The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27000.
I found this not to be quite as formidable as it looked on first pass. Indeed there is a good deal of subterfuge, but almost all of it resolves satisfactorily. For me, it was a very enjoyable outing, so many thanks to Picaroon.
| Across | ||
| 1 | COCKTAIL STICK | Bird, dogs and parasite found in wood in Manhattan? (8,5) |
| A charade of COCK (‘bird’) plus TAILS (‘dogs’, verb, in the sense of follows) plus TICK (‘parasite’); a Manhattan being a drink, although the maraschino cherry with which it is often served generally has its own stalk, rather than a stick. | ||
| 10 | INITIAL | Early version of Latin 11 (7) |
| An anagram (‘version’) of ‘Latin’ plus II (’11’, treated as two ones separately). | ||
| 11 | UKELELE | Here fashion mag contains tab for stringed instrument (7) |
| An envelope (‘contains’) of E (‘tab’, an abbreviation for tablet, which makes a change from ‘drug’,) in UK (‘here’ if you happen to be in the UK; presumably Picaroon was when he wrote this) plus ELLE (‘fashion mag’). An alternate spelling of UKULELE. | ||
| 12 | NONCE | Unaffiliated to Welby for the present? (5) |
| NON-C.E. (not of the Church of England, ‘unaffiliated to Welby’, Justin Welby being the current Archbishop of Canterbury). | ||
| 13 | NICODEMUS | Pharisee‘s overcome problem in penning laws (9) |
| An envelope (‘penning’) of CODE (‘laws’) in NIMUS, a reversal (‘overcome’) of SUM (‘problem’) plus ‘in’. A very apt surface, given the general view of the Pharisees in the Gospels, more than this particular one who appears in the Gospel of John. | ||
| 14 | EMEND | Polish pieces accepted by top journalist (5) |
| An envelope (‘accepted by’) of MEN (‘pieces’ eg in chess) in ED (‘top journalist’). | ||
| 16 | HYPHENATE | Puff maintaining acceleration, then running round to put in a dash (9) |
| A double envelope (‘maintaining’ and ’round’) of A (‘acceleration’) in HENT, an anagram (‘running’) of ‘then’ in HYPE (‘puff’). | ||
| 18 | HARD-WIRED | Warder hid criminal unable to be changed (4-5) |
| An anagram (‘criminal’) of ‘warder hid’. | ||
| 19 | TRESS | Sarkozy’s very small — it’s a bit of a shock (5) |
| A charade of TRÈS (‘Sarkozy’s very’) plus S (‘small’), with a cryptic definition. | ||
| 20 | PALSGRAVE | Where china’s buried for German nobleman (9) |
| PAL’S GRAVE (‘where china’s buried’, china {plate} being rhyming slang for mate). | ||
| 23 | GET ON | It’s to put in information board (3,2) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of ‘to’ in GEN (‘information’). | ||
| 24 | OVERACT | Public scoffs a starter of cheese and ham (7) |
| An envelope (‘scoffs’) of ‘a’ plus C (‘starter of Cheese’) in OVERT (‘public’). | ||
| 25 | VENTURE | Opening game turned around by header from Eden Hazard (7) |
| A charade of VENT (‘opening’) plus UR, a reversal (‘turned around’) of RU (Rugby Union, ‘game’) plus E (‘header from Eden’). For the surface, Eden Hazard plays for Chelsea. | ||
| 26 | GENERAL STRIKE | Soldiers needing vehicle when everyone’s out (7,6) |
| A charade of GENERALS (‘soldiers’) plus TRIKE (tricycle, ‘vehicle’). | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | ORIENTEER | Sportingly get around with nothing on entire bust? I’m not sure (9) |
| A charade of O (‘nothing’) plus RIENTE, an anagram (‘bust’) of ‘entire’ plus ER (‘I’m not sure’). | ||
| 3 | KNIFE | What’s taken up by chef in kitchen (5) |
| A hidden (‘what’s taken’) reversed (‘up’ in a down light) answer in ‘chEF IN Kitchen’, with an extended definition. | ||
| 4 | ALL IN | Tired no one out (3,2) |
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 5 | LAUNCH PAD | Where you take off home after a filling repast (6,3) |
| A charade of LAUNCH, an envelope (‘filling’) of ‘a’ in LUNCH (‘repast’) plus PAD (‘home’). | ||
| 6 | TRENDIEST | Passes through river cooler than the others (9) |
| An envelope (‘through’) of DIES (‘passes’) in TRENT. Once again, my first thought for the river was TEST, but at least than pointed me in the right direction. | ||
| 7 | CREAM | Worry, dropping a maiden’s cosmetic (5) |
| Tricky: ‘dropping’ does not indicate leaving out, but, in a down light, moving downwards; so it is CARE, with the A moved to the end, plus M (‘maiden’ in cricket). | ||
| 8 | WINNIE THE POOH | Bear with lodging that is hot and hope for change (6,3,4) |
| A charade of W (‘with’) plus INN (‘lodging’) plus IE (‘that is’) plus THEPOOH, an anagram (‘for change’) of ‘hot’ plus ‘hope’. | ||
| 9 | MEISTERSINGER | Retiring seems doubtful for old German performer (13) |
| An anagram (‘doubtful’) of ‘retiring seems’. | ||
| 15 | DOWNGRADE | Move from A to B and awkwardly drag blue English cases (9) |
| An envelope (‘cases’) of GRAD, an anagram (‘awkwardly’) of ‘drag’ in DOWN (‘blue’) plus E (‘English’). | ||
| 16 | HERBAL TEA | Latvian present’s wrapped, a decoction (6,3) |
| A charade of HERBALTE, an envelope (‘wrapped’) of BALT (‘Latvian’ – undeclared indication by example) in HERE (‘present’) plus ‘a’. | ||
| 17 | AWESTRUCK | Bedazzled throng following One Direction (9) |
| A charade of A (‘one’) plus WEST (‘direction’) plus RUCK (‘throng’). | ||
| 21 | LIEGE | Story’s engrossing for one lord (5) |
| An envelope (‘engrossing’) of EG (‘for one’) in LIE (‘story’). | ||
| 22 | ELVIS | The king‘s mischievous horse bolts (5) |
| ELVIS[h] (‘mischievous’) minus the H (‘horse bolts’). | ||
| 23 | GONER | It’s left and right and it’s all over for him (5) |
| A charade of GONE (‘left’) plus R (‘right’). | ||
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