Guardian Quiptic 610 / Nutmeg

I have managed to avoid reviewing earlier Quiptics by Nutmeg.  This was far too difficult for a supposedly easy puzzle and I derived very little pleasure from solving it.

I’m sure that some of you will disagree and look forward to your comments.

All definitions given are from Chambers 11th Edition. Most of the standard abbreviations used in the wordplay are shown with the unused letters in brackets e.g. R(egina).

Across

1a Drink delivered to prison almost enough to get by (6)
QUORUM – put an alcoholic drink after most of QUO(D), a 17^th century word for a prison, to get enough people to make the proceedings of a meeting valid

5a Began being snooty about queen (6,2)
STRUCK UP – to get a phrasal verb meaning began, as in “struck up the band”, put a word meaning being snooty around the abbreviation of R(egina) / Queen

9a Ceremonial wedding vow socially acceptable in centre of Paris (8)
POMPIDOU – a charade of ceremonial, as a noun, a wedding vow and the one-letter term for socially acceptable so beloved of crossword setters gives a centre in Paris

10a Disk jockey touring former province returned under spell (6)
JINXED – put the abbreviation of disk jockey around (touring) a former partner and a province of the UK then reverse the lot (returned) to get a word meaning under a spell

11a, 21d Ruin of Italy offering best maxim for the more mature (4,6,2,5)
LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY – an anagram (ruin) of ITALY OFFERING BEST gives this maxim for the more mature

13a Vehicle reversing at side (4)
TAXI – this vehicle is created by reversing AT and then adding the Roman numerals for the number of players in a football / cricket side or team – the same device is used in 19 down

14a What happens when I bump car, family’s last one (8)
IDENTITY – a charade of “what happens when I bump car” (1,4,2) and the last letter of family gives a word meaning individuality or ego

17a Gift of iron band (8)
OFFERING – this gift is a charade – OF, from the clue, the chemical symbol for iron and a band worn on the finger

18a Spots walking stick Conservative misplaced (4)
ACNE – this skin condition characterized by red spots is created by starting with a stick and moving (misplaced) the C(onservative) along one position

20a More than one trial ends with reportedly dodgy sect in custody (12)
DIFFICULTIES – to get these trials or problems start with a verb meaning ends or lapses and then insert (in custody) IFFI, a dodgy homophone of iffy / dodgy and a sect

23a Disturb pedants backing without direction (4,2)
STIR UP – to get this phrasal verb meaning to disturb reverse (backing) some pedants and then remove one of the S(outh)s (without direction) – pedants would point out that there is no indication as to which of the two “S”s is to be removed!

24a Finding fault with grave (8)
CRITICAL – a double definition

25a Horses bearing angels oddly shed appearance of age (8)
GREYNESS – put some horses around (bearing) ANGELS without the odd letters (oddly shed) to get an appearance of age

26a Horse bearing wife is bathed in sweat (6)
STEWED – put this horse around (bearing, for the second time in two clues) W(ife) to get an adjective meaning bathed in sweat

Down

2d In contact with peacekeepers holding up work (4)
UPON – a word meaning in contact with is created by putting the United Nations (peacekeepers) around a short word for a musical work reversed (holding up)

3d Super-vile, possibly (9)
REPULSIVE – to get the definition for this anagram (possibly) of SUPER-VILE, read the whole clue again – this type of clue is known in crossword circles as an &lit / and literally so

4d I’m sent back to remove man in field (3-3)
MID-OFF – reverse (sent back) I’M and add a word meaning to remove, one’s cap for example, to get a man in the cricket field

5d Sun going down stops many a trip here (9,6)
STUMBLING BLOCKS – a charade of S(un), going down or falling and stops or prevents gives these obstacles

6d Danced again, provided with fresh gear (8)
REJIGGED – what could mean danced again actually means provided with fresh gear or re-equipped

7d Clergyman with tin leg (5)
CANON – this clergyman is a charade of a tin and the leg side in cricket

8d Simple force put into tuning when time’s lacking (10)
UNEXACTING – an adjective meaning simple is created by putting a verb meaning to force inside (T)UNING without the T (Time’s lacking)

12d Leah’s first unorthodox family member (4-6)
HALF-SISTER – an anagram (unorthodox) of LEAH’S FIRST gives a family member

15d Come to light part of church after one leaves guide (9)
TRANSPIRE – a verb meaning to come to light is created by putting a part of a church after a word meaning to guide or teach from which the Roman numeral for one has been dropped (one leaves)

16d Devotee of self-restraint dropping in (8)
DISCIPLE – to get this devotee, perhaps one that followed Jesus, start with a word meaning self-restraint and then drop the IN

19d Team tucking into food that’s baked for little people (6)
PIXIES – put this numeriacal representation of a team or side inside Desperate Dan’s favourite food to get these little people

21d See 11a

22d Stagger times for listeners (4)
DAZE – a word meaning to stagger sounds like (for listeners) DAYS / times