The puzzle is available here.
Hello again. Silvanus is the man to thank for today’s puzzle, which went down very nicely indeed. Thanks Silvanus!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics, explicit [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
Across
1a Pamper Spooner’s dog-sitter? (11)
MOLLYCODDLE
Spoonerism of COLLIE (dog) MODEL (sitter)
9a Calm about current opportunity to take test again (5)
RESIT
REST (calm) around (about) I (current)
10a Unscientific data once worried student (9)
ANECDOTAL
An anagram of (… worried) DATA ONCE + L (student)
11a Shoot serial we hear that’s enjoyed by cinema-goers (7)
POPCORN
POP (shoot) + CORN (serial we hear = cereal)
12a Breaching trust occasionally, City worker takes back what was said (7)
RECANTS
Inside (breaching) regular letters of (… occasionally) tRuSt, we have EC (city) and ANT (worker)
13a Football team left opening behind last of defenders (10)
PORTSMOUTH
PORT (left) + MOUTH (opening) after (behind) the last letter of defenderS
15a Appropriate force backed in quarrel (4)
FEUD
DUE (appropriate) and F (force) reversed (backed)
17a Imitate introductions from eccentric comedian hosting Oscars (4)
ECHO
The first letters of (introductions from) Eccentric Comedian Hosting Oscars
18a Harshly critical of cruise soon in disarray (10)
CENSORIOUS
CRUISE SOON anagrammed (in disarray)
21a Notes dances having time brought forward (7)
MINUTES
MINUETS (dances) with T (time) brought forward in the word
22a Mistake from British official ultimately in front of subordinate (7)
BLUNDER
B (British) + the last letter of (… ultimately) officiaL preceding (in front of) UNDER (subordinate)
23a Character attracted to most significant of crimes, antisocial behaviour? (9)
NOISINESS
ESS (character) next to (attracted to) NO I SIN (no. 1 sin, most significant of crimes)
24a Facing losing servant, on vacation once more (5)
AGAIN
AGAIN[st] (facing) taking off (losing) ServanT without the inner letters (on vacation)
25a Cool wind after dark in Florence, say (11)
NIGHTINGALE
IN (cool) and GALE (wind) after NIGHT (dark)
Down
1d Fallacy about the foundation of Spanish Empire corrected (15)
MISAPPREHENSION
ON (about) is at the end/bottom of, and hence is the foundation of SPANISH EMPIRE anagrammed (corrected)
2d Set free rent with facilities barely used (3,5)
LET LOOSE
LET (rent) with LOO (facilities) and uSEd without its outer letters (barely …)
3d Long story interrupted by hysterics in the middle (5)
YEARN
YARN (story) with the insertion of (interrupted by) the central letter of (… in the middle) hystErics
4d Makes too much of scourge of modern cricket? (9)
OVERRATES
Presumably OVER RATES are not good in the modern cricket game. I expect followers of the game will be able to provide more information about this one
5d Work out contract to replace Republican with Democrat (6)
DEDUCE
[r]EDUCE (contract), in which we are to replace R (Republican) with D (Democrat)
6d Decline to enter a new friendly relationship between nations (7,8)
ENTENTE CORDIALE
DECLINE TO ENTER A anagrammed (new)
7d Swede possibly excited to make unexpected appearance (4,2)
CROP UP
CROP (swede possibly) + UP (excited)
8d Like an exclusive community near Germany (6)
CLOSED
CLOSE (near) + D (Germany)
14d Questionable resolve shown by personal trainer having ignored alarm clock? (9)
OVERSLEPT
An anagram of (questionable) RESOLVE + PT (personal trainer)
16d Drink reportedly precedes sound of laughter and excitement (8)
BROUHAHA
BROU here sounds like (… reportedly) BREW (drink) and precedes HAHA (sound of laughter)
17d Winter coat, oddly neglected wear belonging to setter (6)
ERMINE
The even letters only of (oddly neglected) wEaR + MINE (belonging to setter)
19d Maroon thread (6)
STRAND
Two definitions
20d Sequence that tennis player may break (6)
STRING
A tennis player may break a racquet STRING
22d Dish from canteen is absent-mindedly overturned (5)
BASIN
The answer can be taken from canteeN IS ABsent-mindedly reversed (overturned)
Thanks both. Slow OVERRATES are a common reason even cricket lovers may find the game a little boring – a frustration not far behind the British weather
When a puzzle starts with a cracker like 1a, there’s a risk it might go downhill but no danger of that here. Thoroughly enjoyable from nose to tail.
Spoonerisms don’t always work that well but Collie Model is just delightful. Mind you, the anagram for MISAPPREHENSION was pretty cool too. I also had big ticks for LET LOOSE, OVERSLEPT, AGAIN, CROP UP and NIGHTINGALE. Splendid experience.
Thanks Silvanus and Kitty
Just what PostMark said.
Many thanks, Silvanus and Kitty.
MOLLYCODDLE: The best of the lot for me.
Liked NOISINESS, POPCORN and OVERRATES.
Thanks, S and K!
Flew through this light delight from one of my favourite setters….indeed what a weekend with Bluth (Django in The Telegraph I believe) yesterday.
1a was brilliant, also liked 23a plus 4d but my favourite was probably 16d.
Thanks Silvanus and Kitty
The Southern Daily Echo is Portsmouth’s local newspaper, possibly known locally as the Portsmouth Echo – coincidence? Whatever, most enjoyable so thanks Silvanus and Kitty.
Like Stephen@5, I count this setter as one of my favourites and this puzzle certainly didn’t disappoint. MOLLYCODDLE got the solve off to a flying start and the smile remained on my face throughout the solve. POPCORN, NIGHTINGALE and BROUHAHA joined it on the podium with a nod to OVERRATES for my cricket loving friends.
Many thanks to Silvanus and also to my favourite feline for a ‘Kitty special’ review.
Thank you to everyone who has commented and it’s very nice to rub whiskers again with Kitty, I believe it’s the first time our respective paths as setter and blogger have crossed since 2019. Thank you to her too.
Thanks Kitty and Silv rather enjoyed that.
Silvanus @8 – 2019? Crikey, that was way back in the before times! I hope the next gap won’t be as long.
Thanks to both for a perfect Sunday crossword. I can’t say it better than PostMark @2.