Guardian 24,198/Brendan – ABBA Father

Solving time: 4:27

Another cracking construction from Brendan, with the rotationally symmetric across clues forming pairs where the first is of the form AB and the second BA, e.g. SIDE ROAD/ROADSIDE and SAUNAS/NASSAU. This puzzle was worth solving for 5dn alone.

Music (20ac): The Hours by Philip Glass.

* = anagram, “X” = sounds like ‘X’.

Across
1	SIDE ROAD; rev. of (DA + OR + ED + IS)
9	A + C(TO)UT
11	T + URN’S + AB + OUT
12	S(A)UN + AS – my slowest solve. An as was a Roman copper coin.
14	EYEGLASS (cryptic definition) – this is half of a slightly anomalous pair in that the split does not occur in the middle of the word.
15	SEA + RED
17	RED SEA; “READ C”
20	GLASS + EYE – the composer is Philip Glass.
23	ABOUT-TURNS; (BATS RUN OUT)* – this clue seems to lack an anagram indicator.
24	GA(O)L; &lit
25	OU (‘where’ in French) + TACT – superbly worded.
26	[b]ROADSIDE

Down
1	MIS(LEAD)S
2	F + ETA; semi-&lit
3	CORTES; ESCORT – Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs.
4	LAY SIEGE; EG in (EASILY)*
5	STABILISES – absolutely brilliant clue (“Is a bit less wobbly”).
6	QUEUES; “CUES”
8	DORSET; rev. of ROD, + SET
13	NEAR SQUEAK (two defs, one cryptic)
16	EDENTATE; (A DETENTE)*
18	ANACONDA; ON (= ‘possible’) in (CANADA)*
22	NOS + OAP – an Americanism; apparently ‘soap’ used to mean ‘money’. See here.
24	G + ASH

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