It’s not Sunday is it? Been a while since Hypnos appeared during the week.
Quite a suitable solve for a monday, mostly straightforward although the river in the last clue was forgotten by me whilst solving.
Thanks Hypnos
Across
1 Shellfish picked up for contractor? (6)
MUSCLE
Def by example – sounds like – picked up – MUSSEL
4 A supporter’s not recorded emitting line that’s hurtful (8)
ABRASIVE
A & the woman’s support BRA & ‘S & L(ine) removed from (l)IVE
9 Nonsense from liberal behind rally (6)
DRIVEL
DRIVE (rally) & L(iberal)
10 Old lag, one repeatedly moving plants (8)
GLADIOLI
[OLD LAG & 1 & 1 (repeated)]* moving
11 Dependable way to form idols? (4-5)
ROCK-SOLID
You need to ROCK (IDOLS)*
13 Pass on slogan for Brexit? (5)
LEAVE
Double def. Brexit means death then.
14 They mark lines showing sense with book (5,6)
TOUCH JUDGES
TOUCH (a sense) & the book of JUDGES
18 Fact soldier manipulated as revolutionary leader (5,6)
FIDEL CASTRO
[FACT SOLDIER]* manipulated
21 Approval given by a special number for ruminant (5)
OKAPI
OK & A & PI
22 Scoundrel touching legal document (9)
REPROBATE
RE (on, touching) & PROBATE
24 Suitable jacket for trendy flat say (8)
PROPERTY
PROPER & the jacket of T(rend)Y
25 Hotel with a pool designed for excitement (6)
HOOPLA
H(otel) & [A POOL]* designed
26 Indicate range of tenors? (8)
REGISTER
Double def
27 Sacred itinerant holding distinction (6)
CREDIT
Hidden – holding answer
Down
1 Calm river in China (8)
MODERATE
River ODER in MATE (china)
2 Diminutive figure infiltrating drink? It’s deceptive behaviour (6-2)
STITCH-UP
TITCH infiltrating SUP
3 Electrical gear for broadcast in city (5)
LEEDS
Sounds like – broadcast – LEADS
5 Two animals appear on piece of footage – papers might go into it? (7,4)
BULLDOG CLIP
BULL & DOG & CLIP of film
6 Fantastic sundial found in pair of areas, one in Spain (9)
ANDALUSIA
Def slightly overlaps with area – SUNDIAL* fantastically inside 2 * A(rea)
7 Admission by plaintive sort, upset artist, sign of pressure (6)
ISOBAR
I SOB (cry by plaintive sort) & R.A. reversed.
8 Musician in underground site plugging European music principally (6)
EMINEM
MINE in E(uropean) M(usic). A rap musician m’lud
12 Place offering spin for change? (11)
LAUNDERETTE
Cryptic definition – this one doesn’t wash for me 🙂
15 Fellow wearing this seen batting – it’s ideal for bouncers? (9)
HEFTINESS
Most nightclub bouncers are pretty welll built – F(ellow) in [THIS SEEN]* battered
16 Holy man subject to criticism badly in need (8)
STRAPPED
S(ain)T & RAPPED
17 Permissive couple of workers rejecting India (8)
TOLERANT
I(ndia) removed from TO(i)LER & ANT
19 Inactivity shown by soldiers in busy port (6)
TORPOR
O(ther) R(anks) in a busy PORT*
20 Arab dons number, unisex garment (6)
SARONG
AR(ab) in SONG
23 Foreign river, ending top in repute (5)
ODOUR
The Portugese river DOURO with the end O at the top.
Good puzzle.
Couldn’t parse ODOUR: R. Douro filed for future ref, Oder ‘in repute’ didn’t quite do it.
HEFTINESS my CoD.
New Year’s res: lurk less and post more.
Regards to Flashling – don’t worry, the Stain of Shame for your 12d will rinse out – and thanks to Hypnos.
Very neat cluing-my pick of the day.Thanks for parsing of ODOUR
Nice rhythm to this one with – once I got a few in – everything unfolding at a rewarding pace. LOI was 23d as hadn’t heard of river or def so thanks to Flashling for enlightenment; thanks also to Hypnos for an enjoyable puzzle.
Some great clues here, MUSCLE, BULLDOG CLIP and ANDALUSIA among my favourites, But I thought LEAVE wasn’t quite up to the standard of the rest, and I hadn’t come across ‘excitement’ as a meaning of HOOPLA.
Thanks, Hypnos and flashling.
Thanks to Hypnos and flashing. Re 23D are port drinkers really so thin on the ground ? 12d made me laugh. Brought back memories of penniless student days. Perhaps flashling has always enjoyed an extensive wardrobe.
Grant Baynham @1. Of course, I don’t do all the crosswords but often read the blogs. We are off to Madeira in a couple of weeks for our winter break and will drink wines mainly from the Douro region. May I recommend them to you as they are exceedingly good and not well known enough.
@5 crossed with me. The Portuguese have moved (significantly) on from port.
@KripticKate I was a penniless student, although being male how much washing I did is another matter. 🙂
@7trenodia. Very true. I have to admit to thoroughly enjoying Douro reds. However my overall experience of solving crosswords suggests that many if not most compilers are of a certain vintage. Therefore I selected Port.
To be a good CD, the clue has to make you think of something else and I’m not sure what 12D is supposed to make you think of (possibly an amusement arcade?) Other than that slightly dodgy one, I found this to be an enjoyable puzzle with lots of well-constructed clues.
Nealh @10, maybe a change of clothes get the spin. Must admit I only got it from the crossing letters. A nice Monday puzzle, thanks to all. And yes, as an ageing drinker I know about the river in 23d, but odour/repute didn’t gel for a while.
NealH@10: My first fleeting thought for 12dn was an amusement arcade or one of the machines therein. Talking of amusement reminds me of the notice allegedly seen in a launderette: “Please remove your clothes when the light goes out.”
I’ll get my coat.