Financial Times no.14,138 by STYX

I enjoyed this morning’s not-too-tough offering from Styx, although I found the odd clue surprisingly knotty (like discovering ball-bearings in your candy-floss). My main cavil would be that I think an anagram is rather a waste of a fifteen-letter solution.

I got rather less enjoyment from finding, just now, that WordPress has unilaterally deleted my post, so I have to do it again. Bah!

Thank-you anyway, Styx.

ACROSS

1. INSULATE  In + u [university] within slate [rock]

5. LONERS  Not entirely sure of this one: a play on loaners, somehow? Edit: Thanks to George below the line – Londoners [UK capitalists] minus don [fellow]

10. PUT INTO PRACTICE  Anagram of apricot puce tint

11. CRAB STICK  Anagram of bits within crack [excellent]

12. PRINT  (S)print [move quickly]

13. RUNG  Run [supervise] + (buildin)g

15. DUNGEON  Dung [waste] + eon [a long time]

18. ANISEED  Is within a need [a requirement]

20. DOSE  Do [manage] + se(x)

23. ELDER  Welder minus W [chemical symbol of tungsten] – I assume the double negative is accidental

24. TASK FORCE  Hidden in parliamenT ASK FOR CErtified

26. GRAPHIC DESIGNER  Anagram of hes regarding pic

27. NOMADS  Mad [out to lunch] within nos [small numbers]

28. ENTRENCH  Entree wench minus ewe [lamb]

DOWN

1. IMPACT  Imp [troublemaker] + a + ct [court]

2. SAT-NAV  Sat [positioned] + reversal of van

3. LINES  Hidden in detaiL IN ESsay

4. TOOTING  Too [excessively] + tin [can] + g(rate)

6. OCCUPANTS  Occu(r) [come about] + pants [underwear]

7. ELICITED  Anagram of lie + cited [used as reference]

9. BRAKED  Rak(e) [playboy] within bed

14. UNEARTHED  Hidden in katmandU NEAR THE Desert

16. PARERGON  Parer [trimmer] + gon(e) [finished]

17. WIND FARM  Wind [twist] + (chie)f + arm

19. DETECT  Dete(r) [put off] + ct [court]

20. DISCERN  Anagram of d(a)ncer is

21. IRON-ON  Anagram of innovator minus vat [storage tank]

22. HEARTH  H [hot] + earth [dirt]

25. FRIAR  From India minus (o [zero, love] + mind) + r [right]