This is a place-holder as I haven’t yet given this excellent puzzle the time it deserves
ACROSS
1 PLEA(SURE)T-RIP
8 U-(c)RANIUM
9 ?
11 NET-B-ALL
12 ?
13 DIRGE = (E.G RID) <
14 ?
16 APPLECART
19 VERGE
21 EVIDENT
23 INT(EG)ER
24 ROTUNDA – sounds like “wrote under” (subscribed)
25 VAR-MINT
26 BELLIGERENCE
DOWN
1 P(L)ATTER
2 EMIR(g)ATE
3 SIMULACRA – “arc alum is” reversed
4 ?
5 TOM-BOLA(s)
6 ?
7 TURN A DEAF EAR – as opposed to the blind eye that Nelson would have turned presumably
10 ?
15 RETR(I)EVER – “reverter” reversed with an “i”
17 ?
18 ETERNAL – anagram, hold the “v”
19 VETERAN – anagram, hold the “l”
20 RAG-TIME – “emit gar” reversed
22 T(W)ANG
12a PR + (m) osaic
14a rag inside careen, carrageen
4d Pacer (rev) = recap
6d Iterate, hidden word
10d cut the a in deacons ec=city rate=rank. deconsecrate
17d p+hilt=re (for has to do with. philtre
More than excellent, Stan, this one. Bloody marvellous.
Sorry, missed out 9ac
m (many) men inside cod. commend.
Can someone explain the final part of the build up for 12 across?
Got it now! Ta Conradcork.
It was pointed out elsewhere today that not only did The Times have the same grid as the Guardian but that 12a was also PROSAIC. Different clue though.
9a COMMEND: M MEN in COD