Financial Times 15236 Gaff

(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)  A nice solve, not a write-in, even after identifying the birthday boy.  Thanks to Gaff. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Sir David F(rederick) Attenborough (answers to 18down, 14across, 16across) celebrated his 90th on 8th May.  In this tribute, L=Life, which word appears in the title of many of his series, and P=Planet, specifically Earth, the setting for his series.  His 90 years have been remarkable, and, here’s wishes to him for more remarkable years, from a fan.

Across

1 Praise young consuming coffee (8)

FLATTERY : FRY(the young of fish, say) containing(consuming) LATTE(coffee made with hot mil).

5 Drink in sailor’s round (6)

ABSORB : AB(abbrev. for “able-bodied seaman”;a sailor)‘S + ORB(a round object;a sphere).

9 Both been drunk going out (2,3,3)

ON THE EBB : Anagram of(… drunk) BOTH BEEN.

Defn: …, like the tide, say.

10 Relation in 18, 14, 16’s home (6)

AUNTIE : Cryptic defn: Reference to the nickname of SDFA’s base, the BBC.

12 On which LP of 18, 14, 16 (5)

EARTH : Cryptic defn: Reference to SDFA’s series, Life On Earth.

13 Heartless feature wherein L of18, 14, 16 (4,5)

COLD BLOOD : Cryptic defn: Reference to SDFA’s series, Life In Cold Blood.

14 Get rich female at Tesco’s headquarters (6)

FATTEN : F(abbrev. for “female”) + AT +the 1st letter of(…’s head) “Tesco” + E,N(abbrev. for “east”, “north” respectively, 2 of the 4 quarters;the major points of the compass).

16 Scar possibly could have been rotten (7)

BOROUGH : Double cryptic defn: Reference to 1st: Scarborough, the town; and 2nd: Rotten borough, any of certain parliamentary constituencies with a very small electorate.

19 Writer’s block is blank problem (3-4)

INK-SLAB : Anagram of(… problem) IS BLANK.

Defn: …, literally, of solid material which is ground with water to produce ink, for use by calligraphers.

21 Leaving monster with new head (6)

EGRESS : “ogress”(a female monster) with “e” replacing its 1st letter(with new head).

Defn: …, as a noun.

23 Opening bid by East in bridge contract (9)

DEBENTURE : [ The 1st letter of(Opening) “bid ” plus(by) E(abbrev. for “East”) ] contained in(in) DENTURE(a bridge;a plate containing one or more artificial teeth secured by surrounding natural teeth).

Defn: … in the form of an interest-bearing note acknowledging debt. A nice surface.

25, 22 In which L of 18, 14, 16 is problem for chancellor? (11)

UNDERGROWTH : UNDER-GROWTH, one might say, of the economy could be;? a problem for the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Defn: Reference to SDFA’s series, Life In The Undergrowth.

26 Man admitted to The Cavern once (6)

VERNON : Hidden in(admitted to The) “Cavern once “.

27 What Arctic-bound sailors have for decoration (8)

FURBELOW : FUR BELOW or under their outer clothing is what Artic-bound sailors would have.

Defn: An ornamental trim on a garment.

28 Cloth that spreads pesticide and flies (6)

DUSTER : Double defn: 1st: … for cleaning; and 2nd: A crop duster, an airplane that spreads pesticides over crop fields.

29 Stoop from fever and a hernia (8)

VERANDAH : Hidden in(from) “fever and a hernia “.

I’m not sure of the equivalence between definition and answer:

A (N.American) stoop:  

A verandah:  

Down

1 Musical 18, 14, 16’s P (6)

FROZEN : Cryptic defn: Reference to SDFA’s series, Frozen Planet.

Defn: …, to premiere in Broadway in 2018, based on the Disney movie of the same name.

2 Where glasses come in shades of night (5,4)

AFTER DARK : “Shades” is also a term for “sunglasses”, or “dark glasses”.  In the latter, where “glasses” come;is positioned, is AFTER “DARK”.  It took me a long time come up with this explanation.

3 Set the egret’s wings loose (5)

TEETH : Anagram of(… loose) [THE + the 1st and last letters of(…’s wings) “egret“].

4 One-way crossing may irritate 18, 14, 16 (7)

RUBICON : RUB(to irritate) + ICON(an accolade to SDFA for his broadcasting work).

Defn: Figuratively, the crossing of which allows no return.

6 Regularly jeer at bottom of fat crybaby (9)

BLUBBERER : The 2nd and 4th letters of(Regularly) “jeer ” placed below(at bottom of, in a down clue) BLUBBER(fat, as of the whale, say).

7 Better garden party? (5)

OUTDO : A garden party outdoors might be;? called an OUT DO.

8 The bard’s swimming widths (8)

BREADTHS : Anagram of(… swimming) THE BARD’S.

11 Group stick card to driver‘s sandwich (4)

CLUB : Multiple defn: (count them!) 1st: A group with common interests; 3rd: A playing card belong to the suit of clubs; 4th: In golf, an example of which is the driver, usually used to tee off with; and 5th: A type of sandwich.

15 Keep secret from William Peter the hermit (4,2,3)

TELL NO ONE : TELL(William, the Swiss patriot) + NOONE(Peter, original lead singer in 60s pop group, Herman’s Hermits).

17 Thrown dude lands badly (9)

UNSADDLED : Anagram of(… badly) DUDE LANDS.

Defn: … off a horse.

18 Frost maybe when rising doctor is over-keen (3,5)

SIR DAVID : Reversal of(when rising, in a down clue) [DR(abbrev. for “doctor”) + IS] placed above(over) AVID(keen).

Answer: … Frost, another broadcasting personality.

20 Down 18, 14, 16’s P (4)

BLUE : Cryptic defn: Reference to SDFA’s series, The Blue Planet.

Defn: … in the dumps.

21 River with delightful discharge (7)

EXECUTE : EXE(river in England) plus(with) CUTE(delightful;endearing).

Defn: …, as with one’s duties, say.

22 See 25 across

24 Wingers with L of 18, 14, 16 (5)

BIRDS : Cryptic defn: Reference to SDFA’s series, The Life Of Birds.

25 Parasol casts measure of shadow (5)

UMBRA : “umbrella”(a type of which is the parasol) minus(casts) “ell”(a former measure of length in England and Scotland.

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