Fifteensquared

The standard excellent Quixote puzzle as it heads into the second thousand.   Solving time, 25 mins.     SW corner by far the hardest for me.

* = anagram  < = reversed

ACROSS

1 MI  STRESS   MI = 1001 in Roman numerals and the number of this puzzle  “Number of Sunday crosswords done”

6 BAD LOT   Lot, Old Testament character – my first thought was ‘bad Job’ but I think the other phrase fits the definition, esp with the reference to ‘wife’, with Lot’s wife turned to a pillar of salt for disobedience.    Think that’s it, anyway.

9 SPUR     Hidden

10 SUNG LASSES

11 I (NVETE) RATE   (event)*

12 I VAN   The Terrible, Tsar of Russia

13 HE LP MEET

15 Open SE(SAM)E

16 ST(R)ING    This refers to a Hilaire Belloc poem  for children re Henry King

18 ESCALAT thE    (a castle)*

20 E (RI) C   Ir<

21 COAT HANGER   Cryptic definition    Ulster is a type of coat

23 PARTICULAR    Excellent double definition    “Fussy point”

24 VAST   cf  vats       Clue splits at Huge/vessels

25 FE(NN)EL

26 RANK LING

DOWN

2 I MP IN GE   e.g.<

3 T (the minimal i.e. abbrev of the) ERSE    &lit

4 EASTER EGG    (Segregate)*     puzzle appeared the week after Easter so “last week’s sweet item”

5 SINBAD THE SAILOR   (Island’s boat hire)*    This really helped me with this puzzle – I guessed it from the enumeration and definition first time thro the clues.

6 BIL(G)E

7 DIS (MISS)AL    (lad is)*

8 OVER ‘ARM   i.e.  harm

14 PRINCETO(w)N

15 SACCHARIN   (a can’s rich)*

17 T(h)E  R  RACE    Tricky

19 T REASON

21 C ECIL   (lice c)<     c = beginning to crawl (first letter)

22 NAVE L