Financial Times 14360 Jason

I was able to solve this at a steady pace, but got slowed down in the end by two in the SE quadrant.  Thanks to Jason for an enjoyable puzzle, with some nice misdirections and surfaces.  Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle. Please enclose any comments on them in double brackets. Thank you.]]

Across

1 Warmongers ring island men restraining monarch (12)

BELLIGERENTS : BELL(a ring;the sound of a bell being struck) + I(abbrev. for “island”) + GENTS(short for “gentlemen”) containing(restraining) ER(abbrev. for Elizabeth Regina, the British monarch).

8 Leave a group playing (7)

ABANDON : A + BAND(a group) + ON(playing, say, on the radio or telly).

9 Dog with appendage cut short (7)

CURTAIL : CUR(a worthless, mean dog) plus(with) TAIL(an appendage).

11 Fine festival for one at table? (7)

FEASTER : F(abbrev. for “fine”) + EASTER(the Christian festival).

12 Geese start to nibble lots (7)

NOODLES : First letter of(start to) “nibble ” + OODLES(lots;a great quantity).

Defn: and Answer: Slang words for simpletons.

13 Eat into some coal-bed or else put about (5)

ERODE : Hidden in(some) reversal of(put about) “coal-bed or else “.

14 Cheese and port amuse in a salad (9)

MOUSETRAP : Anagram of(in a salad) PORT AMUSE. Amusing surface image.

Answer: A British informal term for cheese of indifferent quality – only good enough to catch mice with?

16 Novel purist hiding film starts to play (7,2)

STRIKES UP : Anagram of(Novel) PURIST containing(hiding) KES(a 1969 British movie).

19 Cruise ship company engaged man to entertain with this softly (5)

PIANO : P&O(cruise ship company’s name, derived from the abbrev. for the former Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) containing(engaged) IAN(a man’s name).

Double defn: 1st: This you might play and entertain with; and 2nd: the musical direction to play softly. Nice surface.

21 Guest gets eye-protection with it in (7)

VISITOR : VISOR(eye-protection from the sun, worn on the head) containing(with … in) IT.

23 Flatten coat on slate (7)

PANCAKE : CAKE(a layer;a coat of compacted matter deposited on a surface, as in “a cake of powder on her face”) placed after(on, in an across clue) PAN(to criticise harshly;to slate).

Defn. and Answer: As verbs.

24 Gags getting uproarious cheers outside entrance to theatre (7)

RETCHES : Anagram of(uproarious) CHEERS containing(outside) first letter of(entrance to) “theatre “.

25 Watch oaf absorbing old winning blow (7)

LOOKOUT : LOUT(an oaf) containing(absorbing) [ O(abbrev. for “old”) + KO(abbrev. for a knockout;a winning blow in boxing).

Answer: A watch, as in “keep a lookout;a watch for her tricks”.

26 Pure magic to me, sadly I must leave virtual fun (8,4)

COMPUTER GAME : Anagram of(sadly) “PURE MAGIC TO ME ” minus( … must leave) “I “.

Down

1 Something offering support, see a hoax boldness (7)

BRAVADO : BRA(something offering support to the female breast) + V(abbrev. for the Latin “vide”;to see;to refer to) + A + DO(a swindle;a hoax)

2 She knocks back too much coffee laced with first two lumps of demerara (7)

LADETTE : LATTE(coffee made with hot milk) containing(laced with) first 2 letters of(first two lumps of) “demerara “.

Answer: Derogatory term for a girl whose social behaviour is laddish, which includes overdrinking;knocking back too much, besides being rowdy and immature.

3 I’m not brainy but dreadfully smug on air (9)

INGNORAMUS : Anagram of(dreadfully) SMUG ON AIR.

4 One’s no longer inside E10 with constable (2-3)

EX-CON : E + X(Roman numeral for 10) plus(with) CON(abbrev. for “constable”? I haven’t been able to confirm. I found “cons” as the abbrev.).

Answer: One no longer inside prison.

5 Noble award for a place to hang jewelry (7)

EARLOBE : EARL(a noble title) + OBE(abbrev. for “Officer of the British Empire”, an honour awarded by the British sovereign).

6 Whinger after time finds what’s behind truck (7)

TRAILER : RAILER(one who rails;complains;whinges) placed below(after, in a down clue) T(abbrev. for “time”).

7 Mid-Atlantic crossing perhaps, rolling to some extent (4,4,4)

HALF SEAS OVER : Cryptic defn: In the middle of an Atlantic Ocean crossing, you’d have gone over half of the seas.

Answer: A British term for being drunk, and to some extent rolling(slang for swaying or staggering, as in “rolling drunk”).

10 Left porter to spy open office at station? (4,8)

LOST PROPERTY : L(abbrev. for “left”) + anagram of(open) PORTER TO SPY.

15 A French university in London area which is not favoured (9)

UNPOPULAR : UN(French for “a”) + [ U(abbrev. for “university”) contained in(in) POPLAR(a mainly residential area in East London) ].

17 Gent’s head over heels with oil for Italian grub (7)

RISOTTO : Reversal of(head over heels, in a down clue) SIR(a formal or polite term of address for a man, or, formerly, a gentleman of high social status) plus (with) OTTO(also called “attar”, a perfume or essential oil obtained from flowers or petals).

18 Relish sailing boat at Oxford, eg (7)

KETCHUP : KETCH(a two-masted sailing boat) + UP(to attend lectures and participate in the activities of a university, eg. Oxford U).

19 First woman to seek gold with another (7)

PANDORA : PAN(to seek gold, by literally using a shallow pan to separate it from gravel by washing) + DORA(another feminine name).

Answer: In Greek mythology, the first woman created by the Gods, who opened a jar (not her Box) and released all the evils tormenting humanity.

20 He works on board by himself with shell (7)

ABALONE : AB(abbrev. for an able-bodied seaman;one who works on board a ship) + ALONE(by himself).

Answer: An edible mollusc, also called “ear shell”.

22 Scripture’s one subject finally to do again (5)

RESIT : RE(abbrev. for “religious education”, loosely equated to the Scriptures) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) + last letter of(finally) “subject “.

Answer: To do an exam again, after being unable to pass it in previous attempts.

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For answers to pic 1 please click here , and pic 5 here (linked to the crossword via pic1).