Real-time solve video available here (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1081086200) from about the 7m15 mark. There is even audio by that point, all mod cons!
Definitions underlined in italics, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.
Across
1 Accommodate man in bar for a fight (12)
QUARTERSTAFF – QUARTER [accommodate] + STAFF [man]
9 Receives permission to get key (5)
ISLET – or IS LET [receives permission]
10 Cryptic indication of pets out of public view (9)
BACKSTAGE – a reverse cryptic: if a step is a STAGE then to get to “pets” you have to BACK STAGE
11 Guarantee doctor cures one case in Torbay (8)
SECURITY – (CURES*) + I + T{orba}Y
12 Pulse is fast, almost unhealthy (6)
LENTIL – LENT [fast] + IL{l}. FOI
13 Notable eastern meat wraps gent uncovered (8)
EMINENCE – E MINCE “wraps” {g}EN{t}
15 This person’s item in hamper (6)
IMPAIR – I’M [this person is] + PAIR [= couple = item]
17 Place currency the wrong way, a bit of our capital (6)
PUTNEY – PUT + reversed YEN
18 Inclined a certain way, criminal now hid £50 (8)
DOWNHILL – (NOW HID*) + L L [£ | 50]
20 Red Guards where children play, or where they’re tended (6)
CRECHE – CHE “guards” REC. “They” refers back to the children
21 Settlement has hotel in rubbish place (8)
TOWNSHIP – OWNS H, in TIP
24 Successfully sought fish one wants fostering (9)
FOUNDLING – or FOUND LING
25 Extreme characters with anger about Asian (5)
AZERI – A + Z + reversed IRE
26 Amazing seed, if so, could become seaweed (3-9)
AWE-INSPIRING – another reverse cryptic: if SEED “inspires” AWE, it becomes SE{AWE}ED
Down
1 Agree to cut air-conditioning pipe down (7)
QUIESCE – {ac}QUIESCE
2 Good position that red-top journalist may have (1,5,2,3,3)
A PLACE IN THE SUN – idiomatic/more literal double def
3 Rejecting seconds, one who tries starchy food (5)
TATER – TA{s}TER
4 Strips covering of ear in technologist’s domain (8)
ROBOTICS – ROBS [strips] “covering” OTIC [of ear]. LOI
5 Speaker’s changed direction, showing sensitivity (4)
TACT – homophone of TACKED
6 Female — is the lady’s beau James or John? (9)
FISHERMAN – F + IS HER MAN; Biblical ref
7 Poet, I hear, detailing suffering (5,9)
DANTE ALIGHIERI – (I HEAR DETAILING*). This is a good anagram but is it, I ask you, as good as RAGE IN THE ILIAD (© Tees)?
8 We’re told where to find wine merchant (6)
SELLER – homophone of CELLAR
14 Some slap got by dog chasing our setter, we’ve heard (9)
EYESHADOW – SHADOW [dog] chasing homophone of I
16 Provided old pine carried by soldiers (2,4,2)
SO LONG AS – O LONG “carried by” S.A.S.
17 Quick to conceal tiff, at heart calm (6)
PACIFY – PACY “concealing” {t}IF{f}
19 Softly land in trail for flier (7)
LAPWING – P WIN, in LAG [trail]
22 Part of Bologna a filthy mess, perhaps (5)
NAAFI – hidden in {bolog}NA A FI{lthy}. Stands for “Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes”
23 Note repeated in soprano’s part (4)
MIMI – MI [note] * 2. La Boheme ref
Comments are closed.