I ran through this a bit hastily, but I don’t feel too bad about that as it didn’t feel like the setter had gone to any great trouble either. Sound but workaday.
The NW corner was packed with hoary old devices, but things got better from there, happily. Only one minor technical query. Thank-you, Gurney.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ABOUND | In beginning ale sure to be plentiful? (6) |
| A(le) bound [sure] | ||
| 4 | CAUCASUS | A son enters political group in European region (8) |
| A s [son] within caucus [political group] | ||
| 9 | SUSSEX | Become aware of former county cricket team (6) |
| Suss [become aware of] ex [former] | ||
| 10 | MACAROON | One calorie in reddish-brown biscuit (8) |
| A [one] c [calorie] within maroon [reddish-brown] | ||
| 12 | SOLE | Part of foot shown by swimmer (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | TOWEL | Some auto, well dried with this? (5) |
| Hidden in auTO WELl | ||
| 14 | OGRE | Frightening guy regularly seen in zoo garden (4) |
| Alternate letters from zOo GaRdEn | ||
| 17 | INTEREST RATE | Arrest teen, it could result in charge (8,4) |
| Anagram of arrest teen it | ||
| 20 | NEUROSURGEON | Poles lodging currency to encourage medical professional (12) |
| Euro [currency] within N S [north and south, poles] urge on [encourage] | ||
| 23 | AIRY | First class railway, well-ventilated (4) |
| AI [A1, first-class] ry [railway] | ||
| 24 | SALLY | Jocular retort entirely accepted by Seychelles girl (5) |
| All [entirely] within SY [Seychelles] – ‘girl’ seems redundant, unless I’ve mis-parsed | ||
| 25 | GLEE | Great delight in government shelter (4) |
| G [government] lee [shelter] | ||
| 28 | INTREPID | Adventurous favourite, forward about credentials (8) |
| In [favourite] reversal of pert [forward] ID [credentials] | ||
| 29 | INSECT | Maybe fly home with minority group (6) |
| In [home] sect [minority group] | ||
| 30 | RECORDER | Soldiers (a hundred) arrange to get musical instrument (8) |
| RE [Royal Engineers, soldiers] c [a hundred] order [arrange] | ||
| 31 | TESTER | One examining, irritable finishing early at sign of hesitation (6) |
| Test(y) [irritable] er [sign of hesitation] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ASSASSIN | He takes out silly person twice on island (northern) (8) |
| Ass [silly person] x 2 i [island] n [northern] | ||
| 2 | OBSOLETE | Repaired bootees left inside, no longer used (8) |
| L [left] within anagram of bootees | ||
| 3 | NEED | Requirement of new English journalist (4) |
| N [new] E [English] ed [editor, journalist] | ||
| 5 | AMATEURISHLY | In unprofessional way, email hurt, say – needs rewriting (12) |
| Anagram of email hurt say | ||
| 6 | CLAP | College friend rising to applaud (4) |
| C [college] reversal of pal [friend] | ||
| 7 | SLOUGH | Small lake in Berkshire town (6) |
| S [small] lough [lake] | ||
| 8 | SINGER | Performer has selection of tunes in German (6) |
| Hidden in tuneS IN GERman | ||
| 11 | CONSERVATIVE | Veto, craven, is represented as averse to change (12) |
| Anagram of veto craven is | ||
| 15 | GREER | Feminist good about Queen (5) |
| G [good] re [about] ER [queen] | ||
| 16 | STERN | Demanding bow? Quite the opposite (5) |
| Double definition, alluding to the stern and bow ends of a ship | ||
| 18 | HELL-BENT | Very determined, that man will be knight over time (4-4) |
| He’ll [that man will] be N [knight, in chess notation] t [time] | ||
| 19 | ANCESTOR | A wise man defends cold forebear (8) |
| A c [cold] within Nestor [wise man in Greek legend] | ||
| 21 | CAVIAR | A group of six in vehicle bringing choice food (6) |
| A VI [a (group of) six] within car [vehicle] | ||
| 22 | CRITIC | Judge leaders in conspiracy rigorously in trial in court (6) |
| Initial letters of Conspiracy Rigorously In Trial In Court | ||
| 26 | PEAR | Fruit – two, we hear (4) |
| Sounds like pair [two] | ||
| 27 | ANNE | Lady from Chennai on the rise (4) |
| Hidden in reversal of chENNAi |
||
Less critical than Ringo, I found it pleasant and urbane — and slightly harder outside the NW. Anyway, thanks, Ringo, and welcome back, Gurney.
Thanks for the blog, Ringo. Like Hornbeam, I think you’re being rather hard on Gurney.
In 24ac, I think ‘girl’ is there as a second definition, as well as making a more sensible surface.
Thank you, Gurney, for an enjoyable puzzle.
Lacklustre and mechanical. If it were a novel it would be called a pot-boiler.
Thanks Ringo and Gurney. Very apt for beginners to the FT cryptic, and learn some of the standard cluing references (anagrinds, homonyms etc). This puzzle would have taken on a very different tone had the definitions not been as direct (for e.g. 28ac, Intrepid = Adventurous, 25ac Glee = Great delight). Still like Eileen mentioned, enjoyable.
Definitely a bit too easy Guerney, some really telegraphed and obvious anagrams. Took 24 as having two definitions.
Still 4a took a few mins to spot.
Thanks Gurney & Ringo.
Thanks s & b. Only got to this this evening: I thought it was accurately clued and refreshingly straightforward. I’m happy to be put through the wringer sometimes – but equally pleased to be gently entertained as here.
Thanks Gurney and Ringo
Pleasant and straightforward – just what I needed for today !!
Didn’t parse SALLY – but seeing two definitions that fitted enabled a confident writing in of it.