The French alps and Tyrus – what a pleasant combination. Certainly one of my favourite setters and also one of my favourite settings in the valley beneath Mont Blanc.
Loved 10ac – a very lateral way to get there. 23ac is more than a little bit risque – but an interesting definition – a very modern use of the word (look up in Chambers under Brazilian wax if you are not familiar with its usage and wince). 6dn amused me too. 19dn was my last one in.
Many thanks Tyrus and apologies for the shortness of the blog, but there are some wonderful mountains here.
Key;
Underline – definition; * anagram, DD double definition; Rev. reverse
Across
1 Always first to get into bar (which may explain it) (4,3)
Eer (always) + g (first to get) in but (bar) = BEER GUT
5 Working at coffee shop, one down south, for expenses (7)
On (working) + Costa (coffee shop) – a (one down) + s (south) = ONCOSTS
9 Is new Olympian holding back old one? (5)
Rev. hidden iS NEW Olympian = OWENS
10 Friend-to-be’s thinking so outside the box (9)
Later ally – a friend to be = LATERALLY
11 The best of the bunch? (3,6)
TOP BANANA
12 Personal revelation of sexual tastes – feet (5)
I am bi (as in bi-sexual) = IAMBI
13 Bank on big money – call partner not a great player but a marketing phenomenon (5,7)
Beck (call partner as in Beck and call) + ham (not a great player) = BRAND BECKHAM
17 Police sergeant surprisingly cross when resistance’s contained (5,7)
(sergeant)* around x(cross) + as (when) + r (resistance) = TEXAS RANGERS
20 Goalie picked up bottle (5)
Homonym of Hart (as in Joe Hart) = HEART
21 Historical region of Romania is destroyed (4,5)
(Romania is)* = ASIA MINOR
23 Refuse to accept, on reflection, current female hairstyle (9)
Bran (refuse) around Rev. (I (current) + Liza(female) = BRAZILIAN (not a hairstyle for the head for those unfamiliar with modern trends)
24 Provide close to university quarter (5)
End(close) + u (university) + e (quarter) = ENDUE
25 Fly from Sweden to Norway? Not very much (7)
S (Sweden) + Midge (fly) + n (Norway) = SMIDGEN
26 Drunkard approaching ship – best to withdraw (7)
To (approaching) + ss (ship) + Rev. (top(best)) = TOSSPOT
Down
1 Top man taking over public transport (4,4)
Bob (man) around o (over) + tube (public transport) = BOOB TUBE
2 Model and old English politician having endless romp (8)
Old (ex) + e (English) + mp (politician) + lark (romp) – k = EXEMPLAR
3 Run (ignoring leader) against disgraced president (7,8)
(against –a + disgraced)* = GISCARD D’ESTAING
4 Knocked up a loose woman in city abroad (5)
Re. (A slut (loose woman)) = TULSA
5 Struggling but are saved by Australian and another (remotely) (9)
(but + a (are))* in Ocker (Australian) = OUTBACKER
6 17 and similar solved cannibal murders (8,7)
(cannibal murders)* = CARDINAL NUMBERS
7 Only person to get disheartened – that’s serious (6)
Sole (only) + man –a (person disheartened) = SOLEMN
8 Why Times puzzle’s about to frustrate (6)
(y(why) + times)* = STYMIE
14 Aura surrounding American backing European state (9)
Rev. am (american) + e (European) + nation (state) = EMANATION
15 Informed of news – encouraged to move quickly out (6,2)
nn (news) in Geed up (encouraged to move quickly) = GENNED UP
16 Custom lifted, French FA finally got greedy (8)
Rev. use (custom) + Rien (French for nothing (FA)) + t (finally got) = ESURIENT
18 Old city elite group cut (6)
The best (elite group) – t = THEBES
19 National in nearby country cheers up (6)
Rev. ta (cheers) in Iraq (nearby country) =QATARI
22 Don’t you think pub has appeal? (5)
Inn (pub) + IT (appeal) = INNIT
Thanks, twenceslas.
In the UK it is now eleven minutes after midnight, and you solved this puzzle already?
I did too but then … anyway, let’s leave it there.
A difficult but doable crossword, failed to get 13ac and 15d (which I didn’t like, constructionwise).
In 13ac, can you (or anyone else) please explain BRAND?
I particularly liked the relatively simple 6d for its ’17’ misdirection.
But there was a lot more to enjoy.
Satisfying solve.
Thanks to Big Jim who, as I just found out, has a double bill today.
But that one’s for later (today).
Thanks twencelas and Tyrus.
Sil, I think that BRAND = B(the edge;bank of “big”) + RAND(S.African money). Hope I’m right.
Thanks twencelas and enjoy your sojourn. And thanks to Jim the Great for the usual treat (which I needed more than ever on a difficult day thanks to the Court of Protection). And there you are in another place too. Compensation enough for my current tribulations. Signature clue I think is 22 down. (Innit?).
Lots of lovely stuff with 1,12 and 26a bringing an especially wide smile. Cheers to setter and blogger.
Too difficult for me, or else I just wasn’t on Tyrus’s wavelength today – had to cheat to finish it.
Many thanks to twencelas for the blog – enjoy the rest of your stay – and to others for their comments.
I, too, was not on the wavelength for this. Tried to do it on a train down to Brighton this afternoon and got only a handful of clues. Just as well I had something to read as well.
I found this very difficult though eventually finished it, with the exception of 13, after lots of mental effort. Just this side of being enjoyable without being too hard and good clues everywhere, including OUTBACKER, BRAZILIAN and INNIT to pick some almost at random. I parsed BRAND as did scchua @2.
Best wishes to Conrad Cork @3 – hope things work out for you.
A big thanks to Tyrus and twencelas.