Thanks to Beale, for a puzzle pitched at about the right level of difficulty for a Quiptic. Enjoyable, even if one had to wait almost a day for it. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Drunken capers caused tricky situation (6)
SCRAPE : Anagram of(Drunken) CAPERS.
5 Odds on appeal for help involving royal supporters (8)
SPONSORS : SP(abbrev. for “Starting Price”, the betting odds on a particular horse at the start of a race) plus(on) SOS(the signal that help is needed in crises) containing(involving) R(abbrev. for “royal”).
9 Substantial applause given by a few (8)
HANDSOME : HAND(applause, as in “let’s give this next performer a big hand”) plus(given by) SOME(a few).
Defn: … amount.
10 Not liable for former MEP misbehaving with model (6)
EXEMPT : EX-(prefix denoting “former”;once) + anagram of(… misbehaving) MEP
plus(with) T(the classic Ford motorcar model).
11 Continue heading away from explosion (4)
LAST : “blast”(an explosion) minus its 1st letter(heading away from …).
12 Eastern flower samples for businesses (10)
INDUSTRIES : INDUS(the river;flow-er in India) + TRIES(samples, say, food).
13 Illegally obtained furs worn to first night (6)
STOLEN : STOLE(clothing article of fur worn round the shoulders) plus(to) the 1st letter of(first) “night“.
14 Remain, when mother leaves to bring back straw for animals (8)
REINDEER : “Remain” minus(when … leaves) “ma”(informal term for one’s mother) plus(to) reversal of(bring back) REED(straw;grassy vegetation).
16 Things are confused, it’s clear (8)
ARTICLES : Anagram of(confused) IT’S CLEAR.
19 Hospital department divides to provide a sufficient amount (6)
PLENTY : ENT(abbrev. for the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist department in a hospital) containing(divides) PLY(to provide, as in “to ply your guest with food”).
20 When the board meant to abandon a project (10)
ASSIGNMENT : AS(when, as in “as you go through Customs …” + SIGN(a visible board with information on it;a signpost) + “meant” minus(to abandon) “a“.
22 Place where it’s wrong to point (4)
SITE : Anagram of(… wrong) plus(IT’S)E(abbrev. for “east”, the compass point).
23 Generous to carry the can? That’s harsh (6)
BITING : BIG(generous;ample) containing(to carry) TIN(a can;a small container made of metal).
Defn: Like a cold wind, for example.
24 Keep quiet with book (8)
PRESERVE : P(abbrev. for “piano”, a musical instruction to play quietly) plus(with) BOOK(to reserve, say, a seat or place).
25 Do I steal out, when friendless? (8)
ISOLATED : Anagram of(… out) DO I STEAL.
26 Drive with confidence round hotel (6)
THRUST : TRUST(confidence in someone who will not betray you, for example) containing(round) H(letter representing by “hotel” in the phonetic alphabet).
Down
2 Features East’s arch-critic misrepresented (15)
CHARACTERISTICS : Anagram of(… misrepresented) EAST’S ARCH-CRITIC.
3 Sound broadcast endlessly before time check (5)
AUDIT : “audio”(sound broadcast, as in an audio channel in contrast to a video one) minus its last letter(endlessly) placed above(before, in a down clue) T(abbrev. for “time”, as in physics, say).
4 The final movement a student may find sentimental (9)
EMOTIONAL : The last letter of(… final) “The” + MOTION(movement;activity) + A + L(abbrev. for “learner”, as in the plate displayed by a learner driver).
5 South bank appears insubstantial (7)
SLENDER : S(abbrev. for “south”) + LENDER(… of money, which is what a bank is, at a cost of course).
6 Starts with circle and stalls (5)
OPENS : O(the letter representing a circle) plus(and) PENS(stalls for farm animals).
7 Directed son to place for swingers, shamefaced (7)
STEERED : S(abbrev. for “son”) plus(to) TEE(the place where golfers take a swing with their clubs) + RED(… with embarrassment;shamefaced).
8 Delegates preserve state in disarray (15)
REPRESENTATIVES : Anagram of(… disarray) PRESERVE STATE IN.
15 Keen to get on up the motorway to invalid (9)
IMPATIENT : Reversal of(up) MI(the M1 motorway in England, with the numeral Romanised) plus(to) PATIENT(a medical case, what an invalid is).
17 Letter openers individually numbered in the inventory, as listed (7)
INITIAL : The 1st letters, respectively, of(openers) “individually numbered in the inventory, as listed“.
Defn: … as used in names, eg. T.S. Eliot.
18 Walked in a series of stages (7)
STEPPED : Double defn: 2nd: Stepwise.
21 Darkness of the spirit reflected, lacking energy (5)
NIGHT : Reversal of(… reflected) [“the” + GIN(the alcoholic spirit)] minus(lacking) “e”(abbrev. for “energy”, in physics).
22 Playing here’s fine (5)
SHEER : Anagram of(Playing) HERE’S.
Defn: … as with transparent or semi-transparent material.
Thank Beale and scchua
My favourite was STEERED
Really smooth surfaces, and (for once) the right level of difficulty
Thank Beale and scchua
Foolishly got caught out with “aitch” for 3d. Ai(r), broadcast endlessly, t for “time” and “ch” for check to give the definition of a “sound”. Held me up with 9 and 11 until the penny dropped. Doh!
Good puzzle. Thanks Beale and scchua.
Re 24 A: The parsing with to book = to reserve is what you doubtless mean. Your B for book is not very clear.
Thanks Georg Seifert. Well caught! What was I thinking of? Probably another crossword that I was doing about the same time where B = Book. Blog corrected.
Thank scchua for a fine blog of a Quiptic that appeared late because of technical problems.
(that’s what the Guardian site says)
This was indeed a nicely pitched crossword, not too difficult, no obscurities.
That said, it is also clear that Beale is a setter who has no problems with some things that I really dislike.
Both ‘first night’ for N (in 13ac) and ‘the final’ for E (4d) are not my cup of tea.
Also, just ‘openers’ followed by the multiple fodder in 17d raised half an eyebrow (but not for long!).
I would have gone for the more precise ‘openers of’ and change the fodder appropriately.
However, I find it just about acceptable (in my book of crosswords, that is, of course).
Some ‘purists’ will not be happy with the past tense [’caused’] in 1ac, which could indeed have been avoided using ‘causing’.
Overall though, a good Quiptic.
One more thing and that is about the grid.
In the 7th and 9th row there are words that have three letters in a row unchecked.
Most editors won’t accept such grids and, for that reason, I am a bit surprised that this is an official Guardian grid.
By the way, personally I cannot be bothered too much – I always take grids as they come.
And in this case STOLEN (13ac) and PLENTY (19ac) were easy to get.
Thanks again to blogger & setter.
Thanks to Beale and sschua. Beale is new to me and receives the variety award for a wide range of devices; the blog is painstakingly comprehensive; both are appropriate to a Quiptic.
I enjoyed SLENDER and STEERED, with a nod to INITIAL which I thought was a nice surface, notwithstanding the validity of comment by Sil van den Hoek@6.
Thank you Beale and scchua.
Good concise clues with smooth surfaces, I loved the “Illegally obtained furs”!
Thanks Beale and scchua.
This was perfect pitch for me – anagrams gave me an easy entry, but then had to wrestle through, and learnt a bit on the way.
Thanks also for the parsing of SPONSORS – managed to get it from the def and the crossers, but the betting odds completely eluded me. Perhaps I should be grateful that I have been sheltered from the murky world of gambling?!