Thank you to Hectence. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1. Constant criticism curtailed at parting (6)
STATIC : “stick”(severe criticism/condemnation) minus its last letter(curtailed) containing(… parting) AT.
Defn: …/without change.
5. Very hot yet was composed (6)
SWEATY : Anagram of(… composed) YET WAS.
8. Strange going back inside Tangier office (7)
FOREIGN : Hidden in(inside) reversal of(going back …) “Tangier office“.
9. Dad swamps kir cocktail with spice (7)
PAPRIKA : PAPA(like “Dad”, an informal term for one’s father) containing(swamps) anagram of(… cocktail) KIR.
11. Really disappointed in ugly car parks at oasis (2,4,2,1,6)
AS SICK AS A PARROT : Anagram of(ugly) CAR PARKS AT OASIS.
…. literally.
12. Squander money in buffet (4)
BLOW : Double defn: 1st: …/spend recklessly; and 2nd: …/a punch.
13. Perhaps Galileo‘s maestro or Newton, possibly (10)
ASTRONOMER : Anagram of(…, possibly) [MAESTRO OR + N(abbrev. for “Newton”, symbol in physics for a unit of force) ].
Defn: Of which Galileo Galilei is an example/perhaps.
The man’s instrument:
17. Deteriorating swimming resort’s losing special quality (10)
RETROGRADE : Anagram of(swimming) [ “resort” minus(…’s losing) “s”(abbrev. for “special”) ] + GRADE(a measure of quality/condition, as in “high-grade investments”).
18. Region in Italy certainly covered by motoring organisation (4)
ASIA : SI(“certainly”/agreed! in the language of Italy) contained in(covered by) AA(abbrev. for “Automobile Association”, the motoring organisation in many countries).
Defn: Geographical ….
20. Winning fellow in duel chose to turn early (5,2,8)
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE : AHEAD(winning/leading at a particular point in a contest) + anagram of(… to turn) [ F(abbrev. for “fellow”) contained in(in) DUEL CHOSE].
23. Heat-retaining articles worn by soldier left behind (7)
THERMAL : THE,A(two articles in grammar) containing(worn by) RM(post-nominals for an officer/soldier in the Royal Marines unit of the military) plus(… behind) L(abbrev. for “left”).
Defn: …, as with clothing designed to keep one warm, such clothes being called “thermals”.
.. or as with hot springs and pools:
24. Lamp’s laboriously cleaned out with a soft touch (7)
LIGHTLY : LIGHT(a lamp/a source of light) + “laboriously” minus all its inner letters(cleaned out).
25. Verse has singular beat unknown by leading academic (6)
STANZA : S(abbrev. for “singular”) + TAN(to beat physically as punishment) + Z(symbol for an unknown quantity in mathematics) plus(by) 1st letter of(leading) “academic“.
Defn: … in a poem.
26. Compulsion to put on nursing uniform (6)
DURESS : DRESS(to put, say, clothes, on) containing(nursing) U(abbrev. for “uniform”).
Defn: …/coercion.
Down
2. HRT treatment remains open to debate (6,3)
THRASH OUT : Anagram of(… treatment) HRT + ASH(remains after burning) + OUT(open/not hidden).
3. Outwit champion concealing sudden move (6)
TWITCH : Hidden in(… concealing) “Outwit champion“.
4. Political activist is able very shortly to take in fool (9)
CANVASSER : CAN(is able to/capable of) + “very” minus its last letter(shortly) containing(to take in) ASS(a fool/a stupid person).
5. Back copies one acquired are a brownish colour (5)
SEPIA : Reversal of(Back) APES(copies/imitates) containing(… acquired) I(Roman numeral for “one”).
6. Former lover’s not embellished son’s excuses (8)
EXPLAINS : EX(one’s former lover) plus(‘s/has) PLAIN(not embellished/undecorated) + S(abbrev. for “son”).
Defn: Gives a reason to justify/excuses an action or event.
7. Someone attempting to start off unloading goods (5)
TRIER : “trigger”(to start off/to set into motion a sequence of events) minus(unloading) G,G(twice abbrev. for “good”).
8. Fatberg sat about causing alarm (11)
FLABBERGAST : FLAB(fat/soft loose flesh on one’s body) + BERG + anagram of(… about) SAT.
Defn: …/to startle.
10. Every other change neatly arranged (11)
ALTERNATELY : ALTER(to change/to amend) + anagram of(… arranged) NEATLY.
14. Laughed at reading 1 down — setter had put in funny clue (9)
RIDICULED : R(abbrev. for “reading”, from the “three Rs of children’s education”) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) + D(abbrev. for “down”, as with, say, crossword clues) + I’D(“I had”/setter had, using the self-referential pronoun) containing(put in) anagram of(funny) CLUE.
15. Engineer questions exchanging money for new false reports (9)
MISQUOTES : Anagram of(Engineer) [ “questions” with “m”(abbrev. for “money”) replacing(exchanging … for) “n”(abbrev. for “new”) ].
16. Continue protecting cupola, a positive sign for the future (4,4)
GOOD OMEN : [GO ON](continue/proceed) containing(protecting) DOME(cupola/a rounded roof or part of a roof).
19. Accounts book‘s advantage in long run (6)
LEDGER : EDGE(an advantage one contestant has over the others) contained in(in) [ L(abbrev. for “long”) + R(abbrev. for “run” in cricket scores) ].
21. In France I set up English court in exile (5)
EJECT : Reversal of(… set up, in a down clue) JE(the pronoun “I”, in the language of France) + E(abbrev. for “English”) + CT(abbrev. for “court”).
Defn: To compel someone to leave a place.
22. Stumbled over a slang word for man (5)
FELLA : FELL(stumbled/tripped while walking or running) placed above(over, in a down clue) A.
Thanks Hectence and scchua (I can see all your illustrations today 😀 )
Why are parrots famously sick?
Thanks scchua and Hectence.
Didn’t know the expression AS SICK AS A PARROT. Searching for the origin there are many theories, including coming from a 1642 drama, to parrots eating toxic food, and being commonly used as a football expression. Hectence on Meet the Setter says she sets football clues. I can imagine a sick parrot looking very disappointed.
Liked the Fatberg misdirection in FLABBERGAST and the hidden TWITCH.
Favourites THRASH OUT, brilliant surface HRT treatment etc, and MISQUOTES, also for the surface and wordplay.
I’m familiar with the PARROT expression especially, or maybe even exclusively, for football. But it is nonetheless very odd
Crossbar@4. Maybe it’s a sight gag (no pun intended). Head tipped down and to one side, eyes half-closed?
Either I have had a deja vu experience, or this is a reprint.
CinF @6 It was mistakenly in the app and website as a cryptic on Friday.
I enjoyed this. I found it tougher than today’s cryptic. Also witty in the ways people have already mentioned. Thanks to Hectence.
Good fun. Loved the clue for RIDICULED, but what a shame there was no 1 down.
New: AS SICK AS A PARROT.
Liked RIDICULED, ASIA, GOOD OMEN.
Thanks, both.
I only knew the ‘sick as a parrot’ expression from a Kit Wright poem about a rabbit.
I’m sick as a parrot, I’ve lost my carrot
I couldn’t care less if it’s Christmas Day
I’m sick as a parrot, I’ve lost my carrot
So get us a lettuce, or go away!
I thought I was doing this too fast! FOREIGN made me think I’d seen this before.
I heard “as sick as a parrot” comes from a mascot Tottenham FC had been given in 1908 sickened and died when Tottenham lost to Arsenal in 1915 among match fixing allegations. It’s all over various football magazines, that version.
I found this harder than the Cryptic, but I didn’t see it on Friday.
Given the heatwave that’s SCHEDULEd today, 5A is timely?
Definitely harder than the Cryptic with some lovely surfaces and a pangram to boot. Lovely illustrations. Back to the shade, phew!
Ta Hectence & scchua
Thanks Hectence, another very nicely done Quiptic. And a pangram too. most enjoyable. And thanks for the colourful-as-ever blog, scchua.
11a SICK AS A PARROT is a lovely anagram. As for the origin of the phrase – take your pick from these half-baked theories. “Citation needed”, as they say in Wikipedialand.
Thanks all for the PARROT theories. I’m none the wiser, more confused, but very amused 😀
FOI was PAPRIKA and I immediately thought I’ve seen this very recently and then I remembered starting to do this when it appeared last week. Went back for a look and found that I had entered several answers which was helpful.
Liked: GOOD OMEN, RIDICULED, FLABBERGASTED, AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
Thought FOREIGN was well hidden
Thanks Hectence and scchua
Definitely harder than today’s Cryptic, which seems to be the norm. Not sure it should be…. Thanks to Hectence for the Quiptic and to scchua for the analysis and pics. The parrot debate was fun and Widdersbel’s link made me smile.
Not too bad. I got everything though not 100% of a few parses til I got here. Liked FLABBERGAST (great word) and RETROGRADE for having resort as anagram fodder not indicator, nicely misdirected.
Now to see if I agree with everyone about the cryptic being easier…
There were lots of very clever clues here with Hectence’s trademark smooth story-telling surfaces: “Back copies one acquired are a brownish colour”, “In France I set up English court in exile” for example. Best of all was the brilliant 20a, conjuring up the image of the chap winning a duel by turning and shooting early.
A very minor quibble. In 8d (where I think the definition is meant to be “alarm” rather than “causing alarm”, scchua), FLABBERGAST to me means to astonish or amaze rather than to alarm.
Many thanks Hectence and scchua.
schhua — THE and A aren’t contained in RM, they contain it. Otherwise you’d have RTHEAM+L.
Crossbar@1 and paddymelon@2 Perhaps the parrots are pining for the fjords?
Thanks to Hectence and scchua.
There are several theories as to the origin of AS SICK AS A PARROT. I first remember it as a football staple during the 1970s and 80s. Over the moon to see it here,
Enjoyable puzzle.
Thanks Valentine. Blog corrected.
To the ‘super surfaces’ list I would add 11ac. It seems they paved the oasis, and put up a parking lot.
Valentine @22: 😀 The parrots aren’t really sick of course, just tired and shagged out after a long squawk.
Like Shanne/AlanC/Pauline/Rob T, I thought this was (yet again) harder than the cryptic; and like Pauline I’m ‘not sure it should be’. Thanks H & s.
Great puzzle, but nho the ailing polly. I watch a LOT of football, but just don’t remember ever hearing the expression used – I think maybe there is different commentary for US coverage, although the commentators are all Brits, so !
Loved the surfaces here. Look for a pangram whenever I find a Q has shown itself, so not disappointed today.