A mainly straightforward solve, with just a couple of clues at the end requiring a bit more rumination. I especially liked 13dn for its mental imagery! Most seemed very succinct clues, too, with economical indicators and definitions – a style I like. There’s something about not knowing which word of a three-word clue is the definition, and having to hold both possibilities in mind, that I find enjoyable (for example 12ac). Of course, then 17ac comes along and forces a change of gear!
Definitions underlined.
| Across |
| 1 |
Mark the moment? (4) |
|
TICK – double definition. |
| 3 |
Element in ringtone that’s phony? (8) |
|
NITROGEN – anagram of (phoney) RINGTONE. |
| 9 |
Country song gripping people (7) |
|
ARMENIA – ARIA (song) around (gripping) MEN (people). |
| 10 |
Sub turned about (1-4) |
|
U-BOAT – anagram of (turned) ABOUT. |
| 11 |
Sauce sadly backfiring, tasteless ultimately inside (5) |
|
SALSA – ALAS (sadly) backwards (backfiring), with last letter of tastelesS inside. |
| 12 |
Quietly send favour (6) |
|
PREFER – P (quietly) and REFER (send). |
| 14 |
Epic thief goes wild for old coins (6,2,5) |
|
PIECES OF EIGHT – anagram of (wild) EPIC THIEF GOES. |
| 17 |
A meaty firework? (6) |
|
BANGER – cryptic definition. |
| 19 |
Comfortable thing, right up to this point (2,3) |
|
SO FAR – SOFA (comfortable thing) plus R (right). |
| 22 |
Greek character has not finished passing mountain (5) |
|
ALPHA – HAs (not finished, i.e. without the final letter) after ALP (mountain). |
| 23 |
Plant, one no men adored, partly rejected (7) |
|
ANEMONE – hidden in (partly) onE NO MEN Adored, reversed (rejected). |
| 24 |
Comparatively fair offer in the end — less important to accept that (8) |
|
PRETTIER – PETTIER (less important) to accept last letter of offeR (in the end). |
| 25 |
Girl — one teacher knocked over (4) |
|
IRIS – I (one), with SIR (teacher) backwards (knocked over). |
| Down |
| 1 |
Part of a church where patterns formed (8) |
|
TRANSEPT – anagram of (formed) PATTERNS. |
| 2 |
Beast arrived late at the start (5) |
|
CAMEL – CAME (arrived) plus first letter of Late (at the start). |
| 4 |
Trendy to steal? That’s improper! (13) |
|
INAPPROPRIATE – IN (trendy) and APPROPRIATE (steal). |
| 5 |
Convincingly defeat on English course (5) |
|
ROUTE – ROUT (convincingly defeat) on E (english). |
| 6 |
Brick — one won’t float? (4,3) |
|
GOOD EGG – double definition. A brick is a reliable person, and only bad eggs float in water. |
| 7 |
Fruit — bananas? (4) |
|
NUTS – double definition. |
| 8 |
Incense in vinegar nearly up-ended (6) |
|
ENRAGE – hidden in vinEGAR NEarly, backwards (up-ended). |
| 13 |
Naked king pinched by lecherous types? (8) |
|
STARKERS – K (king) surrounded (pinched) by STARERS (lecherous types). |
| 15 |
Specimen is old enough (7) |
|
EXAMPLE – EX (old, former) and AMPLE (enough). |
| 16 |
End of June, flower festival (6) |
|
EASTER – last letter of junE with ASTER (flower). |
| 18 |
Allow elderly relative time (5) |
|
GRANT – GRAN (elderly relative) and T (time). |
| 20 |
Sounds like a mistake on which to stand? (5) |
|
FLOOR – sounds like “flaw” (mistake). |
| 21 |
Insect used to be quiet (4) |
|
WASP – WAS (used to be) plus P (quiet). |
I’ve noticed that anemone seems to pop up in these things quite regularly.