Financial Times 14,612 by Cincinnus

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 3, 2014

This was an easy and relatively lacklustre Cincinnus. My top clue is 21 (BEACON) and I also like 14D (SNAKEBITE).

ACROSS
1 I shall start getting stuck in with nothing on menu (4,2,4)
BILL OF FARE – ILL (I shall) + OFF (start) together in BARE (nothing)
7 Players squint (4)
CAST – double definition. ‘Cast’ is a technical term for a squint.
9 Hunter’s trip ignoring outsiders some way off (4)
AFAR – [s]AFAR[i] (hunter’s trip ignoring outsiders)
10 Wrong turning after country dance (6,4)
TURKEY TROT – TURKEY (country) + TORT (wrong) backwards
11 Salt dosage in a stew (3,3)
SEA DOG – anagram of DOSAGE
12 Twice each year leave capital (4,4)
PAGO PAGO – PA (each year, i.e. per annum) + GO (leave) doubled (twice). Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa.
13 Characteristic of a wandering hero? Yes, a Don’s meandering (8)
ODYSSEAN – anagram of YES A DONS
15 Heading off where skiers may be bound (4)
LOPE – [s]LOPE (heading off where skiers may be)
17 Almost perfect impression (4)
IDEA – IDEA[l] (almost perfect)
19 Far from tender with vessel in distress (8)
HARDSHIP – HARD (far from tender) + SHIP (vessel)
22 Californian backer backing one (8)
ANGELENO – ANGEL (backer) + ONE (one) backwards
23 Take on when birds go west (6)
ASSUME – AS (when) + EMUS (birds) backwards
25 Confused since I’m not completely clued up (10)
OMNISCIENT – anagram of SINCE IM NOT
26 Wind indicator that’s useless, we hear (4)
VANE – homophone (“vain”)
27 Expert holding right amount of land (4)
ACRE – R (right) in ACE (expert)
28 Horse not competing with knight on course (3-7)
NON-STARTER – N (knight) + ON (on) + STARTER (course)

DOWN
2 Non-believer putting diamonds down for playing area (7)
INFIELD – INFIDEL (non-believer) with ‘D’ (diamonds) moved down
3 Awfully bright learner gets university to deliver (5)
LURID – L (learner) + U (university) + RID (deliver)
4 Military cover wears out (8)
FATIGUES – double definition
5 Splashdown that’s insignificant (1,4,2,3,5)
A DROP IN THE OCEAN – double definition
6 Go green, turning yellow at first (6)
ENERGY – anagram of GREEN + Y[ellow]
7 Weapons carried around Tarsus initially worried St Paul (9)
CATAPULTS – C[arried] A[round] T[arsus] + anagram of ST PAUL
8 Prevent doctor injecting a temporary substitute (7)
STOPGAP – STOP (prevent) + A (a) in GP (doctor)
14 Knees a bit wobbly? That could be fatal! (9)
SNAKEBITE – anagram of KNEES A BIT
16 In good time I treat dicky bird (5,3)
GREAT TIT – anagram of I TREAT in G[ood] T[ime]
18 Very active detectives holding a crowd up (7)
DYNAMIC – MANY (a crowd) in CID (detectives) all backwards
20 Some slim men seem huge (7)
IMMENSE – hidden word
21 Warner Bros’ first canoe up the creek (6)
BEACON – B[ros] + anagram of CANOE
24 River almost cut off (5)
SEVER – SEVER[n] (river almost)