Times Quick Cryptic 1716 by Oink

This was one of those QC struggles to beat target time which turned out to be successful and satisfying. The clock stopped at 9:24. It felt tricky along the way and any hope of a scorching time like yesterday’s was extinguished when that time went past with great chunks of the puzzle not completed. This seemed odd as many clues flew in from the definition but the rest needed chewing through until I was left with 17ac and then 18dn.
Our customary thematic reference is to be found at 15dn.

ACROSS

1. Painful cut, I hear (4)
SORE – homophone (I hear) of saw.
3. Padre run out, not feeling too good (5,3)
UNDER PAR – anagram (out) of PADRE RUN.
9. Maybe Spaniard‘s half redone section (7)
ALFREDO – a section of h(ALF REDO)ne.
10. Crime for which priest is beheaded? (5)
ARSON – p(ARSON).
11. A mash that is sheer ecstasy (5)
PUREE – sheer (PURE), ecstasy (E – the drug).
12. Unleash tirade as the French blunder (3,3)
LET RIP – ‘the’ in French (LE), blunder (TRIP). Very clever clue which fooled me for a while into thinking it was an anagram (unleash) of TIRADE.
14. In need? Dad’s navigated badly (13)
DISADVANTAGED – anagram (badly) of DADS NAVIGATED.
17. Boyfriend’s first marriage a cause of pain (6)
BUNION – (B)oyfriend’s, marriage (UNION).
19. Lift up some beams, you say? (5)
RAISE – homophone (you say) of rays. The brain needed a while to claw up the answer from ‘catch some rays’.
22. Make little effort when in bed (5)
COAST – when (AS) inside bed (COT).
23. Copy one found in the writer’s gallery (7)
IMITATE – one (I) found inside the writer’s (I’M) and gallery (TATE).
24. Guide occasionally wangles cheapest class (8)
STEERAGE – guide (STEER), occasionally w(A)n(G)l(E)s.
25. County in which kippers can be found? (4)
BEDS – kippers – sleepers can be found in beds.

DOWN

1. Team sped off in a rush (8)
STAMPEDE – anagram (off) of TEAM SPED.
2. Send – up or down (5)
REFER – reads the same upwards and downwards. Refer/send as in being referred to one’s hospital suite from the White House.
4. Not very pretty watercolour? (2,3,8)
NO OIL PAINTING – a watercolour is not an oil painting. A cruel phrase but I liked this clue for the watercolour.
5. Reflex actions in part? That’s correct (5)
EXACT – in part of refl(EX ACT)ions.
6. Send message about dope disappearing (7)
PASSING – send message (PING – e.g. an email) about dope (ASS). I’m familiar with ping – I wonder if that applies across all generations?
7. Foul-smelling sergeant-major? (4)
RANK – a sergeant-major is an example of a rank.
8. Popular story to conclude below stage (6)
LEGEND – conclude (END) underneath stage (LEG – of a journey).
13. I condemned endless sloth (8)
IDLENESS – I (I) then an agaram (condemned – unusual anagrind) of ENDLESS.
15. Uses Aga to make a bite to eat? (7)
SAUSAGE – anagram (to make) of USES AGA. I know there are all sorts of sausages but I prefer to think of this one as the ‘standard’ pork variety.
16. Retire with pension at last in Italian city (4,2)
TURN IN – pensio(N) inside Italian city (TURIN).
18. Some join terrific team in Italy (5)
INTER – some of jo(IN TER)rific. I know some solvers are not football fans so for clarity – Inter Milan, when playing, are 11 extremely wealthy chaps who kick a football about for 90 minutes or so.
20. Mad when last of guests leave? That’s ridiculous! (5)
INANE – mad (IN)s(ANE) when guest(S) leave.
21. Extremely anxious about church services (4)
ACES – extremes of (A)nxiou(S) about church (CE). Services as in tennis.