Time taken: 8:59. Parts of this were tricky, and there were two that I had my fingers crossed for when I hit submit, but they both turned out to be OK.
I usually solve online, but this time I had to grab some paper to scribble out the long anagrams and try to decipher them.
Since I’ve been following the elections in the US, Australia and the recent ones in France and the UK, 21 across is one of my favorite clues in a long time, well put setter!
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Act as vicar maybe, providing church with a set of holy books (5) |
| CHANT – CH(church) with A, NT(set of holy books) | |
| 4 | One’s got on in an endeavour to go with the flow (9) |
| BANDWAGON – cryptic definition | |
| 9 | One ”spiky” type to go off the deep end, rambling (9) |
| ITINERANT – I(one), TINE(“spiky” type), RANT(to go off the deep end) | |
| 10 | Buggy feasible for bringing fruit (5) |
| LEMON – LEM(Lunar Excursion Model, moon buggy), ON(feasible). Thanks to jackkt for pointing out the wordplay – I had it as a double defintion originally | |
| 11 | Formula for making little Sarah’s shoe (6) |
| SANDAL – little Sarah would be SAL, which can be made S AND AL | |
| 12 | Trying hard, not having succeeded in the gym? (8) |
| TRAINING – STRAINING(trying hard) minus S(succeeded) | |
| 14 | Exceptional man with great hope campaigning very vigorously? (2,3,7) |
| ON THE RAMPAGE – anagram of MAN, GREAT, HOPE | |
| 17 | Notice lout is on the loose — I will speak out in a clear manner (12) |
| ELOCUTIONIST – anagram of NOTICE,LOUT,IS | |
| 20 | Most idiotic fools, right to the fore, in court (8) |
| CRASSEST – ASSES(fools) with R(right) in front, inside CT(court) | |
| 21 | Miserable aim to get new leader (6) |
| ABJECT – OBJECT(aim) with the first letter changed. | |
| 23 | Maybe one-to-one operation is somewhat lacking (5) |
| RATIO – hidden inside opeRATIOn | |
| 24 | Soon despicable fellow gets a woman to have close relationship (9) |
| INAMORATA – IN A MO(soon), then RAT(despicable fellow), A | |
| 25 | Description of Winnie as a mammal? (5,4) |
| HONEY BEAR – Winnie the Pooh is a BEAR after HONEY | |
| 26 | Scruffy children — last thing academy needs (5) |
| SEEDY – SEED(children) and the last letter in academY | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Club hit — accompaniment to fish just cooked? (4,4) |
| CHIP SHOT – CHIPS(accompaniment to fish), HOT(just cooked) and a hit with a golf club | |
| 2 | A story, nipper’s prime requirement, had to be off-putting (8) |
| ALIENATE – A, LIE(story), the first letter of Nipper, ATE(had) | |
| 3 | Host’s moderately tipsy — we’ve heard that so many times before! (3,4,3,5) |
| THE SAME OLD STORY – anagram of HOST’S MODERATELY | |
| 4 | Dress up and talk big (4) |
| BRAG – GARB(dress) reversed | |
| 5 | International organisation to protect old city: way one can make people feel better? (10) |
| NATUROPATH – NATO(international organisation) containing UR(old city) then PATH(way) | |
| 6 | Upcoming fashion — chain of shops to provide special footwear (10,5) |
| WELLINGTON BOOTS – WELLING(upcoming), TON(fashion), then BOOTS is the chain of shops | |
| 7 | Periodical served up piece as a good opener? (6) |
| GAMBIT – MAG(periodical) reversed, then BIT(piece) | |
| 8 | No worry with energy at a minimum in early period (6) |
| NONAGE – NO, NAG(worry) and E(energy) | |
| 13 | County and country inadequately supplied with money — anger ensues (10) |
| LANCASHIRE – LAND(country) missing the last letter, then CASH(money), IRE(anger) | |
| 15 | Dog left out in the open given drink at the pub (8) |
| AIREDALE – AIRED(left out in the open), then ALE(drink at the pub) | |
| 16 | Pieces of sculpture mostly standing on a pair of parallel lines (8) |
| STATUARY – remove the last letter from STATUS(standing) then A, RY(railway, pair of parallel lines) | |
| 18 | Char and whisky, when time is right (6) |
| SCORCH – SCOTCH whisky with T(time) replaced with R(right) | |
| 19 | Worker in study somewhere in Switzerland? (6) |
| CANTON – a worker ANT in DEN(study). Glad DANTEN isn’t a place. | |
| 22 | An item or two? (4) |
| PAIR – double definition | |
Just about managed to save myself the embarrassment of putting in chip shop for chip shot- phew!
Good puzzle so thanks setter and blogger for the thorough explanations.