Financial Times 14982 Jason

A minor holdup in the NW corner, otherwise smooth solving. Thanks to Jason. Definitions are underlined in the clues. P.S. I’m the replacement blogger for today, in case you’re wondering why I’m on again.

Across

1    Rash buddies knocked sideways by strike (8)

SLAPDASH : Reversal of(… knocked sideways, in an across clue) PALS(buddies;friends) plus(by) DASH(strike violently;smash, as in “to dash his head against the wall”).

5    Award established in East Ender’s home? (6)

BESTOW : EST.(abbrev. for “established”, as in “XXX Pte Ltd., Est. 1890”) contained in(in) BOW(a district in the East End of London).

Defn: As a verb.

9    Rewards one with uncanny realism (8)

AIRMILES : Anagram of(… uncanny …) [ I(Roman numeral for “one”) plus(with) REALISM].

Defn: … given by some airlines as loyalty incentives.

10    Uncovered place for coaches to sit (6)

DUGOUT : [DUG OUT](uncovered from beneath).

Defn: … at a sports ground, especially a baseball stadium, and usually covered.

12    Shift trip to take in good ink supplier, perhaps (9)

CARTRIDGE : CART(to shift;to move with effort) + RIDE(a trip, say,in a car or bus) containing(to take in) G(abbrev. for “good”).

Defn: … in your computer printer.

13    Tolerate sailor with fish (5)

ABIDE : AB(abbrev. for “able-bodied seaman”;a sailor) plus(with) IDE(a small, slender European fish).

14    American fliers returned from a long way away (4)

AFAR : A(abbrev. for “American”) + reversal of(… returned) R.A.F.(abbrev. for the Royal Air Force, British fliers).

16    Bishop, being stiffly formal, scoffed (7)

PRIMATE : PRIM(stiffly formal and proper) + ATE(scoffed food).

19    Trouble in the underworld? Short thug’s back (7)

DISTURB : DIS(the underworld;the abode of the dead) + reversal of(…’s back) “brute”(a thug) minus its last letter(Short …). Nice surface re the criminal underworld.

21    Polish beginning to strike also (4)

SAND : The 1st letter of(beginning to) “strike” + AND(also;too).

Defn: … with an abrasive.

24    Expert in a university section? (5)

ADEPT : A + DEPT(abbrev. for “department”, as in “the Engineering Dept. in London University”).

25    Car seat is fixed, it goes up and down (9)

STAIRCASE : Anagram of(… fixed) CAR SEAT IS.

27    One after another hit the hay, but smallest first (2,4)

IN TURN : [ TURN IN ](to go to bed;to hit the hay) with the shorter (smallest, or is it smaller?) word placed first(but … first).

28    City pub involved with fantastic dates (8)

BUDAPEST : Anagram of(… fantastic …) [PUB plus(involved with) DATES].

29    Reserve force without cutback in uniform decoration (6)

TASSEL : TA(abbrev. for “Territorial Army”, a volunteer reserve force) + reversal of(… cutback – I’m not sure how “cut” fits in) [-LESS](suffix denoting “without”, as in “sleepless”).

Defn: … consisting of a tuft of loose threads secured by a knot.

30    Hot spell cast round short African? (4,4)

HEAT WAVE : HEAVE(to cast;to throw or toss) containing(round) TWA(one belonging to the TWA pygmy population in the Great Lakes region in Central Africa;a short African).

Down

1    Pluck shown by son, as expected on the street (6)

SNATCH : S(abbrev. for “son”) + NATCH(slang;street vocabulary for “naturally”;of course;as to be expected).

2    Gold drops in air causing a heavenly sight (6)

AURORA : OR(colour of gold in heraldry) contained in(in) AURA(a distinctive air or quality characteristic of a person or thing).

3    More witty volume missing from club (5)

DRIER : “driver”(a club golfers use) minus(… missing) “v”(abbrev. for “volume”).

Defn: … in reference to wit that is shrewd and keen.

4    Society mortgage broker, say, is remote (7)

SLENDER : S(abbrev. for “Society”) + LENDER(an example of which;say, could be a mortgage broker).

Defn: Thin with regard to probabilities, as in “a remote chance of them winning”.

6    Cautioned about learning (9)

EDUCATION : Anagram of(… about) CAUTIONED.

7    Steamy French lake I left going north (8)

TROPICAL : Reversal of(… going north, in a down clue) [ LAC(French for “lake”) + I + PORT(the left side, say, of a boat) ].

8    Wasted with one expression of sympathy over dead (8)

WITHERED : W(abbrev. for “with”) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) + THERE!(an expression of sympathy, as in “There! Don’t cry”) placed above(over, in a down clue) D(abbrev. for “dead”).

11    Maintain the safest part of castle (4)

KEEP : Double defn.

15    True, I fret about source of biblical strife? (5,4)

FRUIT TREE : Anagram of(… about) TRUE, I FRET.

Defn: … in the Garden of Eden, symbolised by an apple tree.

17    Romantic I had love finally – of the very best sort (8)

IDEALIST : I’D(contraction of “I had”) + the last letter of(… finally) “love ” + A-LIST(the very best sort, as applied to people or things).

18    A cry for help about finest building material (8)

ASBESTOS : A + SOS(a cry;a signal for help) containing(about) BEST(the finest).

20    Black bottom singer (4)

BASS : B(abbrev. for “black”) + ASS(North American equivalent of the English “arse”;one’s bottom).

Defn: … whose range is at the bottom of the musical register.

21    In France you will be imprisoned by nation’s law (7)

STATUTE : TU(French for the pronoun “you”) contained in(will be imprisoned by) STATE(a nation).

22    It captures time by the river (6)

CAMERA : ERA(a long time period) placed below(by, in a down clue) CAM(the river in East England).

Defn: … scenes on film.

23    Port that is red (6)

LEFTIE : LEFT(the port side, say, of a boat) + I.E.(abbrev. for “id est”;that is).

Defn: …, from the colour associated with certain political leanings.

26    Have a go at joint on Sunday? (5)

ROAST : Double defn: 1st: To criticise severely; and 2nd: Cooked beef traditionally served on Sundays in British and Irish homes – with the leftovers for the rest of the week?