A mixed bag for me today. A couple of non-dictionary phrases for a start, an answer I simply can’t get and some word play that I just don’t follow. There were some clever witty clues too!

I found this puzzle on the easy side.     Solving time:  14 mins

Will concentrate on a small number of what seemed to me the trickier clues, but happy to explain others if asked.

* = anagram

ACROSS

11  ABOUT TIME     t = time so if Mae is about time you get mate = partner.

17 LEFT-HAND DRIVE   Dr (doctor) in (the field + van)*

25 L EDGE R   & lit.

26 ED DIED

DOWN

3 TURNED OFF     off is turned (i.e reversed) in effort

4 DEAN AND CHAPTER   The authorities of a cathedral  (cathedra + panned)*

19 OR DEAL    OR = Other ranks (soldiers)     Definition: hell on earth - took a little while to convince me as ordeal but I guess it’s OK.

A typical fun crossword from Paul - an enjoyable challenge as he doesn’t allow the rules to get in the way of a good clue.

Time taken - 14mins, approximately

ACROSS

1 see 19dn

5 T(HR)O-WIN - spent too long trying to work out the wordplay, because I couldn’t help but see “time” as T

9 RADII - there are 2 of them across a circle or ring

10 ALPENHORN - (planner)* round HO

11 IVORY-TO-WE-(solve)R - another one where the wordplay takes longer to work out than it does to put in the obvious answer

14 UNDERTAKERS - geddit?

18 HIPPO-CRATES

22 FIN-G(<=FRE(sh))OOD - “nibbles” is the definition, “bit of fish” = FIN.  Again, wordplay took me a while because I couldn’t see past F as “bit of fish”

27 PSALTER - (stapler)*

28 PO(<=ACE-L)T - typo corrected

DOWN

1 JERK-IN

2 SIDE-ON - (Edison)* - what do people think of “invention of” as the anagrind?

3 1-KID-YOU(NO)T(h) - nice

5 TOP SECRET - (protects E)*

6,21dn RING-PULL - for our non-cricketing fans, a pull shot is a cricket shot where the batsman “pulls” the ball from one side of the wicket to the other - a risky shot, especially if you’re as poor at the game as I am.
 
7 WHO(CA(ke))RES - wouldn’t be Paul without a clue like this, would it?

8 N(O)N-SE-N-SE - the only clue in the puzzle I have a problem with.  Using “a number of points” to indicate seven of the eight letters appears a bit lazy to me

13 K(A1-SERB)ILL - nickname of Wilhelm II, the last emperor of Germany and Prussia

15 DER-RINGER

17 A-POLO-GIA - where GIA is the “starts to” Get Interesting Attacking”

19,1ac POETIC JUSTICE - my favourite clue in the puzzle, although some purists might frown a bit

24 FLAT RACE - another good ‘un

For the second week in a row, I completed the FT Weekend puzzle very quickly. In this week’s case, it helped that all the words are common — or at least ones I know well. In spite of this, there are two clues that I do not completely understand the workings of (25A and 1D).

Across
1. BRISTOL - BR (British) + I (one) + LOTS (many) reversed (going west)
5. ETHANE - METHANE with M (metre) removed
8. TIDEMARKS - anagram of DIRT MAKES
9. RASPS - double definition. I suspect a purist tool user might insist that rasp and file, while similar, are very much not the same. I think they are close enough for crossword usage.
11. LEARN - LEAR (King) + [joh]N
12. OUTRIGGER - OU (Oxford University) + TRIGGER (starter)
13. CLAYMORE - CLAY (Cassius as in Muhammad Ali) + anagram of ROME. This was the most difficult clue for me. I did not think of Cassius Clay for a while — and I have met the man.
15. BANYAN - A (a) + NY (Big Apple) in BAN (outlaw)
17. UPROAR - U (university) + PRO (for) + A (a) + R (paperback)
19. COLESLAW - COLES (Porter’s) + LAW (regulation). Lovely!
22. SOAPSTONE - anagram of TEASPOONS
23. KENYA - ENYA (singer) after K (weekend)
24. RAISE - homophone (RAYS)
25. BUTTERCUP - UTTER (wild?) in BC (former times) + UP (raised). What am I missing here?
26. MERLOT - ME (setter) + R (right) + LOT (bunch). Mmm, one of my faves. (Wines, I mean, not clues.)
27. RELATED - reverse homophone (A KIN)

Down
1. BATTLE CRUISER - spoonerism of CATTLE BRUISER (boxer). I do not see how “neat” fits with CATTLE — if it indeed does. Come to think of it, why not cowpuncher instead of neat boxer?
2. INDIANA - INDIAN (Asian) + A (one)
3. TIMON - IM (I’m) in TON (fashion)
4. LARBOARD - BOAR (pig) in LARD (fat). Another simple beauty.
5. ERSATZ - hidden word
6. HERMITAGE - anagram (dreadful) of HEAT and GRIME
7. NOSEGAY - EG (for example) + A (a) in NOSY (inquisitive)
10. SHRINK-WRAPPED - SHRINK (psychiatrist) + WRAPPED (homophone of RAPT)
14. MEANS WELL - MEAN (penny-pinching) + SWELL (capital)
16. POLE STAR - anagram (may be) of TOP LASER
18. REALISE - anagram (are false) of LIES ARE
20. LINOCUT - L (pound) + I (1) + NO (no) CUT (reduction)
21. COMBAT - COMB (hairdresser) + AT (attending)
23. KNELL - homophone of NELL (little girl)