Theme – explicitly stated – 8 down – for those of us not too familiar with them, friendly clues made them deducible or guessable. Solving time, 31 mins.
< = reversed * = anagram
ACROSS
9 T (AU) RUS (t) Au = gold
10 PA V O
13 TEST-F(L)EW Test = international (cricket match). Though it had wider meanings in years gone by – what are now called ‘play-offs’ in football were known as ‘test matches’ in the 1890s before automatic promotion and relegation was introduced.
15 CLAUDE LORRAIN Never heard of him, but pleased to work it out from the wordplay and verify later (ruined a collar)*
17 FAN TA S(I)A SA = sex appeal = it
21 HOROLOGIUM (room oil ugh)*
23 CROW(d) the Latin version of which (Corvus) is an 8 down.
25 NOSE DIVE
DOWN
1 B (LEAR) Y King Lear
4 ST (Street) AS IS
5 MU(sic) TI (it<) A musical conductor.
6 E (U) ROP EAN (nae por(u)e)< u = university pore = study nae = no (Scottish)
8 CO (NSTE) LLATION (sent)* Clued subtly not to be too obvious – I was looking for an anagram of stars at first
14 FRATRICIDE (Terrific ad)*
15 C (YAN) O GEN (any)* co = company gen = information
16 RE (ARM O) ST
18 STOL ID Lots<
20 GROOVY Double definition
22 OM IT cf 17 ac
Niall
Thanks for covering this for me. I spent a fruitless hour trying to fnd a copy of the Indy this afternoon.