The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29976.
I found this quite tough, needing some very careful parsing, and not helped by the intersecing pairs of clues (10/2, 22/22. 24/24) the first of which gave me the most trouble.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | SHOEHORN |
Its application could help you get into Oxford? (8)
|
| Cryptic definition, depending on reading ‘Oxford’ as a shoe. | ||
| 9 | ODOURS |
Understood our son’s bedding smells (6)
|
| A hidden answer (‘bedding’) in ‘understoOD OUR Son’. | ||
| 10, 2 | SEAT BELT |
House band feature in saloon (4,4)
|
| A charade of SEAT (‘house’ – particularly a mansion) plus BELT (‘band’). | ||
| 11 | IN GOOD TIME |
Early on, I go to party with deviant I’d met (2,4,4)
|
| A charade of INGOO, an anagram (‘to party’) of ‘on I go’; plus DTIME, an anagram (‘deviant’) of ‘I’d met’. ‘To party’ is an unusual anagrind, but might be just a means of calling up a single anagram indicated by ‘deviant’. | ||
| 12, 3 | FRENCH POLISH |
Finish, as elements of Marie Curie’s typical description are transposed? (6,6)
|
| Marie Curie was of Polish extraction, and French by naturalisation, thus Polish-French. | ||
| 14 | IRON-CLAD |
Warship covered by press (4-4)
|
| A charade of IRON (‘press’) plus CLAD (‘covered’). I would have said that iron-clad is an adjective menaning certain, while the ‘warship’ is an ironclad. | ||
| 15, 8 | NO PAIN NO GAIN |
Turning on Paganini number to begin – as motivation for fitness class? (2,4,2,4)
|
| A charade of NO (‘number’) placed before (‘to begin’) PAINNOGAIN, an anagram (‘turning’) of ‘on Paganini’. | ||
| 17, 19 | FERRIS WHEELS |
Ferraris and Rolls are mostly stolen for joy rides? (6,6)
|
| The word order is confusing: a charade of ‘ferr[ar]is’ minus AR (‘ar[e] mostly stolen’) plus WHEELS (‘Rolls’ – with the capital letter, it is an indication by example; alternatively it is a deceptive capital). The surface is splendid. | ||
| 20 | DEVILISH |
Stayed over in Soho – oddly it’s diabolical (8)
|
| A charade of DEVIL, a reversal (‘over’) of LIVED (‘stayed’); plus ISH, odd letters (‘oddly’) of ‘In SoHo’. | ||
| 22, 22 | COOKIE CUTTER |
Template censor used after identifying code (6 -6)
|
| A charade of COOKIE (‘identifying code’ – ‘code’ is a little off, I think) plus CUTTER (‘censor’). | ||
| 23 | REARMAMENT |
Fresh investment in Arsenal meant changes on wing at kick-off (10)
|
| A charade of RE (‘on’) plus ARM (‘wing’) plus AMENT, an anagram (‘changes’) of ‘meant’, with ‘at kick-off’ indicating the order of the particles. The capital ‘Arsenal’ is misleading. | ||
| 24, 24 | STAR SIGN |
Perhaps Leo Sayer’s trying another rewrite – initially with chorus moving note lower (4,4)
|
| A charade of STAR, first letters (‘initially’) of ‘Sayer’s Trying Another Rewrite’ plus SIGN, which is SING (‘chorus’) with the N (‘note’) moved down (‘moving … lower’). | ||
| 25 | FRINGE |
Less important call when 14 (6)
|
| An envelope (CLAD) of RING (‘call’) in FE (‘chemical symbol, IRON), where IRON-CLAD is the answer to clue 14A). | ||
| 26 | SVENGALI |
Supreme influencer leaving a little something out (8)
|
| An anagram (‘out’) of ‘leaving’ plus S (‘a little Something’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SHEEP RUN |
Place to ruminate clue for ‘ewer’? (5,3)
|
| A charade of SHEEP (‘ewe’-) plus RUN (-‘r’). Sheep are ruminants. | ||
| 2 |
See 10 Across
|
|
| 3 |
See 12 Across
|
|
| 4 | MONOTONE |
One colour only – second one not included (8)
|
| AN envlope (‘included’) of ‘not’ in MO (‘second’) plus ‘one’. | ||
| 5 | MONTE CARLO |
Resort to cornmeal unfortunately (5,5)
|
| An angram (‘unfortunately’) of ‘to cornmeal’. | ||
| 6 | CRIMEA |
Peninsula of Palermo – if rock climbing regularly (6)
|
| Alternate retters (‘regularly’) in reverse (‘climbing’ in a down light) in ‘pAlErMo If RoCk’. | ||
| 8 |
See 15 Across
|
|
| 13 | NAPKIN RING |
Family group putting down first part of table setting? (6,4)
|
| A charade of NAP (‘down’ – Chambers nap: a downy covering or surface on anything) plus KIN (‘family’) plus RING (‘group’), with ‘putting … first’ indicating the order of the particles. | ||
| 16 | IMITATED |
Cambridge university worried boring papers will be copied (8)
|
| An envelope (‘boring’) of MIT (‘Cambridge university’ – Cambridge Massachusetts, that is) plus ATE (‘worried’) in ID (‘papers’). | ||
| 18 | SUITABLE |
Appropriate clubs potentially qualified (8)
|
| A charade of SUIT (‘clubs potentially’) plus ABLE (‘qualified’). | ||
| 19 |
See 17 Across
|
|
| 21 | EMEERS |
Appear upset about King supporting Eastern Arabic rulers (6)
|
| A charade od E (‘Eastern’) plus (‘supporting’ in a down light) MEERS, an envelope (‘about’) of R (‘King’) in MEES, a reversal (‘upset’ in a down light) of SEEM (‘appear’). | ||
| 22 |
See 22 Across
|
|
| 24 |
See 24 Across
|
|
6 of the downs didn’t have their own clues, which I think is too many; clues that fill multiple slots have the effect that if you are struggling you have fewer clues to help you out, but if you’re on a roll you roll faster. Neither is a particularly satisfying experience, imo.
Liked FERRIS WHEELS and SVENGALI.
Tx F&P
Boy, was I barking up the wrong tree with SHEEP RUN. Knowing RUN was and anagram of “urn” — a ewer — I thought perhaps that “sheep” was some sort of unfamiliar anagrind. I should have remembered that Fed has done this type of thing before …
All else was uneventful and enjoyable.