As April comes to an end, a Saturday offering from Phi. Been solving his puzzles for longer than I’d like to admit.
Is there anything hidden, – possibly but nothing I can see.
I enjoyed the construction of 4dn and the simplicity of the surfaces of 24ac/ 19dn.
Many thanks Phi – for this and several decades of previous crosswords
Key
DD Double definition; * anagram; Rev. reversed; underline definition
Across
1 Sticky stuff, porridge served with fruit (8)
bird(porridge)+ lime (fruit) = BIRDLIME
5 Jeers Third rate, and not working on board (6)
c (Third rate) + off (not working) in SS (on board) = SCOFFS
9 Not at work, expecting to receive delivery (2,6)
DD ON STRIKE
10 Aromatic liquid from a yard In Birmingham (3,3)
a + y (yard) in brum *(Birmimngham) = BAY RUM
11 Well-built railway linked to British Unionist (5)
b (Brtish) + u (unionist) + rly (railway) = BURLY
12 Sex and more sex grabbed by feeble person with delusions (9)
bed (sex) + it (more sex) in lame (feeble) = BEDLAMITE
14 Matriarch, lady wangling prominent place in London (9,4)
(matriach lady)* = ADMIRALTY ARCH
17 Parts of the brain exercised by Opera Bastille? (8,5)
(opera bastille)* = PARIETAL LOBES
20 Decorator transformed Parisian location (9)
(decorator)* = TROCADERO
21 Reluctant to follow Catholic clergy (5)
c (catholic) + loth (reluctant) = CLOTH
22 Case finishing early, having involved one with very minor matters (6)
trial (case) – l (finishing early) aroun i (one) + v (very) = TRIVIA
23 God enthralling Rector and would-be minister (8)
odin (god) around r(rector) + and = ORDINAND
24 Small, smelly and squishy (6)
s (small) + pongy (smelly) = SPONGY
25 Offer page with correction to parosol (8)
p (page) + (parosol)* = PROPOSAL
Down
1 Bully Bishop defeated after argument (8)
b (Bishop) + beat (defeated) afer row (argument) = BROWBEAT
2 Public stage with section covered by garbage and booze (7)
s(section) in rot (garbage) + rum (booze) = ROSTRUM
3 Choice of sides with variable vehicle (5)
l or R (choice of sides) + y (variable) = LORRY
4 Spooner’s cake mix instruction, as it happens, including a bit of extravagant fantasy (4-7)
bake me (cake mix instruction) to Make be + live (as it happens) around e (a bit of extravagant) = MAKE BELIEVE
6 A standard set in reconstruction of larch thicket (9)
a + par (standard) in (larch) = CHAPARRAL
7 Hide mistake in polish (7)
fur (hide) + bish (mistake) = FURBISH
8 Easier wiping lecturer’s silly smile (6)
simpler(easier) – l (lecturer) = SIMPER
13 Worker unexpectedly ready to embrace political party (3,8)
(ready)* around labour (political party) = DAY LABOURER
15 Biblical passage about religious education giving new interpretation (9)
reading (biblical passage) around re (religuous education) = REREADING
16 Snake holed up in plant of death (8)
asp (snake) + (holed)* = ASPHODEL
17 Test eliminating E. coli regularly brought up about second condition (7)
prove (test) – e + rev cOlI (regularly) about s (second) = PROVISO
18 Man, in short, tucking into fish or other living material (7)
iOM (Isle of man in short) in bass (fish) = BIOMASS
19 Numerical data about university ranking (6)
stats (numerical data) around u (university) = STATUS
21 Policeman sent up to secure border bend (5)
Rev PC (policeman) around rim (border) = CRIMP
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