(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) This was a nicely Quiptic-level puzzle. Thanks to Hectence. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Cut-price outlet ignores rent (8,5)
DISCOUNT STORE : DISCOUNTS(ignores;disregards as being, say, irrelevant or untrustworthy) + TORE(rent;having made a split;a tear).
10 A French aircraft bearing north to Germany’s not scheduled (9)
UNPLANNED : UN(French for “a”) + PLANE(an aircraft) containing(bearing) N(abbrev. for “north”) plus(to) D(International Vehicle Registration code for Germany).
11 Oxford college principal’s male, reportedly (5)
KEBLE : Homophone of(…, reportedly) “key”(principal;of great importance) + “Burl”(a masculine first name).
12 Soldiers having bad time when retreating (5)
TROOP : Reversal of(… when retreating) [POOR(bad;not up to scratch) + T(abbrev. for “tie”)].
13 Endlessly regret island people’s downfall (9)
RUINATION : “rue”(to regret)minus its last letter(Endlessly …) + I(abbrev. for “island”) + NATION(a people under a single government).
14 The first student caught with weed? (7)
THISTLE : THE containing(… caught) [ IST(1st, with a Roman numeral substitution) + L(plate displayed by a student driver) ].
16 Holby City, for one, is disappointing after media hype (4-3)
SPIN-OFF : OFF(disappointing;below a satisfactory or expected level) placed after(after) SPIN(media hype;news or information presented in a way that creates a favourable information).
Answer: An example of which;for one, is “Holby City”, the series after “Casualty”, a medical drama TV series.
18 Study book added line on forehead! (7)
EYEBROW : EYE(to study;to look at or watch closely) + B(abbrev. for “book”) plus(added) ROW(a line of items).
20 Soldiers, with ten redeployed, about turn and go in again (2-5)
RE-ENTER : RE(abbrev. for “Royal Engineers”, the engineering branch of the British military) plus(with) anagram of(… redeployed) + reversal of(… turn) RE(about;with reference to).
21 Husband with fourth cigar burning is so afflicted by bad breath (9)
HALITOSIS : H(abbrev. for “husband”) plus(with) the 4th letter of(fourth …) “cigar ” + LIT(burning;aflame) + anagram of(… afflicted) IS SO.
23 20%, if cutting foot, go to hospital (5)
FIFTH : IF contained in(cutting) FT(abbrev. for “foot”) plus(go to) H(abbrev. for “hospital”).
Defn: … as a fraction.
24 When retiring, doctor has a dance (5)
SAMBA : Reversal of(… retiring) AS(when;at the same time as, as in “close the door as you go”) + MB(abbrev. for a Bachelor of Medicine) plus(has) A.
25 Generally found at sea? (2,3,4)
IN THE MAIN : Double defn: 2nd: …, poetically.
26 Bet rider error injured hunting dog (6,7)
BORDER TERRIER : Anagram of(… injured) BET RIDER ERROR.
Down
2 Terribly impoverished, he’d leave and perform without a script (9)
IMPROVISE : Anagram of(Terribly) “impoverished ” minus(… leave) “he’d “.
3 Vice president supports large number on strike (5)
CLAMP : P(abbrev. for “president”) placed below(supports, in a down clue) [ C(Roman numeral for 100, a large number) placed above(on, in a down clue) LAM(to strike;to beat) ].
4 Worry peacekeeping organisation never works (7)
UNNERVE : UN(abbrev. for the United Nations Organistaion;peacekeepers) + anagram of(… works) NEVER.
5 Boy gets killed by bears (7)
TEDDIES : TED(a boy’s name) + DIES(gets killed).
Defn: …, of the stuffed toy kind.
6 Go for a walk and get lost? (4,1,4)
TAKE A HIKE! : Cryptic defn: The literal meaning of the imperative to “Get lost!”
7 Short chat with religious leader (5)
RABBI : “rabbit”(to chat, or even, chatter;to talk inconsequentially) minus its last letter(Short …).
8 Copper gets shot in the pursuit, having skipped the preliminaries (3,2,3,5)
CUT TO THE CHASE : CU(chemical symbol for the element, copper) plus(gets) TOT(a shot;a small amount of liquor) contained in(in) [THE CHASE(pursuit) ].
9 Old transport gets girl a long way with meagre gallon (5-8)
PENNY-FARTHING : PENNY(a girl’s name) + FAR(a long way away) plus(with) THIN(meagre;lean) + G(abbrev. for “gallon”).
15 Rising actor at RADA oddly used to tell fortunes (5,4)
TAROT CARD : Reversal of(Rising, in a down clue) ACTOR AT + the 1st and 3rd letters of(… oddly) “RADA “.
17 Having no partner for the evening’s uncool (3-2-4)
OUT-OF-DATE : OUT OF(having none) DATE(a partner for a social event).
19 Lighter from Western Isles approaching jetty (7)
WISPIER : WIS(abbrev. for the Western Isles Scotland, the Outer Hebrides), alternatively, W(abbrev. for “Western”) + IS(plural I, abbrev. for “isle”) plus(approaching) PIER(a jetty into the sea).
Defn: More insubstantial, say, of smoke or clouds.
20 Run out to watch gripping motor race with a prize for the winner (7)
ROSETTE : RO(abbrev. for “run out”, in cricket scores) + SEE(to watch) containing(gripping) TT(abbrev. for the Tourist Trophy motorcycle cases held annually in the Isle of Man).
22 Branch office opening in state of uncertainty (5)
LIMBO : LIMB(a main branch of a tree, something you might find yourself out on, figuratively) + the 1st letter of(… opening) “office “.
23 Fellow, putting energies into car, becomes more relaxed (5)
FREER : F(abbrev. for “felloe”) + [ EE(twice the abbrev. in physics for “energy”;energies) contained in(putting … into) RR(abbrev. for the luxury car, the Rolls Royce) ].
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
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