Times 27529 – Mother and Father of Mondays

For those looking for a gentle reintroduction to the art of solving after losing a brain cell or two at Times HQ or in the George, this was a nigh-on perfect puzzle. One or two bits and bobs requiring a little thought – indeed, potential hiccoughs to the inexperience, unwary or hungover – aside, this was the type of puzzle that invites PBs and a Duncan Fergusonesque dash down the touchline.

I managed a rare sub-11 – possibly my fastest time in a Mon-Sat cryptic and conformation of my burgeoning reputation as a flat-track bully.

ACROSS

1 Marketplace abandoned by old Indian city (4)
AGRA – AG[o]RA
3 Strange pursuit for an athlete, smuggling illicit liquor (3-7)
RUM-RUNNING – RUM (strange) RUNNING (pursuit for an athlete)
10 Extracts first of substance after a couple of months (7)
DECOCTS – DEC OCT S[ubstance]
11 Very cold press employee introducing cipher (7)
SUBZERO – SUB (-editor) ZERO (cipher)
12 Poor men on novel grant not involving elected rulers (3-12)
NON-GOVERNMENTAL – anagram* of MEN ON NOVEL GRANT
13 Calmly start to live in US city with first lady (6)
EVENLY – EVE L[ive] in NY
14 Break off from detective’s son permanently (8)
DISSEVER – DIS (detective’s) S EVER
17 Erotic setting for one opposed to jamboree (8)
CARNIVAL – I (one) V (opposed to) in CARNAL
18 Work with puppet, perhaps, getting lump of food? (6)
DOLLOP – DOLL OP
21 Go to Paris in good year after filming sporting facility (8,7)
SHOOTING GALLERY – ALLER (‘go’ for a Parisian, or ‘to Paris’) in G (good) Y (year) after SHOOTING (filming)
23 Examine pitch at first, possessed by cricket, perhaps? (7)
INSPECT – P[itch] in INSECT
24 Where nuts may be placed — though he won’t thank you for them! (7)
INGRATE – The nuts refer to coal nuts, which of course can be found, once they have been tipped out of their sack, in a fire’s grate; an INGRATE will decline to thank you for going to the trouble of placing then there, especially if you spill some on his trousers.
25 Pleasurable meeting? (10)
SATISFYING – DD
26 Sassy pro bumping off former partner (4)
PERT – [ex]PERT

DOWN

1 A northern poet’s leisurely movement (7)
ANDANTE – A N DANTE; if it’s not DONNE, it’s DANTE
2 Storyteller overturned vehicle on new route round base of mountain (9)
RACONTEUR – CAR reversed [mountai]N in ROUTE*
4 A French setting, we hear, in text for translation (6)
UNSEEN – UN SEEN (sounds like scene)
5 French couturier upset about English wrongdoing? Sticky! (8)
RESINOID – DIOR reversed around E SIN
6 Go and be involved with bells’ noise — status demands it (8,6)
NOBLESSE OBLIGE – GO BE BELLS NOISE*
7 Popular old record, though initially unsuitable (5)
INEPT – IN EP T[hough]
8 Unfriendly dog maybe primarily guarding oarsman crossing lake (7)
GROWLER – G[uarding] L in ROWER
9 Teacher in coach overcoming motorway tension (14)
SCHOOLMISTRESS – SCHOOL M1 STRESS
15 U-turn, large, in ballot features (5-4)
VOLTE-FACE – L in VOTE FACE
16 Chief support where sea ultimately meets river (8)
MAINSTAY – MAIN [meet]S TAY
17 One who conspired with accountants originally installed in S America (7)
CASSIUS – CAS (accountants) I[nstalled] in S (south) US (America)
19 Discharge male employees, having finally set remuneration (7)
PAYMENT – PAY (discharge, as in ‘I discharged my debt to the bookies’) MEN (male employees) [se]T
20 Some open-air guides climbing like Magyars (6)
UGRIAN – reverse hidden in opeN-AIR GUides; UGRIAN is an adjectival reference to a subdivision of the Turanian people, who include the Samoyeds, Voguls, Ostyaks, and Magyars (Collins)
22 Outbreak where filming takes place (5)
ONSET – ON SET