The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29827.
There is some intricate wordplay here (although in places made easier by a guess at the answer from a few crossers,with parsing as an afterthought), and a sheaf of envelopes, variously indicated. The long answers were a great help, particularly the splendid 25, 9,12A. I found it a very satisfying solve.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PIT BULL TERRIER |
Dog lead restraining it? No lead to pull – tire out bagging mess up (3,4,7)
|
| A charade of PITB, an envelope (‘restraining’) of ‘it’ in PB (chemical symbol, ‘lead’) plus ‘[p]ull’ minus its first letter (‘no lead’ – different pronounciation) plus TERRIER, an envelope (‘bagging’) of ERR (‘ness up’) in TIER, an anagram (‘pout’) of ‘tire’. | ||
| 8 | APART |
Secretary after answer right away (5)
|
| A charade of A (‘answer’) plus PA (personal assistant, ‘secretary’) plus RT (‘right’). | ||
| 9 |
See 25
|
|
| 11 | TEA TRAY |
Provider of milk and bit of light refreshment served with this? (3,4)
|
| A charade of TEAT (‘provider of milk’) plus RAY (‘bit of light’), with an extended definition. | ||
| 12 |
See 25
|
|
| 13 | REHAB |
On heroin? Injection doesn’t start on this? (5)
|
| A charade of RE (‘on’) plus H (‘heroin’) plus [j]AB (‘injection’) minus its first letter (‘doesn’t start’). | ||
| 15 | CASSEROLE |
Aces out of hand with loser getting pot (9)
|
| An anagram (‘out of hand’) of ‘aces’ plus ‘loser’. | ||
| 17 | AUTHENTIC |
Real gold next to endless cut diamonds (9)
|
| A charade of AU (chemical symbol, ‘gold’) plus THEN (‘next’) plus T (‘To endless’) plus IC[e] (‘diamonds’) minus its last letter (‘cut’). | ||
| 20 | TOAST |
Warm up baby bottles equally (5)
|
| An envelope (‘bottles’) of AS (‘equally’) in TOT (‘baby’). | ||
| 21 | TROLLOP |
Untidy individual in wind wearing cap (7)
|
| An envelope (‘wearing’) of ROLL (‘wind’, verb) in TOP (‘cap’, also verb). | ||
| 23 | RUN-DOWN |
Pen not working for outline (3-4)
|
| A charade of RUN (‘pen’, an enclosure for eg a dog) plus DOWN (‘not working’). | ||
| 25, 9, 12 | NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY |
Mostly old art, royal painting later moved here? (8,8,7)
|
| An anagram (‘moved’) of ‘ol[d]’ minus its last letter (mostly’) plus ‘art royal painting later’, with an extended definition. | ||
| 26 | ELEMI |
Smelly substance found in diesel emissions (5)
|
| A hidden answer (‘found in’) in ‘diesEL EMIssions’. A fragrant resin obtained from a tree of the same name. | ||
| 27 | HOUSEMAID’S KNEE |
He kissed a mum, briefly – one is swinging for joint tenderness (10,4)
|
| An anagram (‘is swinging’) of ‘he kissed a’ plus ‘mu[m]’ minud its last letter (‘briefly’) plus ‘one’. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PLASTER CASTS |
Dressing groups of actors and models (7,5)
|
| A charade of PLASTER (‘dressing’ of a wound) plus CASTS (‘groups of actors’). | ||
| 2 | TIARA |
I’m going to hug the first fancy piece seen at wedding? (5)
|
| An envelope (‘to hug’) of I (‘the first’ word or letter in the clue) in TARA (or tata, colloquial for goodbye, ‘I’m going’). | ||
| 3 | UTTERABLE |
Complete item of furniture, not initially suitable for delivery (9)
|
| A charade of UTTER (‘complete’) plus [t]ABLE (‘item of furniture’) minus its first letter (‘not initially’). | ||
| 4 | LIP-SYNC |
One cutting album to go down for broadcast and mime (3-4)
|
| A charade of LIP, an envelope (‘cutting’) of I (‘one’) in LP (‘album’); plus SYNC, sounding like (‘for broadcast’) SINK (‘go down’). | ||
| 5 | ENRAGES |
Winds up clock the wrong way, gran breaking parts (7)
|
| An envelope (‘parts’) of NRAG, an anagram (‘breaking’) of ‘gran’, in EES, a reversal (‘the wrong way’) of SEE (understand, ‘clock’). | ||
| 6 | RURAL |
Two types of game covering acre in country (5)
|
| An envelope (‘covering’) of A ([acre’) in RU RL (Rugby Union, Rugby League, ‘two types of game’). | ||
| 7 | EMILE ZOLA |
Writer of 26 when touring crossed lower city in America (5,4)
|
| A charade of EMILE, an anagram (‘when touring’) of ELEMI (the answer to ’26’ across) plus ZO (one of the spellings for a hybrid of a yak and a cow, ‘crossed lower’) plus LA (Los Angeles, ‘city in America’). | ||
| 10 | HYPERTENSIVE |
Fuss? Nerviest in a mess getting stressed? (12)
|
| A charade of HYPE (‘fuss’) plus RTENSIVE, an anagram (‘in a mess’) of ‘nerviest’. | ||
| 14 | HOT POTATO |
Improper photo at top? Prince avoided controversial subject (3,6)
|
| An anagram (‘improper’) of ‘[p]hoto at top’ minus the P (‘prince avoided’). | ||
| 16 | EXTENDERS |
They might pull out without bids (9)
|
| A charade of EX (abbreviation of excluding, ‘without’) plus TENDERS (‘bids’). | ||
| 18 | TOPONYM |
Maybe Las Vegas sex worker collecting £25 (7)
|
| An envelope (‘collecting’) of PONY (‘£25’) in TOM (‘sex worker’ – a male name for a female prostitute; dated slang). | ||
| 19 | CORELLI |
Violinist and string player with no way to grip on the other hand (7)
|
| An envelope (‘to grip’) of OR (‘on the other hand’) in CELLI[st] (‘string player’) minus ST (for street, ‘no way’). | ||
| 22 | LAIRS |
Discontented lads look to crack dens (5)
|
| An envelope (‘to crack’) os AIR (‘look’) in LS (‘discontented LadS‘). | ||
| 24 | ODEON |
Model appearing without clothes playing theatre (5)
|
| A charade of ‘[m]ode[l]’ minus its outer letters (‘without clothes’) plus ON (‘playing’). |
Nearly got quite trampled by this, but was able to see it through to the end. Some answers I would never have got in a million years without crossers, but then that’s why it’s a crossword and not a pub quiz or something. There were some clues, and I’m thinking here ENRAGES and EMILE ZOLA, which even when I’d fully worked them out I couldn’t see how Tramp came up with those surfaces – but then that’s why he’s a setter and I’m not!
[There was a movie (Captain) CORELLI’s Mandolin a number of years ago (different fellow), but the book was way better (imo).]
Tx T&P
Nice puzzle, just enough chew, thanks Tramp and Peter. Had to look up Las Vegas (The Meadows) to get why toponym. Very apt fodder — lots of painted royals — in that Gallery [the 91 bus from Crouch End drops you round the corner; hard to stop mrs ginf ‘popping’ in — half the day gone, sigh]. All good, now another coffee and a look at the other xwds.
PS agree about Corelli, Dr Wh, great read, movie ok-ish.
My top picks: PIT BULL TERRIER, NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, HYPERTENSIVE (reads like an extended def)
and EXTENDERS.
TIARA
I took ‘the first’ as I (as in George I), but PeterO’s parse could well be the intended one.
Thanks Tramp and PeterO.