Carpathian appears in the Tuesday slot again.
We have a neat set of clues, with generally straightforward wordplay and smooth surfaces – ideal for the early part of the week.
I had ticks for 1ac CAVALIER,11ac SUBSIDIARY< 14ac CONFINED, 26ac SARDONIC and 6dn LEGITIMATE.
Thanks to Carpathian for an enjoyable puzzle.
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8 Sparkling wine left by one former monarch for knight (8)
CAVALIER
CAVA (sparkling wine) + L (left) + I (one) + ER (Elizabeth Regina – former monarch))
9 Taped broadcast for expert (5)
ADEPT
An anagram (broadcast) of TAPED
10 Girl liaises regularly (4)
LASS
Alternate letters of LiAiSeS
11 Navy vessel’s independent logbook assistant (10)
SUBSIDIARY
SUBS (navy vessel’s) + I (independent) + DIARY (logbook)
12 Frail magical creature holding buzzer sent back (6)
FEEBLE
A reversal (sent back) of ELF (magical creature) round BEE (buzzer)
14 Given financial penalty after swindle and imprisoned (8)
CONFINED
CON (swindle) + FINED (given financial penalty)
15 Stout stem (7)
STAUNCH
Double definition
17 College graduate getting axe (7)
CLEAVER
C (college) + LEAVER (graduate – as in a school leaver)
20 Fruit from a very old citrus added dash of spice at first (8)
AVOCADOS
A + initial letters (at first) of Very Old Citrus Added Dash Of Spice
22 Signals British general and police sergeant (6)
BLEEPS
B (British) + LEE (Robert E. – Crosswordland’s favourite general) + PS (Police Sergeant)
23 Defiant about promises to hold ring (10)
REBELLIOUS
RE (about) + IOUS (promises to pay) round BELL (ring)
24 Unconvincing period of time for auditor (4)
WEAK
Sounds like (for auditor) ‘week’ (period of time)
25 Spare from complex trap (5)
EXTRA
Hidden in complEX TRAp
26 Engineered roads in Cuba to be dry (8)
SARDONIC
An anagram (engineered) of ROADS IN C (Cuba – International Vehicle Registration)
Down
1 A garden implement held by favourite bird (8)
PARAKEET
A RAKE (a garden implement) in PET (favourite)
2 Acquires receptacles (4)
BAGS
Double definition
3 Time to produce paper (6)
TISSUE
T (time) + ISSUE (produce)
4 Horse I caught with a drink (7)
ARABICA
ARAB (horse) + I + C (caught) + A
5 Sensible share the French returned (8)
RATIONAL
RATION (share) + a reversal (returned) of LA (the French)
6 Run away with one friend getting sanctioned (10)
LEGITIMATE
LEG IT (run away) + I MATE (one friend)
7 Deprive of sun and, initially, vitamin E (6)
STARVE
STAR (sun) + V[itamin] + E
13 Dish brute chats about (10)
BRUSCHETTA
An anagram (about) of BRUTE CHATS
16 Rotter I ring about car (8)
CADILLAC
CAD (rotter) + I + a reversal (about) of CALL (ring)
18 Impressive impact he amazingly makes (8)
EMPHATIC
An anagram (amazingly) of IMPACT HE
19 Support Sixth Sense getting Oscar call (7)
ESPOUSE
ESP (Extra Sensory Perception – sixth sense) + O (Oscar) + USE (call)
21 One observing sheep right after six (6)
VIEWER
VI (six) + EWE (sheep) + R (right)
22 Doctor orbits dining area (6)
BISTRO
An anagram (doctor) of ORBITS
24 Seduce female with beastly utterance (4)
WOOF
WOO (seduce) + F (female)
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
Smooth as usual from Carpathian. Favourite FEEBLE.
One question: why does “call” give USE in 19d?
muffin @1 – I thought of call = need = use: ‘I have no call / need/ use for that’?
Thanks Eileen. Not convinced!
Straightforward but nice, neat surfaces as usual for the setter. My favourites were CAVALIER, SUBSIDIARY and LEGITIMATE. Agree with Eileen’s explanation for call = use.
Ta Carpathian & Eileen.
Enjoyable puzzle with lovely clues & surfaces.
Favourites: LEGITIMATE, BISTRO (loi).
Nice puzzle and good blog. Thanks Carpathian & Eileen.
I wondered whether there was some theme of synonyms/antonyms : weak, feeble, staunch; subsidiary, extra; cavalier, rebellious; rational, legitimate. Can anyone explain further? Much enjoyed the puzzle and blog. Thanks to both.
Thanks Eileen.
Carpathian does charades well. LEGITIMATE a good example. Liked having to think twice about sanctioned as a verb or adjective.
Not too many surprises here, but another not convinced by use for ‘call’.
Many thanks, both.
paddymelon @8 I agree – and I was amused to see two oft-quoted auto-antonyms (sanctioned and cleave) in the same puzzle.
An obliquity like call = use becomes clever if it works, and these two are well swappable.
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen, a great puzzle, which wouldn’t look out of place in a quiptic spot
Finally, I have completed a daily “Guardian” cryptic in a timely fashion and checked into the blog in its early stages. What a relief after a disappointing and peripatetic record of solving for me in recent times. Thanks to Carpathian for a puzzle that was accessible enough even for someone who’s been having trouble (for a couple of months now) paying proper homage to my favourite hobby due to the adverse cognitive side effects of medication (as well as fatigue).
And how wonderful that my “return” and hopefully regular re-engagement would coincide with Eileen, my favourite blogger, being on today’s roster!
I enjoyed the unfolding of this puzzle – and yes the aforementioned 6d LEGITIMATE was my top favourite. There is something I find gentle but sufficiently challenging about Carpathian’s setting, so I’m glad I got this one out, as I felt I was on her wavelength today.
A very warm welcome back, Julie – we’ve been missing your comments.
Lovely puzzle – and I agree that there are some lovely charades
Favourites: ESPOUSE, LEGITIMATE, CAVALIER, FEEBLE, REBELLIOUS
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
[ Welcome back, Julie. I hope that the medications will have less adverse side effects from now on.
I’m off to Gloucester for a day trip and will have lunch with an old school friend from Melbourne, Australia. ]
Similar difficulty to yesterday’s, I thought. Same favourites as Eileen.
Not entirely convinced by ARABICA=drink; ‘coffee’ is certainly a drink, and Arabica is a species of coffee, but it’s a bit too indirect for me – though answer was obvious enough.
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen.