Quite tricky for a Phi puzzle, enjoyable as always, solving time, 30 mins
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 (p) ASSES
4 A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME Anthony Powell’s acclaimed series of books. I saw this when I’d some crossing letters. The wordplay perplexed me for quite a while, but, I think, without being 100% sure, that it’s disco = a dance to the music of its DJ, Time = Tim E = Timothy Edwards
10 RE CLA(I)MS
11 S (COT) CH
12 FAIR BANKS In Alaska
15 PA(D)RE Good misdirection suggesting politics and recent controversies.
17 ENDOW Another one where it took a while to see the wordplay. Both fellow and cow END (in) OW
18 R (E PORT) AGE
19 T (ABLE) T
21 C (LOUSE) A U Inspector Clouseau, bumbling detective, associated esp with actor Peter Sellers. CA = roughly LOUSE = scoundrel
24 WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE Another one that needed some crossing letters before it was seen
26 LASER (resal)< ie resale mostly
DOWN
1 AFTEREFFECTS (free staff etc)*
2 STEPCHILD Cryptic definition that took me ages to see
3 SO USA Guessed this from the wordplay. Not 100% sure but think it refers to John Philip Sousa, US conductor etc (1854-1932)
4 A SIA M (former country) IN (inside) OuteR Definition: Anatolia
5 A V OW
6 CUT (A CAP)ER
7 (Con)TEMPT
9 CHEE (SEt BURG E) R (E grub)< cheer = hospitality
13 BOWLER HAT (throwable)*
14 SEPULCHRE (cheers up l)* l = end of funeral
16 DIANETICS (Indicates)* What preceded Scientology
20 B(L)IN 1
22 US (man)UAL
23 (C)ANON
3d Sousa was known for his patriotic and military tunes.
STEPCHILD was a great cryptic definition, layered with multiple ambiguities.
Thanks, nmsindy, especially for explaining 4,8ac, which I got because I knew the books, but I don’t think I would ever have got the explanation. I’m sure you’re right – great clue!
One of Sousa’s marches was ‘The Liberty Bell’, Monty Python’s signature tune.
Nice crossword, but what on earth is going on at 12ac? It seems quite straightforward to me — def ‘American’ (a reference to Douglas Fairbanks I suppose, a bit thin in my opinion) and banks at the back of fair. Whatever do you mean by ‘In Alaska’, nms?
When I saw 4ac/8ac I suspected that Widmerpool and Stringham etc would be somewhere in the grid. Perhaps they are, but I can’t find them.
Re comment 4, Wil, the clue was “American city market backed by financial institutions”. I took the definition as ‘American city’ – which is Fairbanks in Alaska (I’d not heard of it but it is in Collins).
Given the lovely single ‘word’ anag. of BOWLER HAT, I’m surprised Phi didn’t contrive a clue based on Goldfinger’s Oddjob!
I take some pride in completing ( non Google assistance, with the exception of a spell check) the grid, howsoever confounding, nonetheless, when I fail the task, most certainly due to ones personal lesser knowledge of Literature and the Arts, History perhaps , I derive a good deal of further pleasure from enlightening oneself, instead of besmirching the setters for making quest too difficult …………………. Gen up, Gel on, what say all?