Guardian Genius 131 / Picaroon

[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

We haven’t done the Genius crossword for a while, but this was a very enjoyable one. We found it hard going for the first week or so, but eventually figured out that what the sentence must be from the extra words, then getting 12 across, and so being able to start putting words into the grid. Anyway, I thought the cluing here was very high quality, and it was a satisfying solve.

The rubric read:

Each clue contains an extra word, the first letters of which in clue order spell out a sentence from which what has to be done to the completed grid before submission can be deduced. All final solutions are real words or phrases.

Below I’ve put in square brackets the extra word in each clue – they spelled out TEN ANSWERS NEED TWELVE ACROSS, or TEN ANSWERS NEED SEX CHANGES. This seems as if it should be interpreted as switching M for F or F for M in ten of the answers before entering into the grid. I’ve indicated these pairs of words (all real words) separated with a slash.

Across

7. Unknown [terrain] covered by athletic unit, soldiers being game (7)
FIXTURE / MIXTURE
X = “Unknown” in FIT = “atheletic” + U = “unit” (?) + RE = “soldiers”
Definition: “game”

8. Pity [extremely] poor state’s representative (7)
TYPICAL
(PITY)* + CAL = “state”
Definition: “representative”

10. [Notary] turned page containing court orders (6)
EDICTS
SIDE = “page” reversed around CT = “court”
Definition: “orders”

11. Fresh sweet [apple], in pieces, dipped in vermouth (8)
IMPUDENT
PUD = “sweet” in MEN = “pieces” in IT = “vermouth” (as in “gin and it”)
Definition: “Fresh”

12. Row when aboard ship in [nautical] operations (3,7)
SEX CHANGES
EXCHANGE = “Row” in SS (“aboard ship”)
Definition: “operations”

13. Space [shuttle] secure when reversing (4)
ROOM / ROOF
MOOR = “secure” reversed
Definition: “Room”

14. [Windsor] Castle has incredibly intact roof whenever one goes inside (13)
FORTIFICATION / MORTIFICATION
IF = “whenever” + I = “one” in (INTACT ROOF)*
Definition: “Castle”

17. Society with [economic] problem regressed to disorder (4)
MUSS / FUSS
S = “Society” + SUM = “problem” all reversed
Definition: “disorder”

19. See amateur damaging finger cutting grooves in [rock] (10)
CHAMFERING / CHAFFERING
C = “See” + HAM = “amateur” + (FINGER)*
Definition: “cutting grooves in” – this is a new word for me: one of Chambers’s definitions of “chamfer” is “to channel or make furrows upon; to flute (eg a column)”. I didn’t know CHAFFERING either: “to chaffer” can be “to bargain”, “to haggle” or “to banter”

22. Seat covers torn oddly – put pins around [split] (8)
STRADDLE
T[o]R[n] = “torn oddly” in SADDLE = “Seat”
Definition: “put pins around” (“pins” as in “legs”)

23. Shakespearean killer gets shocking treatment in [nasty] part (6)
ASPECT
ASP = “Shakespearean killer” + ECT = “shocking treatment”
Definition: “part”

24. Crushing evil [emperor] in dynasty (7)
MILLING / FILLING
ILL = “evil” in MING = “dynasty”
Definition: “Crushing”

25. Leader of House leaves crumpled sheaf, [explaining] special old measure to adopt in Congress (4,3)
SAFE SEX / SAME SEX
(S[h]EAF)* = “Leader of House leaves crumpled sheaf” + S = “special” + EX = “old”
Definition: “measure to adopt in Congress”

Down

1. Tamper with [dodgy] dossier – department’s repeatedly taken in (6)
FIDDLE / MIDDLE
FILE = “dossier” with D = “department” inserted twice (“repeatedly taken in”)
Definition: “Tamper with”

2. Racer’s standard [turn] about right (5,3)
STOCK CAR
STOCK = “standard” + CA = “about” + R = “right”
Definition:

3. Toff, losing old acres, [will] bristle (6)
ARISTA
ARIST[o] = “Toff, losing old” + A = “acres”
Definition: “bristle”

4. Meetings with, say, corrupt [Etonians] protecting politician, one thus returned (8)
SYMPOSIA
(SAY)* around all of MP = “politician” followed by I = “one” + SO = “thus” reversed
Definition: “Meetings”

5. He looks [lost] after 30 seconds with the Berliner version? (6)
MINDER / FINDER
MIN[ute] = “30 seconds” + DER = “the Berliner version?” (i.e. “the” (masculine form) in German)
Definition: “He looks after”

6. Plant, [variety] of anis, wildly popular (8)
SAINFOIN
(OF ANIS)* + IN = “popular”
Definition: “Plant”

9. Journeys [England’s] length through good and bad times (11)
PILGRIMAGES
L = “length” in PI = “good” + GRIM = “bad” followed by AGES = “times”
Definition: “Journeys”

14. Government department, one abroad, cheers during [Arab] spring (8)
FOUNTAIN / MOUNTAIN
FO (Foreign Office) = “Government department” + UN = “one abroad” (the French for “one”) + TA = “cheers” + IN = “during”. As a very minor quibble here, nowadays it’s the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) but I suppose the older initialism is still used.
Definition: “Spring”

15. Police invading home – ten [criminals] organised disturbance (8)
INCIDENT
CID = “Police” contained in IN = “home” + (TEN)*
Definition: “disturbance”

16. Broke out some Muscadet, [really] purring when it’s knocked back (8)
IRRUPTED
Hidden reversed in [Musca]DET PURRI[ng]
Definition: “Broke out” – another small quibble, surely “irrupted” is “broke in” as opposed to “erupted” which would be “broke out”?

18. [Oil] firm’s board gets behind head of Shell (6)
STABLE
TABLE = “board” behind S[hell] = “head of Shell”
Definition: “Firm”

20. Motorists stopping quickly almost [started] brawl (6)
FRACAS
RAC = “Motorists” in (“stopping”) FAS[t] = “quickly almost”
Definition: “brawl”

21. Can sovereign [stand] for a pound? (6)
NICKER
NICK = “Can” (as in “jail”) + ER = “sovereign”
Definition: “a pound?” – “nicker” is old slang for a pound sterling