An excellent puzzle from this talented setter. Solving time, 37 mins.
* = anagram < = reverse
ACROSS
1 LEAD-FREE PETROL Got this straightaway – (G)asoline with first letter (lead) off.
8 LIVING WAGE Excellent cryptic definition.
9 Tony (B)LAIR More leads off.
10 W (HEAT) EAR Sport = wear (clothes)
12 I NB RED Relieved it was not ‘incest’.
13 ROYAL FLUSH Hand (cards). Ho-ho.
15 (V)OLGA Still more leads off.
16 ABE (Lincoln) D Though he did not die in retirement of course.
17 PRIEST-HOLE (Others pile)*
19 (G)AZA LEA
20 GARBLES S (size for a start) Not in any of my dicts, but clear enough.
22 MARS My last entry – Mars Bar (chocolate) and the space probe.
25 S (E (A) CAP) TAIN speed = pace<
25 EDWARD THE SIXTH (extra width she’d)* Son of JS and I think the ‘extra weight’ refers to the pregnancy.
DOWN
1 L (50) EIGHT ON BUZZ (ring) (A) RD
2 ANIMA (a man I)*
3 FIG LEAF (First letters and if) < i.e. lifted Ho-ho.
4 ETA Ate<
5 P (EE (English couple) V (very)) ISH (ship)*
6 TOLL (sound) BOOT (kick) H (horse)
7 O LIVER GOLD (or) S (M) ITH (this)*
11 RO(le) USING
14 A (NDAL U) SIA (land)*
17 P RAISED P UP Guardianesque.
18 SUR(e) PASS
21 LA TEX(as)
24 ASH Double definition
Lots of good stuff here. 1ac, 13ac, 25ac all stood out for me!
A great puzzle. Seemed overall a little easier than usual for Punk, but full of clever inventive clues as always.
1a reminded me of a fairly recent clue which included the word ‘etrol’
Returning from holiday, feeling cruciverbally deprived and finding that the Indie was the only acceptable paper available, I completed this while waiting for a delayed connection at Milan airport. Perfect — fun and just challenging enough, but no need for dictionaries etc. 22a was my last entry, too.
I had INCEST at first (C might be an abbreviation for cardinal that I just haven’t noticed before, and EST = is in French, Latin etc). “Keep it in the family” is an old chestnut, and I suspect Punk was cheekily leading us up the garden path with that particular red herring.