Everything I associate with a Phi puzzle, bullet-proof clues with excellent surface readings , references to classical music and matters astronomical. As there were 4 15-letter entries around the perimeter, I said I’d start with them and was lucky enough to get two straightaway in the first row and column which gave starting letters of many other words. So this turned out to be a quick solve for me, 16 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 INCIDENTAL MUSIC (In a clinic’s muted)*
9 ALL EG RO (music) RO = run out (cricket)
10 Elizabeth G (ASK) EL L One of the great 19th century writers.
11 1 N N
12 CROW N (J) EWELS
13 NU (LLI FI) ED (nude)* (if ill)<
15 SU NNI (US)< (INN)< 11 across is inn
16 ENSU(r)E r = regina (queen)
18 MAST ERFUL Clever misleading join at ‘Leading support’ with Leading being the definition. (r fuel)*
r = beginning to reject. ‘Supply’ in the cryptic reading is a adverb anagram indicator (i.e. in a supple manner)
20 MANTELPIECE (Meet in place)*
22 (t)RIP
23 (c)UP DRAW N draw = tie “cup tie” fitting in well
24 S (1 GN) AGE This was my last entry garden’s edges = first and last letters
26 H ((r)UBBLE TELESC) OPE (select)*
DOWN
1 ITALIAN VERMOUTH as in ‘Gin and It’
2 COLON EL
3 DO G
4 NEO LOG IS M (one)* pun on ‘coinage’
5 (j)ARGON 25 is GAS
6 M (I SE EN S C) EN E Very elaborate but easy from the definition and enumeration if you knew the phrase
7 SHE BEE N
8 CELESTIAL SP HERE (Last eclipse)*
12 CHINESE WALL From finance where two sections of the same organisation are kept separate in certain circumstances to avoid conflicts of interest. And the Great Wall of China, I guess.
14 DI S (PER) SAL (lass I’d)< per = a
17 S AND D AB
19 FAR (RAG) O
21 PIN(O)T
25 GAS(h)
My only problem with this one was “leading” as the definition for MASTERFUL. I had only ever thought of it as meaning “accomplished” or “skilled” but I guess it must also mean “acting like a master”/”being domineering”.
I think ‘masterful’ may be used to mean ‘lordly’ or ‘skilful’ but ‘masterly’ is used only to mean ‘expert’.
Had a look in Collins – it defines masterful (1) has having or showing mastery, which is itself defined as (2) outstanding skill. expertise and (3) power of command; control. I think ‘leading’ would be pretty close to that.
It also says (3) masterful = masterly which is defined as ‘of the skill befitting a master’ which is defined as the man in authority so I think it works that way too.
1 ITALIAN VERMOUTH as in ‘Gin and It’
Thanks for the note.
Recently in some crossword there was this clue “This is it” for which the solution was ITALIAN VERMOUTH.
Not I understand how!
As far as drinks are concerned, I am afraid I am barred!
It needs the capital I in It though, which is why Phi put that word first in the clue, I guess. I had seen the idea used before. Had I not, I doubt if I’d have solved that clue straightaway as I did.
Thanks.
After I read your note I traced out the clue that I had seen before. It was in Everyman.
The local paper that reproduces the crossword (after a timelag) makes mistakes regularly and it is possible that it did not capitalise the initial letter of ‘it’ in the clue.