Guardian Quiptic 1019 Hectence

Thanks Hectence. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

8 Revels in ruin of VAT files (8)

FESTIVAL : Anagram of(ruin of)VAT FILES.

9 Stretch out, then squat to keep out of sight (3,3)

LIE LOW : LIE(to stretch out, on a couch, say) plus(then) LOW(squat/short/stumpy).

10 Companion’s carrying very large truncheon (4)

COSH : CH(abbrev. for “Companion of Honour”) containing(…’s carrying) OS(abbrev. for “outsize”/size of very large clothing).

11 Not as troubled against weakened top grade football team (5,5)

ASTON VILLA : Anagram of(… troubled) NOT AS + V(abbrev. for “versus”/against, of two sides in a competition or dispute) + ILL(weakened by, say, a sickness) + A(denoting the top/first grade).

12 Crop both sides and finally ease into alcove (6)

BARLEY : [ R,L(abbrev. for “right” and “left” sides, respectively) plus(and) last letter of(finally) “ease” ] contained in(into) BAY(an alcove/area created by a projecting a wall outward, hence “a bay window”).

14 English reporters tucked into very strong coffee (8)

ESPRESSO : E(abbrev. for “English”) + [ PRESS(reporters, collectively) contained in(tucked into) SO(very/to a large degree).

15 URL for Guardian Live’s put in (7)

WEBSITE : WE(self-referential pronoun for the paper, as a group, publishing this crossword) + [ BE(to live/to exist) contained in(… in) SIT(to put, as in “sit the book on your lap”) ].

17 Get very excited when second XI’s promoted (5,2)

STEAM UP : S(abbrev. for “second”, in time notation)+ XI(Roman numeral for “eleven”, referring to a sporting team of 11 players, as with the “Aston Villa First XI”) + UP(promoted/elevated).

20 Scouts do stick first of badges on right sleeve in the middle (8)

JAMBOREE : JAM(to stick/to become unable to move or operate due a part adhering/sticking to something) + 1st letters, respectively, of(first of) “badges on right” + 2 middle letters of(… in the middle) “sleeve“.

Defn: A large gathering/do of members of the Scout Association.

22 Majority gutted about Klee work lacking oomph (6)

MEEKLY : “Majority” minus its 1st and last letters(… gutted) containing(about) anagram of(… work) KLEE.

Paul Klee artwork lacking oomph?:

 

23 Take bag containing article and lose job (3,3,4)

GET THE SACK : [ GET(to take/to lay hold of something) + SACK(a large bag made of a strong material) ] containing(containing) THE(an article in grammar).

24 Handy having editor back on newspaper (4)

DEFT : Reversal of(… back) ED(abbrev. for “editor”) plus(on) FT(abbrev. for the Financial Times newspaper).

25 Turn up with new mesh box for strawberries (6)

PUNNET : Reversal of(Turn) “up” plus(with) N(abbrev. for “new”) + NET(a mesh/material made of interlaced threads).

26 Object to incense as risk (8)

ENDANGER : END(object/an objective/something to aim for) plus(to) ANGER(to incense/to make furious).

Down

1 Go ahead carrying my French energy drink (8)

LEMONADE : [ LEAD(to go ahead/in front of others) containing(carrying) MON(French for the possessive pronoun “my”) ] + E(symbol for “energy” in physics).

2 First off, get rid of irritation (4)

ITCH : 1st letter deleted from(First off)”ditch”(to get rid of/to give up).

3 A line crossing Italian street’s home to birds (6)

AVIARY : [A + RY(abbrev. for “railway”/a track on which trains run) ] containing(crossing) VIA(Italian for “street”).

4 Compliment is less spirited (7)

FLATTER : Double defn: 1st: To …, often insincerely and with an ulterior motive; and 2nd: With less enthusiasm and energy/spirit, or, with a sparkling drink like champagne, having lost its effervescence.

5 Large insect’s under tip of pampas grass in tub (5,3)

PLANT POT : [ L(abbrev. for “large”, a clothing size) + ANT(a social insect) ] placed below(…’s under, in a down clue) 1st letter of(tip of) “pampas” + POT(slang, like “grass”, for cannabis/marijuana).

6 Intended to reflect (10)

DELIBERATE : Double defn: 1st: On purpose; and 2nd: To think carefully and deeply.

7 Lots of dogs quietly disappearing (6)

OODLES : “poodles”(a popular breed of dogs) minus(… disappearing) “p”(abbrev. for “piano”, direction in music to play softly/quietly).

13 Penultimate bus at Barking left before time I arrived (4,3,3)

LAST BUT ONE : [ Anagram of(… Barking/mad) BUS AT placed below(… before, in a down clue) L(abbrev. for “left”) ] + T(abbrev. for “time”) plus(… arrived?) ONE(number represented by Roman numeral “I”).

Does “arrived” indicate the addition/presence of “ONE”?

16 Reportedly intended to fill hills with badgers (8)

TORMENTS : Homophone of(Reportedly) “meant”(intended for/for some specific purpose) contained in(to fill … with) TORS(hills/rocky peaks).

18 Elated having finished in front of cycling field, including Tour leader (8)

UPLIFTED : UP(finished/ended, as in “time’s up, pens down”) placed over(in front of, in a down clue) anagram of(cycling) FIELD containing(including) 1st letter of(… leader) “Tour“.

19 Calm about vote breaking new deal (7)

RELAXED : RE(with reference to/about) + [ X(symbol used in casting a vote on a ballot paper) contained in(breaking) anagram of(new) DEAL].

21 Heading off, Dave picked up new road (6)

AVENUE : 1st letter deleted from(Heading off) “Dave” + homophone of(picked up/heard as) “new“.

22 Mum’s fine coming back without Edward to manage (4,2)

MAKE DO : MA(mum/informal term for one’s mother) + [ reversal of(… coming back) OK(fine/all right) containing(without) ED(short for “Edward”) ].

24 Some reversal in Tyne dockland’s decline (4)

DENY : Hidden in reversal of(Some reversal in …) “Tyne dockland“.

Defn: …/to not accept.