Financial Times 14881 with Picture Quiz

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow.  To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)   A slightly harder Phssthpok than usual, I thought, but still a pleasure to solve. Thanks to Phssthpok. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1    Silence a number of laws (6)

SHARIA : SH(a call for silence) + ARIA(a musical number in an opera).

Defn: … derived from the Koran.

5    In church, pour out communion wine like some priests (8)

CELIBATE : CE(abbrev. for the Church of England) + LIBATE(to pour out a liquid eg. communion wine, in honour of a deity,)

9    Inside toilet is copper surface (8)

MENISCUS : MEN’S(toilet;the gents’) containing(Inside …) [IS + CU(chemical symbol for the element copper) ].

Defn:  … of a liquid in a tube, curved as a result of surface tension.

10    Nobody finishes early after “capture the flag” (6)

PENNON : “none”(nobody) minus
the last letter of(finishes early) placed after(after, in an across clue) PEN(to capture;to confine).

11    Secret repositories of poison gas brought about anxiety (6)

CACHES : CS(common name for the main component in tear gas – the literature suggests that it is non-lethal) containing(brought about) ACHE(an anxiety;a mental anguish).

12    Treat with diamonds and cash (3-5)

ICE-LOLLY : ICE(slang for “diamonds”) + LOLLY(slang for “money”).

Defn: … in the form of an ice cream or water ice on a stick.

14    Going off message in crisis (7,5)

TURNING POINT : TURNING(going off, as with milk becoming rancid or sour) + POINT(the message;the significant part of a concept or narrative, as in “the medium is the message”).

Defn: …, the fork in the road, figuratively.

18    Whipping is, for a foal, telling off (12)

FLAGELLATION : Anagram of(… off) A FOAL, TELLING.

22    Districts with horrible atmosphere have hooligans (8)

BOROUGHS : B.O.(abbrev. for “body odour”;a horrible atmosphere, perhaps) plus(have) ROUGHS(hooligans).

25    Supernatural power to slow down vitality (6)

ESPRIT : ESP(abbrev. for “extrasensory perception”, the supposedly supernatural power) + RIT.(abbrev. for “ritardando”, the musical direction to slow down the tempo).

26    Tree found after top of altitude line? (6)

ALPINE : PINE(the coniferous tree) placed after(found after, in an across clue) [ the 1st letter of(top of) “altitude ” + L(abbrev. for “line “) ].

Defn: Descriptive of growth, usually plants, found above;after top of the timber line, the altitude above which there is no tree growth. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.

27    Spoilt little child appeared on television (8)

IMPAIRED : IMP(a mischievous little child) + AIRED(appeared;broadcast on television).

28    Long ago, disgraces saint turned upside down by win (8)

ATTAINTS : Reversal of(… turned upside down) ST(abbrev. for “saint”) placed after(by, in an across clue) ATTAIN(to win;to get).

Defn: Dishonours;taints.

Answer: Not all dictionaries indicate it as obsolete;used long ago.

29    Country soundtrack for musical (6)

GREASE : Homophone of(… soundtrack) “Greece”(the somewhat strapped European country).

Down

2    Do they show desire to laugh briefly outside and start scavenging? (6)

HYENAS : YEN(a desire;aninclination towards something) contained in(… outside) “ha-ha”(representation of a laugh) minus its second part(briefly) plus(and) the 1st letter of(start) “scavenging “].

Answer: Scavenging animals whose calls are likened to laughter. Another WIWD clue.

3    Parliament charges it with disorderly conduct (9)

REICHSTAG : Anagram of(… with disorderly conduct) CHARGES IT.

Defn: … in Germany.

4    Beseiged by France, Stralsund is the property of an ancient family (9)

ANCESTRAL : Hidden in(Beseiged by) “France, Stralsund “.

Defn: Property of;relating to an ancient family.

5    Astronomer who is upset part of Turin is sacked (7)

CASSINI : Reversal of(upset) and hidden in(part of) “Turin is sacked “.

Answer: Giovanni Domenico.

6    It is a sin to take drug after drinks (5)

LAPSE : E(slang a. “Ecstasy”, the drug) placed below(after, in a down clue) LAPS(drinks liquid by scooping with the tongue).

7    Forbid little girl from making musical instrument (5)

BANJO : BAN(to forbid from) + JO(short for the feminine name, Josephine, or in Scottish, a sweetheart).

8    Maliciously posting some bread into metal opening of grate (8)

TROLLING : ROLL(a small rounded portion of bread) contained in(into) TIN(the metal) + the 1st letter of(opening of) “grate “.

Defn: … on the Internet.

13    Brass flange (3)

LIP : Double defn: 1st: Impudence; and 2nd: A protruding rim or collar around, say, a pipe.

15    I gauge pin development perhaps (6,3)

GUINEA PIG : Anagram of(… development) I GAUGE PIN.

Defn: Something that is used to test, say, a drug, under development, to gauge progress. Still another WIWD clue.

16    He likes to drink open oil? He is crazy! (9)

OENOPHILE : Anagram of(… is crazy) OPEN OIL? HE.

Defn: … wine.

17    Lots of water landed on sports field at night, perhaps (8)

FLOODLIT : FLOOD(lots of water, usually overflowing or inundating) + LIT(landed on, after a flight, especially with birds).

Answer: What a sports field would be if a game was being played there at night.

19    Bird eggs made unpalatable starters (3)

EMU : The 1st letter of(… starters) “eggs made unpalatable “.

20    Sailor steers ship east, not away, and goes down by rope (7)

ABSEILS : AB(abbrev. for “able-bodied seaman”;a sailor) + “sails”(steers a ship) with “e”(abbrev. for “east”) replacing(not) “a”(abbrev. for “away”, as in football league tables).

21    Points to former lover lifting petticoat up outside (6)

PIXELS : Reversal of(… lifting) EX(term for a former lover, spouse, partner) contained in(… outside) reversal of(… up, in a down clue) SLIP(a petticoat, a piece of underwear).

Defn: …, basic elements of an image on a visual display unit.

23    Board are agreed in France and Germany (5)

OUIJA : OUI, JA(agreed;yes, in French and German, respectively).

Defn: Trademark name for the board used to supposedly spell out telepathic or spiritual messages.

24    Bank on last of spring harvest (5)

GLEAN : LEAN(to bank;to tilt as with a craft making a turn) placed below(on, in a down clue – an indicator more suited to an across clue, though) the last letter of(last of) “spring “.

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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.

      

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)