The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29902.
Maybe not Brummie at his toughest, but with enough trickery to keep a solver happy. He often uses a theme, but I do not see anything obvious here.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ALWAYS |
Everything is a burden, it’s said unfailingly (6)
|
| Sounds like (‘it’s said’) ALL (‘everything’) WEIGHS (‘is a burden’). | ||
| 5 | BACKLIFT |
Bat’s preparatory move, dramatically illuminated when female enters (8)
|
| An envelope (‘when … enters’) of F (‘female’) in BACKLIT (‘dramatically illumiinated’). | ||
| 9 | RESTORER |
Stop working with rock star’s ultimate fixer (8)
|
| A charade of REST (‘stop working’) plus ORE (‘rock’) plus R (‘staR‘s ultimate’). | ||
| 10, 13 | NITRIC ACID |
Explosive agent and critic put off introducing one (6,4)
|
| An envelope (‘introducing’) of I (‘one’) in NTRICACID (or any other missing I), an anagram (‘put off’) of ‘and critic’. NITRIC ACID is not in itself explosive, but is used to produce many substances which are, such as TNT and nitroglycerin. | ||
| 11 | CABBAGE WHITE |
Many a flutter initiated by this US money (and a bit English) (7,5)
|
| A charade of CABBAGE (‘US money’) plus WHIT (‘a bit’) plus E (‘English’), with a cryptic definition and perhaps a hint of the butterfly effect. | ||
| 13 |
See 10
|
|
| 14 | NEOPHYTE |
Trainee mobile phone, yet complicated (8)
|
| A charade of NEOPH, an anagram (‘mobile’) of ‘phone’ plus YTE, an anagram (‘complicated’) of ‘yet’. Two anagrams for the price of one. | ||
| 17 | VIRGINIA |
Pure iodine added to a tobacco (8)
|
| A charade of VIRGIN (‘pure’) plus I (chemical symbol, ‘iodine’) plus (‘added to’) ‘a’. | ||
| 18 | MOOT |
Low temperature? That’s debatable (4)
|
| A charade of MOO (‘low’ – “The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea”) plus T (‘temperature’). | ||
| 20 | EMBROIDERING |
Exaggerating what a sewer might be doing (12)
|
| Double definition,with ‘sewer’ as a person sewing. | ||
| 23 | STOLEN |
Hot sort of scarf with neck opening (6)
|
| A charade of STOLE (‘sort of scarf plus N (‘Neck opening’). | ||
| 24 | EXPLORER |
Maybe Burton’s ex at piano, learning rock intro (8)
|
| A charade of ‘ex’ plus (‘at’) P (‘piano’) plus LORE (‘learning’) plus R (‘Rock intro’). The definition refers to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 19th century British explorer.. | ||
| 25 | ACCREDIT |
One has copies, right, to correct and certify (8)
|
| A charade of A (‘one’) plus C C (‘copies’) plus R (‘right’) plus EDIT (‘correct’). | ||
| 26 | TENURE |
Presidential term: ‘Career’s over in golf course support’ (6)
|
| An envelope (‘in’) of NUR, a reversal (‘over’) of RUN (‘career’) in TEE (‘golf course support’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | LEER |
Glad eye? Wind-up! (4)
|
| A reversal (-‘up’ in a down light) of REEL (‘wind’-, verb). | ||
| 3 | ATTACK DOG |
Norman Tebbit’s role – to have a go at setter? (6,3)
|
| Definition and literal interpretation; Norman Tebbit was widely seen as Margaret Thatcher’s ATTACK DOG. | ||
| 4 | SCRUBS |
Abandons theatre wear (6)
|
| Double definition, the ‘theatre’ being of the operating kind. | ||
| 5 | BARGAIN-BASEMENT |
Cheap gibes at barman ineptly carrying measure (7-8)
|
| An envelope (‘carrying’) of EN (‘measure’) in BARGAINBASEMT, an anagram (‘ineptly’) of ‘gibes at barman’. | ||
| 6 | CONVENOR |
Scam merchant gets rid of diamonds for union official (8)
|
| A charade of CON (‘scam’) plus VEN[d]OR (‘merchant’) minus the D (‘gets rid of diamonds’). | ||
| 7 | LATCH |
Bar entrance – strip clubs inside (5)
|
| An envelope (‘inside’) of C (‘clubs’) in LATH (‘strip’). For the definition, read ‘bar’ as a verb. | ||
| 8 | FLIRTATION |
Serious affair? No, not if trial’s rigged (10)
|
| An anagram (‘rigged’) of ‘not if trial’. | ||
| 12 | SCHISMATIC |
Divisive school is Mother Theresa’s first international college (10)
|
| A charade of SCH (‘school’) plus ‘is’ plus MA (‘mother’) plus T (‘Theresa’s first’) plus I (‘international’) plus C (‘college’). | ||
| 15 | HOME-GROWN |
Local gets in wrong rum (4-5)
|
| A charade of HOME (‘in’) plus GROWN, an anagram (‘rum’) of ‘wrong’. | ||
| 16 | UNSIGNED |
United takes sending off to be lacking certification (8)
|
| A charade of U (‘united’) plus NSIGNED, an anagram (‘off’) of ‘sending’. | ||
| 19 | TINPOT |
Mediocre elected president blocking measure (6)
|
| An envelope (‘blocking’) of IN (‘elected’) plus P (‘president’) in TOT (‘measure’ of drink). | ||
| 21 | RULER |
One who regrets welcoming Latin dictator? (5)
|
| An envelope (‘welcoming’) of L (‘Latin’) in RUER (‘one who regrets’). | ||
| 22 | HEIR |
Successor’s appearance reported (4)
|
| Sounds like (‘reported’) AIR (‘appearance’). |
