Solving time: Close to the hour.
The SE was a terror spent pondering possible composers’ names. Had to look it (or them) up in the end. So you can call this a DNF if you like.
Across
1. CROSSROADS. CROSS (annoyed), and a word sounding like RHODES.
7. GLAD. Take the points of the compass out of “enGLAnD”.
9. INTREPID. IN, T (time), anagram of PRIDE.
10. ICONIC. 1, CONIC. Where the latter is short for “conic section”.
11. STRIFE. “Trouble and strife” = “wife”.
13. OVER,NICE.
14. RUSSIAN DOLLS. Today’s cryptic definition. Pussy Riot?
17. COUNTERTENOR. TENOR (drift, gist) after COUNTER (bar).
20. AQUILINE. A, QUI{p}, LINE.
21. FALLEN. ALL inside FEN (swamp).
22. TIVOLI. I, LOV{e}, IT: reversed.
23. LONGBOAT. LONG (pine) and A (area) inside BOT (the larva of the botfly). Down here, a bot is a cadger.
25. TYKE. Our light inclusive.
26. MYSTICALLY. MY, ALLY with stic{k} inside.
Down
2. RING TRUE. A fine charade.
3. SIR. R (queen), IS: reversed.
4. RUPEE. RUE (regret) inc. PE{as}. “Bread” = money.
5. ANDROID. AND (with) + DIOR (reversed).
6. SNIVELLER. VIN (reversed) inside SELLER. Looked hard to find a reversed RED here.
7. GROUNDSWELL. GROUNDS (used coffee), WELL (very much).
8. APIECE. ACE (serve, tennis) inc. PIE (tart).
12. INSECTIVORE. Anagram: over it’s nice.
15. ALUMINIUM. If the gangster is our AL, he’s the chemical symbol for this metal which, when expanded ….
16. FORESAIL. Anagram: rise alof{t}.
18. TRELLIS. TELL (report) inc. R (last of “mountaineeR”) + IS.
19. EQUITY. QUIT (leave) inside EY{e}.
21. FINZI. “The end” = FINIS. Include Z (unknown) and delete S (succeeded, genealogy). Phew! There were two of them: Aldo (Italian) and Gerald (British). Go ogle.
24. BRA. Couldn’t believe this one, but it’s GARB (clothes) in reverse without the G (no good).
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