Times Cryptic 29246

Solving time: 49 minutes

I was a bit slow in this one, losing time especially on 8ac.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.

Across
1	Share price estimate cut before third quarter of year (5)
	QUOTA
	QUOT{e} (price estimate) [cut], {ye}A{r} [third quarter of…]
4	Father left holding unruly steed as mount (8)
	PEDESTAL
	PA (father) + L (left) containing [holding] anagram [unruly] of STEED. The base on which a statue etc is mounted.
8	Brandy locked up by principal that is friend of top cleric (14)
	ARCHIEPISCOPAL
	PISCO (brandy) contained [locked up] by ARCH (principal) + IE (that is) + PAL (friend). This just means relating to an archbishop. It has come up before but I didn’t know it today and spent ages wrestling the answer out. It didn’t help that I also didn’t know the brandy which has appeared here only once in a regular puzzle, 4 years ago.
10	Way to enter word game letter after several goes? (9)
	TURNSTILE
	TURNS (several goes), TILE (word game letter e.g. in Scrabble)
11	Who collected taxes belonging to them (5)
	THEIR
	THE IR (who collected taxes). The Inland Revenue survived from 1849 to 2005 when it merged with another department to form HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
12	Movement of vehicles stripped a palm tree (6)
	RAFFIA
	{t}RAFFI{c} (movement of vehicles) [stripped], A
14	Line on map is different motorway (8)
	ISOTHERM
	IS, OTHER (different), M (motorway)
17	Managed a month in teetotal part of religious institution (8)
	TRANSEPT
	RAN (managed) + SEP (a month), contained by [in] TT (teetotal). POD: In a cross-shaped church, either of the two parts forming the arms of the cross shape, projecting at right angles from the nave.
18	One not ready to print when an editor’s absent (6)
	UNITED
	UN{ed}ITED (not ready to print) [when an editor’s absent]
20	Fancy involving Royal Artillery unit (5)
	FARAD
	FAD (fancy) containing [involving] RA (Royal Artillery). From Faraday,  the SI unit of electrical capacitance.
22	Old actor entering not at the place specified (2,3,4)
	ON THE SPOT
	O (old), then THESP (actor) contained by [entering] NOT
24	It pains partner to adjust to something meaning “no sweat” (14)
	ANTIPERSPIRANT
	Anagram [adjust] IT PAINS PARTNER
25	Rubbish has duster frantic around it (8)
	DETRITUS
	Anagram [frantic] of DUSTER containing [around] IT
26	Gradually pushed border back to Scotland (5)
	EDGED
	EDGE (border), {Scotlan}D [back to…]

Down
1	Weapon found in army accommodation mostly by servants (12)
	QUARTERSTAFF
	QUARTER{s} (army accommodation) [mostly], STAFF (by servants). A stout pole 6–8 feet long used as a weapon.
2	Come about dog chasing round about (5)
	OCCUR
	O (round), C (about), CUR (dog)
3	Angers friend and declines to accept quiet place on board (9)
	AMIDSHIPS
	AMI (Angers – place in France – friend), DIPS (declines) containing [to accept] SH (quiet)
4	Call to limit length for fabric (6)
	POPLIN
	POP IN (call) containing [to limit] L (length). Woven from cotton.
5	Moving Perseids vanish (8)
	DISPERSE
	Anagram [moving] of PERSEIDS
6	Small child trapping a wild animal (5)
	STOAT
	S (small), TOT (child) containing [trapping] A
7	Mortification from losing some database mentions (9)
	ABASEMENT
	Hidden in [from losing some] {dat}ABASE MENT{ions}
9	Peer admitted working thought out in advance (12)
	PREMEDITATED
	Anagram [working] of PEER ADMITTED
13	Endless anger being immersed in our neighbour’s perfume (9)
	FRAGRANCE
	RAG{e} (anger) [endless], contained by [immersed in] FRANCE (our neighbour)
15	Fruit with sharp flavour, one eaten by bird (9)
	TANGERINE
	TANG (sharp flavour), then I (one) contained [eaten] by ERNE (bird)
16	When uncovered, cops spot one’s onto rival (8)
	OPPONENT
	{c}OP{s} {s}PO{t} {o}NE{s} {o}NT{o} [uncovered]
19	Lack of movement in street in current circumstances (6)
	STASIS
	ST (street), AS IS  (in current circumstances)
21	Golf club’s not very short of water by comparison? (5)
	DRIER
	DRI{v}ER (golf club) [not very]
23	Feeling of regret concealing river accident (5)
	PRANG
	PANG (feeling of regret) containing [concealing] R (river)