Solving time, 21 mins
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 CROTCH ETY (yet)*
9 ON PAPER (Propane)*
10 A PO (CO) PE Omission of final sound of a word
11 P (HEN) OLice
12 C (LASSIE) R Lassie, dog from films. Leading pair = first two letters
13 V 1 SAGE
14 END O CARP
16 LOB LOLLY
18 S T (first letters) AMEN
20 A (ME THY) ST
21 SECRET(e)
24 ES CAPER tu es = thou art so es = French art
25 EROSION O in (senior)*
26 N (EAR S) IGHT
DOWN
1 CROUP Double definition
2 (st)OP PRESS
3 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE Refers to Bob Hope, I think
4 EARL(y)
5 YEARLING (girl a yen)*
6 JOBS FOR THE BOYS Definition: favours My favourite clue
7 MONICA Hidden
8 TERRAPIN r in (painter)*
13 VIL (LAG) ER
15 PL A ST RON
17 B REACH
19 MORNING Mourning less U (for all ages – film classification)
22 ThE NET
23 VERA Hidden
Did anyone else put sores for 1 dn (h)orses*? I realised when the relevant across clues looked bizarre.It would have been a great clue although sore would really have to be singular to work correctly
This was a tricky clue “Inflammation of horse’s rump” that I got only near the end and confirmed in dicts. I think though that it would be a stretch too far for rump to indicate all the letters except the first of a word. While I cannot recall seeing ‘rump’ used to indicate last letter, it probably could.