Thank you to Hoskins. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
7. Those backing hopeless idea off Blue Peter (4)
SAFE : Last letters, respectively, of(Those backing) “hopeless idea off Blue”.
8. Criminal out by alarm capable of being altered (10)
AMBULATORY : Anagram of(Criminal) OUT BY ALARM.
Defn: …, as applied to legal documents.
10. Bondage gear in SEATs Republican dropped off around noon (6)
CHAINS : “chairs”(seats) minus(… dropped off) “R”(abbrev. for a member of the Republican Party) containing(around) N(abbrev. for “noon”).
11. Very high trail by European circular path (8)
TOWERING : TOW(to trail/be dragged along behind something or somebody) plus(by) E(abbrev. for “European”) + RING(a circular path).
12. Just terrible having to lose face (8)
RIGHTFUL : “frightful”(awful/terrible) minus its 1st letter(having to lose face).
13. Service Italian scooter after picking it up (6)
VESPER : Homophone of(… after picking it up/after hearing it) “Vespa”(an Italian make of motor scooter).
Defn: An evening church ….
15. One to deliver notes and perform with Free and Queen (8,5)
DISPATCH RIDER : DISPATCH(to execute/perform a task speedily) plus(with) RID(to dispose of/to free from) plus(and) ER(abbrev. for Elizabeth Regina, Queen Elizabeth).
Defn: …/documents urgently required.
18. Relocate around outskirts of Yeovil? That’s dear! (2,4)
MY LOVE : MOVE(to relocate/change places or homes) containing(around) 1st and last letters of(outskirts of) “Yeovil”.
Answer: Like “dear!”, a term of endearment.
20. Take kit off a French fool heroically ended at front (8)
UNCLOTHE : UN(French for the article “a”) + CLOT(a fool) + 1st letters, respectively, of(… at front) “heroically ended”.
22. A red van travelling close to lightless porches (8)
VERANDAS : Anagram of(… travelling) A RED VAN + last letter of(close to) “lightless”.
24. Tory Party first to mandate Anti-Labour measure (6)
CONDOM : CON(abbrev. for a member of the Conservative Party) + DO(a social function/a party) + 1st letter of(first to) “mandate”.
Answer: A protective barrier worn during copulation as a measure against/to prevent potential childbirth/labour.
25. Security alert local relayed incorrectly (10)
COLLATERAL : Anagram of(… relayed incorrectly) ALERT LOCAL.
Defn: Something pledged as security for payment of a loan.
26. Require massage someone has mentioned (4)
NEED : Homophone of(… someone has mentioned) “knead”(to massage/squeeze with the hands).
Down
1. Time of year a beehive might be unmanageable? (3,4,3)
BAD HAIR DAY : Cryptic defn: Reference to the beehive hairstyle for women that was popular in the 1960s.
2. Dutch boats crossing line gives great pleasure (8)
DELIGHTS : D(abbrev. for “Dutch”) + EIGHTS(rowing boats with eight oars each) containing(crossing) L(abbrev. for “line”).
3. One small missile rising by fighter in formation (6)
MASSIF : Reversal of(… rising, in a down clue) [ I(Roman numeral for “one”) + SAM(abbrev. for a surface-to-air missile, a military weapon) ] plus(by) F(abbrev. for “fighter”, as used in designations for fighter planes, such as F-15).
Defn: A …/group of mountains that form part of a mountain range.
4. Black and blue balls … settle down! (4,4)
BLOW OVER : B(abbrev. for “black”, in chess notation) plus(and) LOW(felling depressed/blue) + OVER(in cricket, a sequence of six balls bowled).
Defn: …/subside.
5. Stumped by labours? Not with those delivering babies! (6)
STORKS : ST(abbrev. for “stumped” in cricket scores) plus(by) “works”(labours/toils) minus(Not) “w”(abbrev. for “with”).
Defn: Symbolically, ….
6. Singer about to break into Welsh number (4)
WREN : RE(with regard to/about) contained in(to break into) [W(abbrev. for “Welsh”) + N(in mathematics, symbol for an unspecified number)].
9. Craft beer trails TUC organised (6,7)
BATTLE CRUISER : Anagram of(… organised) BEER TRAILS TUC.
14. Caterpillar of a sort is one amazing lover! (10)
EARTHMOVER : Double defn: 1st: An example of which/of a sort is manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. ; and 2nd: Cryptic definition of an amazing lover whose partner may describe an extremely pleasurable sexual experience as “I felt the earth move!”.
16. Ruined coat? Need a little yarn? (8)
ANECDOTE : Anagram of(Ruined) COAT? NEED.
Defn: …/story.
17. Swallowing without restraint primarily? (8)
DROWNING : DOWNING(swallowing/consuming, say, water) containing(without) 1st letter of(… primarily) “restraint”.
Defn: …, ie. there is no stopping water from entering the lungs.
19. Old contest involving Liberal know-it-all (6)
ORACLE : O(abbrev. for “old) + RACE(a contest to see who finishes first) containing(involving) L(abbrev. for a member of the Liberal Party).
Defn: …/an authority on some subject.
21. Male fowl left on top of eggs one shelled (6)
COCKLE : COCK(a male fowl/rooster) + L(abbrev. for “left”) placed above(on, in a down clue) 1st letter of(top of, in a down clue) “eggs”.
23. Love God? Explain racists or suffering for starters! (4)
EROS : 1st letters, respectively, of(… for starters) “Explain racists or suffering”.
Answer: In Greek mythology, the god of erotic love.
First time coming across a vesper, only vespers, as in matins. Always learning, ta Hoskins and scchua.
Same as ginf: no idea you can have a single vesper. I hardly recognised this as a Hoskins. Very little of his trademark sex, drugs and drink. Some very clever anagrams as always – BATTLE CRUISER being a particular gem. I thought SAFE was going to mean a DNF then the penny dropped in time to make this, perhaps, the speediest solve of the Indy week. Thanks for contributing to a gentle Sunday Hoskins and scchua.
(PS After the photo of the WREN in the blog, my first thought on seeing the picture of COCKLES was that it was newly born chicks in a nest!)
Light, good fun, and smutty in places. In other words, typical Hoskins. Many thanks to him and ti Scchua.
The Blue Peter idea threatened to sink me and I did resort to using my phone-a-friend option to justify my answer – silly girl, but it took me back to days of a DIY Tracy Island!
Plenty of our ‘arry’s humour on display but perhaps a little light on the booze and drugs. My favourite was the amazing lover.
Thanks to Hoskins and to scchua for the review.
Well, I enjoyed this Hoskins, though I had a few “eyebrow” moments.
STUMPED = ST, in 5(d), is another one of those interminable cricket thingies, which I didn’t know.
FIGHTER = F, from the American aircraft prefix designation. Of which there are many, many.
I suppose the setters will keep finding abbreviations for anything and everything, when they need a letter or two.
10(ac), CHAINS: I feel that a clue exchanging the R in Chairs for the N from noon, would have been more skilful.
17(d), DROWNING….does this actually work? I got it, but I don’t get it.
1(d), ditto. What is “time of year ” doing?
To finish on a winner: “Anti- Labour measure” for CONDOM, 24(ac), is very cunning.
More of this, less of the other. Ooh ‘er missus.
Thanks, H and scchua