I didn’t know I was going to be blogging this puzzle until after I had finished it otherwise I would have made some notes at the time. Fortunately all the parsing is straightforward so I didn’t need any.
A relatively quick solve for me, with only one minor quibble at 3dn.
Across
1 After ordering, I’m beginning to relish a cold meat – like ham? (12)
MELODRAMATIC – anagram (after ordering) of I’M R[elish] A COLD MEAT
8 Social climber damaging a trust placed around priest (7)
UPSTART – anagram (damaging) of A TRUST around P (priest)
9 Sort engaged in writing work, soft fellow (7)
MILKSOP – ILK (sort) in (engaged in) MS (writing) OP (work)
11 Cornish hotel in trouble with bit of Indian language (7)
SWAHILI – SW (Cornish) H (hotel) in AIL (trouble) I[ndian] (bit of Indian)
12 Reveal reversion to, say, honey I had (7)
DIVULGE – EG (say) LUV (honey) I’D (I had) reversed (reversion to)
13 Settle in ground foreign team (5)
INTER – double def.
14 A port seen at sea – in which many could communicate? (9)
ESPERANTO – anagram (at sea) of A PORT SEEN
16 Reportedly recognised top state (3,6)
NEW JERSEY – homophone (reportedly) of ‘knew’ (recognised) JERSEY (top)
19 Sober and modest aide ignoring outsiders (5)
STAID – [mode]ST AID[e] (modest aide ignoring outsiders)
21 Popular type touring hospital briefly (2,5)
IN SHORT – IN (popular) SORT (type) around (touring) H (hospital)
23 A measure followed by person with habit, origin of charge? (7)
ACCUSER – A CC (a measure) USER (person with habit)
24 Shifty woman keeping back endorsement (7)
EVASIVE – EVE (woman) around (keeping) VISA (endorsement) reversed (back)
25 Mark line that’s altered without a powerful red element? (7)
KREMLIN – anagram (that’s altered) of M[a]RK LINE
26 Ambassador about to face violent adherent in several places (4,3,5)
HERE AND THERE – HE (ambassador) RE (about) anagram (violent) of ADHERENT
Down
1 Film about short legal event with part poorly chosen (7)
MISCAST – MIST (film) around (about) CAS[e] (short legal event)
2 Previously, learner driver gets to start being more wary (7)
LEARIER – EARLIER (previously) with the L moved to the front (learner driver gets to start)
3 It’s noted possibly close to bonkers (9)
DOTTINESS – anagram (possibly) of IT’S NOTED [bonker]S (close to bonkers) – presumably this is intended to be &lit but it doesn’t quite work for me
4 A jolly media executive ready for exchange? (5)
ARMED – A RM (a jolly {Royal Marine}) ED (media executive)
5 A Latin romantic present everywhere (3-4)
ALL-OVER – A L LOVER (a Latin romantic)
6 Protein in over half of lunch is chewed (7)
INSULIN – IN anagram (chewed) of LUN[ch] (over half of lunch) IS
7 Parliamentary occasion? It could be leading magazine (8,4)
QUESTION TIME – QUESTION (it could be leading) TIME (magazine)
10 Think about salesman with a conservationist group that’s excessive (12)
PREPONDERANT – PONDER (think) around (about) REP (salesman) A NT (a conservationist group)
15 A bread container at work? (3,6)
PAY PACKET – cryptic def. – ‘bread’ as in money
17 Useless spending in Oxfordshire town after change of direction (7)
WASTAGE – WAnTAGE (Oxfordshire town) with the n changed to S (after change of direction)
18 Bring up most of dreadful book ignoring rationality? (7)
EMOTIVE – EVI[l] (most of dreadful) TOME (book) reversed (bring up)
19 Hide in southern Spain and part of Greece (7)
SECRETE – S (southern) E (Spain) CRETE (part of Greece)
20 A primarily boring thing you do is free of error (7)
ABSOLVE – A B[oring] (primarily boring) SOLVE (thing you do)
22 Commercial connection that is beset by money (3-2)
TIE-IN – IE (that is) in (beset by) TIN (money
Thanks Sleuth for an enjoyable puzzle and Gaufrid for the blog. Gaufrid’s comments on 3dn chime precisely with my thoughts about this clue.
13ac: A very nice double definition, with words of different origins but the same spelling.
Since when is “leary” an acceptable spelling of “leery”?
Coby@2: Since at latest 1998, as the spelling is given in that year’s Chambers: that is the earliest dictionary within easy reach.
Sorry, Sleuth (and Gaufrid): you defeated this household.
Just chanced on this waiting for the G to come up and it turned out to be a very enjoyable solve. Assumed it had to be LEARY (LOI) but surprised – turns out it’s in the BRB and Collins online although not Chambers online – I think I’ll give up on Chambers online – it’s too cut-down.
3d I thought was clever but perhaps the surface was a bit lumpy – maybe that was your complaint Gaufrid. Perhaps a dash after “noted” would have helped.
Primarily a G-man I must have overlooked a lot of Sleuths – on the strength of this I’ll try him more often.
Many thanks both.
Hi JS
It was the presence of ‘noted’ in the clue that caused me a little concern. It was required for the anagram fodder but not for the &lit definition.
@G #6 – yes it gets in the way a bit.
I imagine the intended meaning to be “It’s noted that …” but you have to sort of help it along. There’s the additional possible allusion to written music – dots – noted etc. Lots there but it doesn’t gel perfectly.