Ingenious stuff – well worth a try
Across
7 UNDER WAY progressing (humourous dd)
8 VIVACE lively (music) VI (little female) V (very) ACE (very good performer)
11 BASIC &Lit (ABC IS)*
12 NO CONTEST one-sided fight CONTE (old boxer) [senseless]S in NOT
13 REALIST one who doesn’t fantasise ER< (hesitate about) A-LIST (celebs)
14 TAPIOCA food I PA (one old man) in A COT (a bed)< (all rejected)
15 RACING CERTAINTY &Lit (ACCENTING RARITY)*
18 NAIROBI African city (RAIN)* OBI (witchcraft)
20 ORTOLAN bunting O[ur hospita]L in OR (yellow) TAN (brown)
22 HOI POLLOI vulgar rabble I POLL (I vote) in [r]OO[m] all in [t]HI[s]
23 STEAL bargain E[vening] in STAL[l] (stand running short)
24 RIALTO famous city district hidden in [mate]RIAL TO[urists]
25 STARLETS actresses for minor roles LE (the French) in STARTS (begins)
Down
1 NUMBER CRUNCHER &Lit (ME BURN)* cruncher anagram indicator
2 ODESSA Ukrainian city ODES (poetic pieces) SA (sex appeal)
3 FRICTION disagreement R (resistance) in FICTION (story)
4 MAGNETIC FIELD cryptic definition
5 KIDNAP abduct KID (small child) NAP (sleep)
6 CAREWORN stressed-out ROWER< (oarsman thrown up)
9 ESTUARY ENGLISH &Lit (UGLY HEARTINESS)*
10 ECOTERRORISTS extreme Greenpeace types (ESCORT RIOTERS)*
16 CLINICAL detached CL (class) IN (elected) I CAL[l] (term almost)
17 ARTISTRY skill [ve]R[se] (ITS)* in A TRY (an attempt)
19 OPORTO Portugese city OP (work) OR (men – other ranks) TO
21 LIEDER German songs LIE (story) DER (the in German)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit dd = double definition < = reverse
Good stuff, very succinct. Enjoyed in particular 1 down, plus ‘racing certainty’.
Cheers to Bradman and Jed
Rowly.
Thanks to setter and blogger
I think 8a reads better as VIV+ACE ?
Lovely puzzle. I read 8ac as Jed.
I read 8a as Ferret did.
Viv being short for Vivien plus ace (performer who is very good).
Otherwise v for very is out of place.
Thanks for the blog, Jed.
Re 12ac: is ‘old boxer’ referring to John Conteh? What happens to the H?
What indeed? Let’s say ‘boxer almost’. Sorry!