Another no-show by the scheduled blogger so it will have to be another ‘analysis without commentary’, sorry, apart from to mention the obvious theme, which some (a lot?) of us feel we’ve heard far too much of in recent months.
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Across
7 Rugby player’s jersey is possible reason for 21 (8)
BACKSTOP – BACK’S (rugby player’s) TOP (jersey)
9 Respect refusal to be constrained by time (6)
HONOUR – NO (refusal) in (to be constrained by) HOUR (time)
10/14 Sporting purple sabots as a symbol of ‘independence’ (4,8)
BLUE PASSPORT – an anagram (sporting) of PURPLE SABOTS
11 Doctors pinning down GI’s bizarre psychological symptoms (4,6)
MOODSWINGS – MOS (doctors) around (pinning) an anagram (bizarre) of DOWN GI’S
12 Japanese electronics company introduces new gaming site (6)
CASINO – CASIO (Japanese electronics company) around (introduces) N (new)
15 Carbon copy keeps returning to author (6)
CAPOTE – C (carbon) APE (copy) around (keeps) TO reversed (returning)
16 On friendly terms with Germany? Shut up! (6)
CLOSED – CLOSE (on friendly terms with) D (Germany)
19 Typical Independent reader (some say) more excited by article about revolutionary (8)
REMOANER – an anagram (excited) of MORE followed by AN (article) RE (on) reversed (revolutionary)
21 Retired L.A. crime boss accepts English alternative to 15D (2,4)
NO DEAL – LA DON (crime boss) reversed (retired) around (accepts) E (English)
23 Sounds like sheepshagger’s clothing has a household name (10)
TUPPERWARE – sounds like ‘tup wear’ (sheepshagger’s clothing) around (has) PER (a)
24 Arch European backing Central Bank’s U-turn (4)
TUSK – hidden (central) reversal (backing) in ‘banK’S U-Turn’
25 Unionist intervening in 24D gets a shock (6)
TRAUMA – U (Unionist) in (intervening in) TRAM (24D) plus A
26 Landowners from Spain renovated manor within two years (8)
YEOMANRY – E (Spain) plus an anagram (renovated) on MANOR) in YY (two years)
Down
1 Newspaper reported a bloomer (6)
DAHLIA – sounds like (reported) ‘daily’ (newspaper) plus A
2 Island off Scotland is English? Heavens above! (4)
SKYE – SKY (heavens) E (English)
3 Acrimoniously leave fat, grasping old politician (5,3)
STOMP OUT – STOUT (fat) around (grasping) O (old) MP (politician)
4 Possible explanation for itchier skin’s oddly dismissed (6)
THESIS – [i]T[c]H[i]E[r] S[k]I[n]S (itchier skin’s oddly dismissed)
5 Sick setter, pissed on rum, died (10)
INDISPOSED – I (setter) plus an anagram (rum) of PISSED ON followed by D (died)
6 Ruined European in Great Britain urged to move (8)
BUGGERED – E (European) in an anagram (to move) of GB URGED
8 Timely / reminder (6)
PROMPT – double def.
13 Amount one raised covering 8 musical compositions (10)
IMPROMPTUS – SUM (amount) I (one) reversed (raised) around (covering) PROMPT (8)
15 Game / plan for 2019 (8)
CHEQUERS – double def.
17 Journal contains old line about knight (8)
LANCELOT – LANCET (journal) around (contains) O (old) L (line) reversed (about)
18 Minister to Yankee in Lisbon, say (6)
TREATY – TREAT (minister to) Y (Yankee)
20 Absolutely not accepting Rutherford’s original model (6)
NORWAY – NO WAY (absolutely not) around (accepting) R[utherford] (Rutherford’s original))
22 Ludicrous sailor’s uniform gets ridiculed heartlessly (6)
ABSURD – AB’S (sailor’s) U (uniform) R[idicule]D (ridiculed heartlessly)
24 Way to get around penniless down-and-out (4)
TRAM – TRAM[p] (penniless down-and-out)
Thanks for stepping in Gaufrid, and thanks to Italicus, for some hilarious answers (and clues). I kept telling my Significant Other about them as I was solving. (Nice for me, if less so for her.)
6 down sounds like our setter’s verdict on the state of play.
Very enjoyable with lots of laughs along the way.
Many thanks to Italicus and to Gaufrid.
I’ve never been happier to be taking the Independent shilling than when seeing editor Christian Broughton address the rally after the march on Saturday, so this is a timely puzzle. Apologies to Anglio, whose berth Italicus borrowed for this one.
Most enjoyable as well as being topical without taking a personal standpoint – well done, Italicus.
I particularly liked the succinct 8d and the 10/14 combo but had some reservations about 23a.
Thanks to Italicus (I still cherish my old 10/14!) and to Gaufrid for stand-in duties.
Thanks for the blogging Gaufrid and thanks to Italicus for a good mental workout.
The speeches on Saturday were worth hearing. The thoughts of a gentleman from Northern Ireland whose father was killed during the troubles were very moving. He gave us a timely reminder that before voting took place on the Good Friday agreement all households received a leaflet detailing the terms.
A puzzle of two halves for us. We spotted the theme early on with BACKSTOP, BLUE PASSPORT and NO DEAL but incredibly took ages to see CHEQUERS and most of the SW corner. A nice penny-drop moment with NORWAY – we got it from wordplay before realising the ‘model’ referred to a possible trade deal.
Favourites, though, were the non-themed YEOMANRY and LANCELOT.
Thanks, Italicus and Gaufrid.
Bravo, Italicus. Thanks to Gaufrid for the blog – the current gov strategy(inasmuch as they have one) seems to be to run the clock down and get people bored with the whole business. Rather like getting bored with looking for a cure for cancer; although I recognise that other opinions are available
Wow.
What a splendid crossword.
Loved every (well, nearly every 🙂 ) bit of it!
This puzzle outshone even Arachne’s (at another place) – at least for me – and that is not a mean feat.
Many thanks Gaufrid (for once more stepping in) and Italicus.
Many thanks to one and all for the kind comments. I’m glad I managed to raise a few smiles on such a grim subject!
Thanks to Gaufrid for stepping in at the last moment and apologies to Anglio for nicking his spot.
To think I spent the first half of last week worrying that those idiots might actually reach a deal thus rendering some of the clues outdated. More fool me!
Many thanks Italics for a most enjoyable crossword. – loved it. Very timely, some aching muscles from the March but it was such a fantastic event. Even met up with some bloggers at the Doric Arch at Euston before my train home.
Many thanks Gaufried and thanks Eimi for the scheduling
It’s rather late in the day and also a day late, (almost 2 days late) but we are pleased we stayed up for it.
Great clues, lots of laughs along the way which made the theme of the puzzle almost enjoyable. Too many good clues to mention but our LOI took the biscuit – 23a!
Thanks Gaufrid for stepping in and many thanks to Italicus.