ACROSS
1 Conserve and start to grow short evergreen tree (5)
JAMBU – JAM [conserve] + BU{d} [start to grow, “short”]
4 A siciliana could include this, con potenza (ma non forte) (8)
SCAMORZA – SCAM [con] + {f}ORZA [potenza, minus F{orte}]
8 Opium fiend’s letter in early hours with Arab account (14)
MORPHINOMANIAC – PHI in MORN with OMANI AC
10 It may make one fit regressive group, not in Jewish style? (9)
YOGALATES – SET À LA GOY, all reversed
11 Duke from Transcaucasia, mostly a shocking one? (5)
DAZER – D AZER{i}
12 Joburg city has oddly banished African rhino (6)
OUGIYA – {j}O{b}U{r}G {c}I{t}Y {h}A{s}. The currency of Mauritania
14 Note a sporting partner aboard Boston trolley for service? (3,5)
TEA WAGON – TE A WAG ON [note | a | sporting partner | aboard]
17 Stop benefit withdrawn by two male relatives (8)
DIAPASON – reversed AID + PA and SON
18 Some carp about editorial my young men set in stone? (6)
KOUROI – KOI about OUR [editorial my]
20 See returns, by being hedged, briefly ineligible for bonus (2,3)
EX DIV – reversed VIDE “hedging” X [by]
22 Scottish shellfish company hosts testing site, near complete (6-3)
CLABBY-DOO – CO “hosts” LAB BY DO [testing site | near | complete]
24 Short story from Volume One that follows artist keeping duplicate of empty ink case (5-5-4)
RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI – V1 that follows RA “keeping” I{n}K KIT twice
25 French food standard broken by plant’s abnormal growth with hard wood (8)
AGALLOCH – AOC “broken” by GALL + H(ard)
26 Holyrood’s somewhat revolutionary blackballer as an illustration (5)
GEYAN – reversed NAY E.G. [blackballer | as an illustration]
DOWN
1 Suitor embracing daughter’s after wee supper alone in Perth (5,7)
JIMMY WOODSER – WOOER “embracing” D’S after JIMMY (Riddle). A solo drinker in Australian parts
2 How one works on garment for Lassie? (5)
MORAG – M.O. on RAG
3 Winter festival organised à la Yule around hostelry (2-5-2)
UP-HELLY-AA – (A LA YULE*) “around” PH
4 Points in Ascension Island necessary for southern islanders (6)
SENITI – reversed TINES [points “in ascension”] + I. Currency in Tonga
5 Groups influenced by media hoarded after promotion of last shop’s opening (8)
AD-MASSES – AMASSED with its last (letter) “promoted”, + S{hop}
6 Topsy-turvy Home Office drama continued (5)
ONNED – reversed DEN NO [home office | drama]
7 Take a new tack to stop decline in zirconium and silver coin (9)
ZWANZIGER – ZIG [take a new tack] “stopping” WANE [decline], in ZR. Former Austrian currency
9 Kind and polite male descendant entertaining current Scotsman (12)
GRANDISONIAN – GRANDSON “entertaining” I, + IAN. From a Samuel Richardson novel
13 Gum doctor now on top of gingiva: this keeps another band in place (5,4)
GUARD RING – GUAR DR IN [gum | doctor | now] on G{ingiva}
15 What person, objectively flash, is causing disorder in the country? (9)
WHOMBLING – WHOM BLING. Nothing to do with the Wombles of Wimbledon apparently
16 As soon as inside court, against brilliant turn of phrase (8)
CONCETTO – ONCE “inside” CT, + TO
19 Arabic city runs out of old money from Helsinki Hotel (6)
MAKKAH – MA{r}KKA + H(otel)
21 Indian ambassador related losing base in variant reading (5)
VAKIL – AKI{n} in VL [varia lectio]
23 Pet needs area for centre of attack (5)
DEARY – take DE{C}RY [attack] and replace its centre with A(rea)
Edited at 2021-01-01 10:04 am (UTC)