Financial Times 18,057 by GURNEY

by

GURNEY kicks off the week…

A nice gentle puzzle. I thought 4d was slightly clumsily worded though, but it may have been a typo.

Thanks GURNEY!

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Describing features of group, very friendly at first (8)
THICKSET

SET (group), THICK (very friendly) at first

6. One exhibiting sports centre facility? (6)
SHOWER

Double definition

9. Special, this place in the round (6)
SPHERE

SP (special) + HERE (this place)

10. Ultimately urge new agreement as earnest request (8)
ENTREATY

[urg}E (ultimately) + N (new) + TREATY (agreement)

11. Learner revealed as boor (4)
LOUT

L (learner) + OUT (revealed)

12. Fair and square, refurbished abode? Bravo! (5,5)
ABOVE BOARD

(ABODE BRAVO)* (*refurbished)

14. Opportunity for special event (8)
OCCASION

Double definition

16. Rascal’s unending racket (4)
SCAM

SCAM[p] (rascal, unending)

18. Determination of wife having complaint (4)
WILL

W (wife) + ILL (having complaint)

19. Admirer, first to last, also describing journey (8)
OVERLAND

LOVER (admirer, first to last) + AND (also)

21. Lacking knowledge, firm undone badly (10)
UNINFORMED

(FIRM UNDONE)* (*badly)

22. Troops not half had (4)
SOLD

SOLD[iers] (troops, not half)

24. Pottery scarce unfortunately, I’m going back inside (8)
CERAMICS

(SCARCE)* (*unfortunately), (IM)< (<going back) inside

26. Speculative view of politician fellow included (6)
THEORY

TORY (politician), HE (fellow) included

27. Make less worried, producing Malbec supply (6)
BECALM

(MALBEC)* (*supply)

28. Show appreciation of devious ploy? Nonsense (8)
CLAPTRAP

CLAP (show appreciation of) + TRAP (devious ploy)

DOWN
2. Knowing river creature (5)
HIPPO

HIP (knowing) + PO (river)

3. Can tell ref’s awfully disappointed (11)
CRESTFALLEN

(CAN TELL REFS)* (*awfully)

4. Outline of what may happen currency unit mostly used in South Africa port (8)
SCENARIO

(CEN[t] (currency unit, mostly) used in SA (South Africa)) + RIO (port)

5. Classic article, excellent, of Hellenic character exactly reproduced (3,5,2,5)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC

THE (article) + SOUND (excellent) + OF + MU (Hellenic character) + SIC (exactly reproduced)

6. Model that one should not miss (6)
SITTER

Double (cryptic) definition

7. United about energy (3)
ONE

ON (about) + E (energy)

8. Trainee, not content to leave, upset host (9)
ENTERTAIN

(TRAINEE + N[o]T (content to leave))* (*upset)

13. Dated former pupil on his own track (11)
OBSOLESCENT

OB (former pupil) on SOLE (his own) + SCENT (track)

15. Climax, enthralling, electric, trios up front seen as potential customers? (9)
CLIENTELE

CLI[max] ENT[hralling] ELE[ctric] (trios seen up front)

17. Rivalry at event developed over days (8)
VENDETTA

(AT EVENT)* (*developed) over D (days)

20. Quiet hate seeing winner here? (6)
PODIUM

P (quiet) + ODIUM (hate)

23. Caterpillar, maybe, popular variety to some extent (5)
LARVA

[popu]LAR VA[riety] (to some extent)

25. I see pathway on regular basis (3)
AHA

[p]A[t]H[w]A[y] (on a regular basis)

14 comments on “Financial Times 18,057 by GURNEY”

  1. Nice clean cluing throughout in admirably succinct surfaces. SHOWER, UNINFORMED, SOLD, CERAMICS, SITTER, ENTERTAIN, OBSOLESCENT and PODIUM my favourites.

    Thanks Gurney and Teacow

  2. Indeed, a gentle start to the week from Gurney with a good mix of clues.
    My favourite was CLAPTRAP for its deft surface. The MALBEC/BECALM anagram was a nice spot.
    Thanks Gurney and Teacow.

  3. My faves include ABOVE BOARD, OVERLAND, UNINFORMED, T S O MUSIC. Borrowing someone else’s pet expression, PODIUM completes my podium list.

    Thanks Gurney and Teacow

  4. Full of classic plays, and a tad heavy on the anagrams, but very enjoyable stuff.
    4(d) looked OK to me…but it was my last solve, because my brain refused to overlook ” South Africa port”.
    27(ac) has that rascal “supply” as the anagrind, which I now consider an old friend.
    PM@1 has it spot-on, as usual…” clean, succinct and nice” clue sentences. No quibbles whatsoever: It’s a gentle puzzle, and that’s not a criticism.
    Thumbs up , Gurney & TC

  5. Smooth and enjoyable. I do appreciate clues like “knowing river creature” where the wordplay (river) also points to the or helps with the definition. Of course, I also appreciate clues where it completely points away from the definition and misleads me up a winding garden path!

    Thank you Gurney and Teacow.

  6. Good to learn that when I’m stressed, what I need is a Malbec blend. Doesn’t THICKSET describe the body rather than the features?

  7. Lovely puzzle

    Easier end of the spectrum? Yes; but fair, clear and generally very well clued.

    Thanks.

  8. Agree with the general consensus. Same favourites as Diane@2 plus CERAMICS

    Thank you Gurney and Teacow

  9. I took longer over this than I should have, but I agree with the gentle verdict. The anagrams were pretty much write-ins, which always feels good. Thanks to Teacow and Gurney.

  12. For SCENARIO, I was misled into considering both Rand (currency mostly used in South Africa) and things like Durban (South Africa port) before I had a few crossing letters.

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