Financial Times 14620 with Picture Quiz

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)  An enjoyable straightforward puzzle normal for a Tuesday.  Thanks to Sayang.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1,7 Union pledge to fight cartel (10,4)

ENGAGEMENT RING : ENGAGEMENT(a fight) + RING(a cartel;a group with a common purpose, usually an illegal one).

Defn: Cryptically, a symbol of one’s pledge to unite in marriage in the future, the cost of which, one might say, is the first of your union dues.

9 Wreck a French soirée (4)

UNDO : UN(French for “a”) + DO(a party;a soirée in French).

10 To obey the Queen of Hearts (10)

DECAPITATE : Cryptic defn: Reference to the Queen of Hearts in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, who decreed “Off with their heads!” whenever offended.

11 A soft fruit to become available (6)

APPEAR : A + P(abbrev. for “piano”, the musical direct to play softly) + PEAR(the fruit shaped, well, like a pear).

12 Right one if drunk with pate (8)

APERITIF : [ R(abbrev. for “right”) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) + IF] contained in anagram of(drunk with) PATE.

Defn: A pre-meal drink served with hors d’oeuvre, which often include pâté. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition clue), and with the accents omitted to misdirect.

13 Article after article, the scholar’s bane (8)

ANATHEMA : A(an article in grammar) placed after(after, in an across clue) AN(another article in gramma) + THE + MA(abbrev. for “Master of Arts”, the degree a scholar might have).

15 Contend with judgment (4)

VIEW : VIE(to contend;to compete) + W(abbrev. for “with”).

Defn: An opinion based on one’s judgment.

17 Attend strike (4)

BEAT : [BE AT](to be present;to attend, say, an event).

19 Inmate, one after another caught with drugs (8)

INTERNEE : Homophone of(… caught, as in “did you catch what he said”) “in turn”(one after another) plus(with) 2 x E(abbrev. for the drug, Ecstasy).

22 Provoke incident (8)

OCCASION : Double defn: 1st: To cause;to bring about, as in “his actions occasioned anger amongst his constituents”.

23 Bacon more hastily done (6)

RASHER : Double defn: 2nd: Descriptive of action that is done without even more due consideration.

25 Agreed, teen perverted and immoral (10)

DEGENERATE : Anagram of(… perverted) AGREED, TEEN.

26 Be in charge of chain (4)

LEAD : Double defn: 2nd: A leash, possibly in the form of a chain, to, well, lead an animal.

27 Term of endearment for film (4)

BABE : Double defn: 1st: Like “baby” from which is is derived, a term of endearment, though some sensitive people might disagree; and 2nd: The movie titled after its main character, Babe the baby pig.

28 Low-carbo food. Eat, it’s kind cooking (6,4)

ATKINS DIET : Anagram of(… cooking) EAT, IT’S KIND.

Defn: A low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss, promoted by Dr. Robert Atkins,

Down

2 Square leg used in their game (7)

NINEPIN : NINE(the square of the number 3) + PIN(slang for your leg).

Defn: One of the set of nine wooden objects used in the game named after them.

3 Sailor with poem stayed at home (5)

ABODE : AB(abbrev. for an able-bodied seaman;a sailor) plus(with) ODE(a poem).

Double defn: 1st: Past tense of abide(to stay;to remain in one place); and 2nd: A dwelling;a home that you, well, abide in.

4 Gave the go-ahead to befriend or seduce therein (8)

ENDORSED : Hidden in(… therein) “befriend or seduce “.

5 Apostle to shout first! (11,4)

EXCLAMATION MARK : MARK(one of the Biblical apostles) placed below(… first, in a down clue) EXCLAMATION(an abrupt and forceful shout).

Defn: The last character in the clue.

6 Monitor for each latex-collector (6)

TAPPER : TAP(to monitor activity by secretly connecting into a transmitting and receiving device like a phone) + PER(for each, as in “miles per hour”).

Defn: A worker in a rubber plantation who goes round tapping latex from the trees.

7 He brings back the dog (9)

RETRIEVER : Double defn.

8 Salt back in stock (7)

NITRITE : Reversal of(back) IN + TRITE(stock;commonplace;clichéd).

Defn: Any of the salt compounds formed from nitrous acid.

14 Sofa for private conversation (4-1-4)

TETE-A-TETE : Double defn: 1st: A small sofa for two, suited for, well, a tete-a-tete; and 2nd: Literally, “head to head”, in French.

16 A good man to encourage producer of caviar (8)

STURGEON : ST(abbrev. for “saint”;a good man) + [URGE ON](to encourage;to egg on).

Defn: … of the piscine kind.

18 Discharge from old broken crate (7)

EXCRETA : EX-(prefix to indicate “former”;old) + anagram of(broken) CRATE.

Defn: As a noun, matter discharged from the body.

20 Raise sweetheart tax in shelter (7)

ELEVATE : [ The middle letter of(…heart) “sweet” + VAT(abbrev. for “Value Added Tax”) ] contained in(in) LEE(shelter, eg. from the wind).

21 Medicine man embraces silver screen (6)

CINEMA : Hidden in(… embraces) “Medicine man “.

Defn: Like “silver screen”, a collective term for the movie industry.

24 Greens enjoyed in a carefree manner in its days (5)

SALAD : Cryptic defn: Reference to the term “salad days”, the carefree period in one’s youth.

 

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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.

    

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)