Solving time: 13 minutes

A straightforward start to the week from one of the masters of the cryptic definition.  Nothing too troublesome,
although a tiny grumble for the purists might be he use of “a” in 12 across.

ACROSS   (* = aNAGRAM, CD = Cryptic definition  R = Reversal)

8  QUARTERS      Double definition
9  NARROW    N (Pointed)  +  ARROW (Weapon)
10 APEX     APE = Primate  X = sign of a vote
11 CORNFLAKES    CLEAN FORKS*
12 BERBER     Half a number = BER - Doubled
14 CRACKERS    Double definition
15 SATISFY     STAYS IF*
17 ADDISON    IS AN ODD*
20 WHEATEAR    A WEATHER*  (Wheatear featured in the Indy puzzle as well)
22 HEELED     EEL in HE’D
23 DOTTED LINE     CD
24 NAIF     AN (R) + IF (The Kipling poem)
25 MOUNTS    Double def
26 SCANTIES    SCAN + TIES  _ Hadn’t thought of this as a noun.

DOWN

1  SUBPOENA     BEAN SOUP* Nice surface reading
2  CRUX     RU (game) in C X (Roman numerals)
3  FENCER    Cryptic def - one who uses a foil - Not over-keen on this clue.
4  OSTRICH     O + ST (way) + RICH
5  UNAFRAID    IN A FRAUD*
6  BREAD KNIFE    A BEEF DRINK*
7  POSEUR    Cryptic def
13 BRIGANTINE    TRAIN BEING*   Nice surface
16 FIENDISH     FINISHED*
18 ONE SIDED    Cryptic def/double def
19 TRAIPSE     PARTIES* 
21 HOODOO     HOOD (Robin) + O O (Two ducks in cricket)
22 HYENAS    YEN inside HAS
24 NOTE     Double def 

We would like to start including the Financial Times puzzles in this blog. The FT puzzle is set by many of the same people that also set the Independent and Guardian crosswords, and it’s more readily available to overseas solvers. It’s also a shade easier than other “broadsheets” so it’s a good puzzle for new solvers to tackle. So, if you would like to write about this puzzle and are able to do so at least once a week, please drop a mail to fifteensquared (at) googlemail (dot) com.

Neil

A, pleasant, excellently crafted, puzzle a little on the easy side of average for me.

Solving time: 14 mins

* =anagram

ACROSS

5 MAGICIAN    GI in maniac*    Joe is US usage for a soldier i.e. GI

9 PETIT(e) I(r)ON    Nancy being a French city - you often see Nice used in clues for that also.

11 BEEF  BURGER  Re grub  reversed     Very good and amusing.

12 O B O Examine      O O stands for the specs

16 CADDIE  (addic)* collapsE

17 A N GO (L) A    A little surprised to see Goa defined as tourist destination but it must be.

19 SAN (CT) ITY

21 DALI   My last one - always nervous with 4-letter answers, where both crossing letters are vowels.   But, it came quickly enough in the end Il(i)ad reversed.

27 ETHER E (A) L     Number = ether i.e. something that numbs  el = the in Spanish a = area

DOWN

3 GRIEF   (figure)* less u

4 T (RIB) UNE   Excellent play with the meaning of words here, which reminded me of Mass puzzles.

5 M AN AGE R   The outskirts are the first and last letters.

7 CO NCORDAT    (Car don’t)*    An excellent, and amusing, surface reading.

8 A POLO GIST

14 HANG A(r)BOUT

15 ABOMINATE  “A bomb in eight”!     100/8 = 12.5

23 NO TED (Heath)