle from Bradman.
    I liked the inclusion of both HESPERIAN (makes me think of the Helsinki park) and ORIENTAL. 7d is, sadly, all too topical.
    There were one or two unusual words of which AHIMSA and IPECAC needed an online to check though both were parsable.
    My LOI in was 27ac for which I only had the second word. One of these days, I will remember to look differently at ‘letter’.
    Thanks very much to Bradman and to Turbolegs for the explanations.

  3. Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
    A more typical puzzle from this setter than I have seen for a while, especially with the number of unusual words scattered throughout – RISHI, HESPARIAN, RENT ROLL, AUSTNITE AHIMSA, RAINE and LINEAMENT all new to me. A credit to him that all were able to be worked out from the wordplay and looked up to confirm that they were in fact the right answer.
    With Andrew on the double definition clueing of EARDROPS (the latter of which has always been underwhelming in my experience). Was rather poignant moment when 7d went in with the current goings on and the lack of real support being given to them (not quite sure where it differs from Kuwait who were invaded by a country who may have ‘weapons of mass destruction’).
    Anyway, finished with those EARDROPS, AUSTENITE and RENT ROLL the last one in.

  4. I found this difficult – though when I saw the four I’d missed most were easy. My head just didn’t get into this one for some reason. Many new words. Rishi. Ahimsa. Hesperian. Onagers. Austenite. Lineament. Raine. Ipecac.

  5. Thanks, Bradman and Turbolegs. Brucew@3, agreed – what a day to find a reference to “Ukraine” in a puzzle. Didn’t get EARDROPS or AUSTENITE but rest were all good clues. Loved ORIENTAL and OPENS UP.

  6. Thanks Turbolegs and Bradman. 2d AUSTENITE was new to me in the sense of a solid solution, and I needed the blog for the parsing of IPECAC. Enjoyable puzzle with just the right level of difficulty for me.

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