Financial Times 16564 Flimsy

Thank you to Flimsy. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1. Designs small boats (8)

SKETCHES : S(abbrev. for “small”) + KETCHES(sailing boats).

5. Presents chests, topless (6)

OFFERS : “coffers”(chests/strongboxes) minus its 1st letter(topless).

9. Again did exercises then feasted in sign of embarrassment? (8)

REPEATED : [PE(abbrev. for “physical education”/exercises) plus(then) ATE(feasted)] contained in(in) RED(sign of embarrassment, viz., the colour of one’s complexion when embarrassed).

10. Restaurant worker getting recipe for a novelist, say (6)

WRITER : “waiter”(a restaurant worker serving customers at tables) with “r”(abbrev. for “recipe”) replacing(getting … for) “a“.

Defn: …/for example.

12. Work‘s orders (5)

BOOKS : Double defn: 1st: … by a writer; and 2nd: …/makes reservations at a restaurant, say.

13. Poles possibly use rope and endless knots (9)

EUROPEANS : Anagram of(… knots) [USE ROPE + “and” minus its last letter(endless)].

Defn: …/for example.

14. Mum is head over heels with fast time (6)

SILENT : Reversal of(… head over heels) IS plus(with) LENT(fasting time before Easter).

16. Inspect cutting tool sent back by quarry (7)

EXAMINE : Reversal of(… sent back) AXE(a cutting tool) plus(by) MINE(a quarry/a large pit from which stone or other materials are extracted).

19. Crime writer beginning to gain status (7)

RANKING : RANKIN(Ian, crime writer, creator of Inspector Rebus) + 1st letter of(beginning to) “gain“.

Creator:  … and creation:

21. Bra gets twisted – not good for boob (6)

BREAST : Anagram of(… twisted) “Bra gets” minus(not) “g”(abbrev. for “good”).

23. Loyal cadet died terribly (9)

DEDICATED : Anagram of(… terribly) CADET DIED.

25. Clear desire to follow priest (5)

PURGE : URGE(a desire/a yearning for) placed after(to follow) P(abbrev. for “priest”).

Defn: …/remove or expel from.

26. Sailor runs all the way – time is short (6)

ABRUPT : AB(abbrev. for “able-bodied seaman”/a sailor) + R(abbrev. for “runs” in cricket scores) + UP(all the way/to a specified point or position) + T(abbrev. for “time”).

Defn: …/brief, all the way/up to the point of rudeness.

27. Fury‘s horrible boxing ring with no cred, oddly (8)

VIOLENCE : VILE(horrible/despicable) containing(boxing) O(letter representing a ring) plus(with) 1st, 3rd and 5th letters of(…, oddly) “no cred“.

28. Variable learner driver almost never reverses without bumps (6)

EVENLY : Reversal of(… reverses) [Y(a variable quantity in mathematics) + L(letter displayed by a learner driver) + last letter deleted from(almost) “never“].

29. Dad’s keeping last bit of ale down (8)

FEATHERS : FATHER(person familiarly called “Dad”)‘S containing(keeping) last letter of(last bit of) “ale“.

Down

1. Author‘s flat in outskirts of Stevenage (6)

SCRIBE : CRIB(one’s flat/apartment) contained in(in) 1st and last letters of(outskirts of) “Stevenage“.

Defn: What one might humorously call an author/writer, especially a journalist.

2. Report kinky sex in pool (9)

EXPLOSION : Anagram of(kinky) SEX IN POOL.

3. College girl’s tutorial (5)

CLASS : C(abbrev. for “college”) + LASS(a girl/a young woman).

4. Wire in electronic heater – earth, perhaps (7)

ELEMENT : Double defn: 1st: … – should that be “electric” rather than “electronic”; and 2nd: …/is one of the basic substances used in ancient philosophy to explain the nature and complexity of all matter.

 6. Get rid of plant’s source of warmth? (9)

FIREPLACE : FIRE(to get rid of/to sack, an employee, say) + PLACE(to plant/to put in position).

… goes electric:

7. Additional former craft capsized (5)

EXTRA : EX-(prefix indicating “former”/was once) + reversal of(… capsized, in a down clue) ART(craft/skill at doing a specific activity).

8. Final letter in caps lock – editor’s upset (8)

STRESSED : Last letter of(Final letter in) “caps” + TRESS(a long lock of a woman’s hair) + ED(abbrev. for “editor”).

11. Native American system of beliefs daughter ignored (4)

CREE : “creed”(a system of beliefs guiding one’s actions) minus(… ignored) “d”(abbrev. for “daughter”).

15. Pepsi-Cola pops belonging to bishops (9)

EPISCOPAL : Anagram of(… pops) PEPSI-COLA.

17. Cover bad acne in rush to leave hospital (9)

INSURANCE : Anagram of(bad) [ACNE IN + “rush” minus(to leave) “h”(abbrev. for “hospital”)].

Defn: …/protection against loss, damage or liability.

18. BA maybe argued flying welcomes alternative technology (8)

GRADUATE : Anagram of(… flying) ARGUED containing(welcomes) AT(abbrev. for “alternative technology” or “alternative” + “technology”?).

Defn: An example of which/maybe, is a BA/Bachelor of Arts.

20. Beer can make them grow courage (4)

GUTS : Double defn: 1st: … resulting in a beer gut/beer belly – hence, “Beer can make them gross too”.

21. Be tense, constrained by small sum of money when one retires (7)

BEDTIME : BE + [T(abbrev. for “tense” in grammar) contained in(constrained by) DIME(a small sum of US money)].

22. Ballesteros cross, regularly missing cuts (6)

SEVERS : SEVE(Ballesteros, Spanish champion golfer) + “cross” minus its 1st, 3rd and 5th letters(regularly missing).

24. Condor seen catching fish (5)

DORSE : Hidden in(… catching) “Condor seen“.

25. One captivated by story – Biggles, perhaps (5)

PILOT : I(Roman numeral for “one”) contained in(captivated by) PLOT(a story, more specifically, the sequence of the main events in a story).

Defn: An example/perhaps, is the fictional character, Biggles.