Guardian Cryptic 26566 with Picture Quiz

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow.  To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)  An enjoyable puzzle, tricky in some parts. Thanks to Picaroon. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1    It’s round 17 (8)

CIRCULAR : Double defn: 2nd: A kind of advertising material, answer to 17 down.

5    King interrupts subject to give some latitude (6)

TROPIC : R(abbrev. for for the Latin “Rex”;king) contained in(interrupts) TOPIC(the subject being discussed, written, etc).

Defn: … , geographically, either one of two.

9    Diviner love cherished by men dancing with grace (9)

GEOMANCER : O(letter signifying 0;love in tennis scores) contained in(cherished by) anagram of(… dancing with …) [ MEN + GRACE].

11    Kid with special trick taking one in (5)

SCION : S(abbrev. for “special”) + CON(short for “confidence trick”) containing(taking … in) I(Roman numeral for “one”).

12    Investment in capital? Add in scavenging for riches here (8,4)

ALADDIN’S CAVE : Hidden in(Investment in) “capital? Add in scavenging “. Well and truly hidden.

15    Writer‘s love movie (4)

OVID : O(letter signifying 0;love in tennis scores) + VID(short for “video”;a movie).

16    Pound forged after Poles provided assistance for coppers (7,3)

SNIFFER DOG : Anagram of(Pound) FORGED placed after(after, in an across clue) [ S,N(abbrev. for the South and North Poles, respectively) + IF(provided;conditional on).

18    They seize someone‘s genetic material to implant in swimmers once (10)

KIDNAPPERS : DNA(abbrev. for “deoxyribonucleic acid”, the chemical compound that carries your genetic information) contained in(to implant in) KIPPERS(which were once fish;swimmers, before being cured).

19    Country where Picaroon tried to get elected (4)

IRAN : I(pronoun for the setter, Picaroon, self-referentially) + RAN(stood for election).

21    One taking cap off batsman following balls (6,6)

BOTTLE OPENER : OPENER(in cricket, the player who starts the batting for his team) placed after(following) BOTTLE(courage, slang for which is “balls”, as in “Does he – Ed? – have the balls to do it”).

24    Curl shot by goalposts for rugby pitch (5)

LURCH : Anagram of(… shot) CURL plus(by) H(the capital letter that describes rugby goalposts).

25    Excite one female – pick extremely racy clothing (9)

ELECTRIFY : [ I(Roman numeral for “one”) + F(abbrev. for “female”) ] contained in(… clothing) [ ELECT(to pick;to choose via the majority vote) + the 1st letter and the last letter of(extremely) “racy ” ] .

26    French girl, back from Normandy, almost given the once-over (6)

YVETTE : The last letter of(back from) “Normandy ” + “vetted”(given the once-over;screened) minus its last letter(almost …)

27    Way of playing with pets round – and another pet round (8)

STACCATO : Reversal of(… round) CATS(pets, perhaps) + CAT(another one those pets) + O(letter signifying a round shape).

Defn: … a, or part of a, musical piece.

Down

1    Overheard two thirds of security service is guarded (4)

CAGY : Homophone of(Overheard) the 1st two letters of(two thirds of) KGB(abbrev. for the security service of the former USSR).

Defn: Being cautious and wary – an alternative spelling.

2    Accommodation‘s low rent initially raised (4)

ROOM : Reversal of(… raised, in a down clue) [ MOO(to low, as a cow does) + the 1st letter of(… initially) “rent “].

3    American president takes line that’s practical (6)

USABLE : US(abbrev. for things American) + ABE(short for Abraham Lincoln, former US President) containing(takes) L(abbrev. for “line”).

4    High percent, on acid, likely to have a bad trip (8-5)

ACCIDENT-PRONE : Anagram of(High) PERCENT, ON ACID.

6    Touching a celibate woman, one who’ll fight back (8)

RESISTER : RE(touching on;with reference to) + SISTER(a celibate woman in a religious order).

7    Royal couple’s courts (10)

PHILANDERS : [ PHIL AND ER ](short for Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and abbrev. for “Elizabeth Regina”, the royal first couple)‘S.

8    Member of coalition getting near to forming a coalition? (10)

CONVERGING : CON(abbrev. for “Conservative”, a member of the last British Government coalition) + VERGING(getting near to, as in “… verging on anarchy”).

10    Bridle because setter provides stress (13)

REINFORCEMENT : REIN(to bridle;to restrain) + FOR(because;since, as in “He was devastated for he was not elected”) + CEMENT(the substance that sets when dry).

Defn: That which gives emphasis to.

13    A poster plugging weak musical style (10)

ROCKABILLY : [ A + BILL(an advertising poster) ] contained in(plugging) ROCKY(weak;uncertain as in “a rocky relationship”).

Answer: A popular music style combining features of rock and hillbilly music.

14    Property of fruit topped with pastry – go wrong with turnover (4-1-5)

PIED-À-TERRE : [ DATE(a fruit) placed below(topped with) PIE(a pastry) ] + reversal of(… with turnover, in a down clue) ERR(to go wrong).

Defn: A flat, house or other lodging for temporary or occasional use.

17    Newspaper’s erotic advertising (8)

MAILSHOT : MAIL(Daily, British newspaper)‘S + HOT(erotic).

Defn: … material sent through the post.

20    Muscle spasm produces acid sort (6)

PECTIC : PEC(slang for the pectoral muscle) + TIC(a muscular spasm or twitch).

Defn: … chemically derived from the carbohydrate, pectin.

22    In China, millions wanting return for capital (4)

LIMA : Hidden in(In) reversal of(… wanting return) “China, millions “.

Defn: … city of Peru.

23    Mistake, the 15th kind from reporter (4)

TYPO : Homophone of(… from reporter) [ “type”(kind;sort) “o”(the 15th letter of the English alphabet) ].

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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.

     

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)