I started off on the wrong foot by confidently writing in COSTAR at 9 – which gave a heads up to the level of misdirection that was going to come.

Thought that the TIGER was an absolute gem and chuckled for way too long! Finished up with the excellent HEPCAT after wrestling with HEPTAD for ages – but the thought of a swinging group of seven with PT (physical training) left an arousal that was just too far right of risqué to fit in here!!!

Bravo Picaroon and look forward to your next.

I did toss up between the two – I think either works. I thought someone might comment.

Just dropping in out of curiosity, but does not 9ac parse more simply if you take “leading part” to mean the first letter of PLAYER’S?

Much bafflement, but finally got rolling with a couple of easier clues, PHANTASM going in first.

BABE RUTH stayed in pencil because I kept trying to make iT end in “remorse” = RUH. Left HAMMOCK in pencil over not seeing how “flat out here” was supposed to work; and GLORIANA because although I guessed it I didn’t know the work.

Last in was 1,25, had to resort to OneLook with the checked letters, not a familiar phrase here in the US.

The “up” in 2,26 didn’t bother me, since it is a “down” clue even though the second half ends up being an “across”.

A marvelous puzzle with many treats and delights along the way – so many clues of my favorite kind, where they take me ages to solve and then when I get them I end up thinking “I bet RCW wrote that in four seconds, it was so obvious!”

Thanks for the great blog, Eileen, and for the Thursday Prize puzzle – and dropping by, Picaroon!

Everythng’s been said. Last in was AGA SAGA as AGA KHAN was blocking my thought processes!!!

Still waiting for TARZAN but he never arrived!

Thanks to Eileen and Picaroon

Re – mixed reviews on the Guardian forum. Really? I counted two slight negatives and one of those was retracted later (bad night’s sleep it seems). Other than that the crossword met with considerable approbation there too (it’s where I usually post). So, yes I agree (Sil van den Hoek @32) unbelievable because patently untrue!

There are always minor criticisms that can be made, but I keep them to myself today.

16d (GIANTESS) is a clue that makes clear why I think Picaroon has become a giant in Crosswordland himself.
There is the beautiful surface in which we have an ideal fodder/indicator combination (“uncontrolled eating”).
But there is also the misdirection of that word “eating” as it could be a container indicator: in this case, when looking [like I did] for a word for “uncontrolled” around SS.

Talking about misdirection, another example can be found in the superb 1,25: “start of frolics” isn’t F.

There are quite a few clues in which one has to separate things that seem to belong together.
8ac: at/last
12ac: French resistance
20ac: silly/illusion
22ac: Trojan/horse

And how good is 2,26? Very good!

Poooom @ 13 says: “Really enjoyed this puzzle – although some mixed reviews on the Guardian Forum”.
Unbelievable.

Thanks Eileen for blogging such a wonderful puzzle.
You must have been a happy person today.
Yes, boys & girls, I know, some will see this post as a bit OTT, but I can’t help: Picaroon’s style of cluing is really coming very close to my view on setting crosswords.

OK, I will stop now.
Didn’t like this crossword at all!

I came to this fine puzzle late in the day and rather tired, but it eventually yielded up its many treasures. A great pleasure to have solved it despite at times feeling intellectuallyt challenged in both senses of the phrase. It has also been a pleasure to read the well-deserved bevy of approving comments. Given the varying qualities of prize puzzles, it can only be with reference to a Platonic ideal of one that it should be be said to be worthy of that status.

Masses of great cluing amusingly exploiting the ’50 shades’ of swinging.