Guardian Quiptic 871 Moley

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A quick solve, especially suitable for beginners.  Thanks to Moley.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Unusual celibacy without a mode of transport (7)

BICYCLE : Anagram of(unusual) “celibacy” minus(without) “a“.

5 Revise a text such as: “Get the bus back before the tide turns” (7)

SUBEDIT : Reversal of(… back) BUS placed before(before) reversal of(… turns) TIDE.

9 Confused Robert and me with a measuring instrument (9)

BAROMETER : Anagram of(Confused) [ROBERT plus(and) ME plus(with) A].

10 Delete Times at one point (5)

ERASE : ERAS(long periods of time) plus(at) E(abbrev. for “east”, a compass point).

11 Look at live part of organ (4)

LOBE : LO(look at, as in “lo and behold”) + BE(to live;to exist).

Defn: … such as a liver or lung.

12 Custom’s document Edward revealed (10)

MANIFESTED : MANIFEST(a document for purposes of clearing customs) + ED(short for Edward).

14 Old city boyfriend covered for the department (6)

BUREAU : UR(old Biblical city) contained in(… covered) BEAU(boyfriend).

15 Item in broadcast recital (7)

ARTICLE : Anagram of(broadcast) RECITAL.

16 Chapter on supple mountaineer (7)

CLIMBER : C(abbrev. for “chapter”) plus(on) LIMBER(supple).

18 Sagging with exhaustion because of poor return in a lost day (6)

DROOPY : Reversal of(… return) POOR contained in(in) “day” minus(… lost) “a“.

20 Relating to rank of unfortunate archer in hailstorm (10)

HIERARCHAL : Anagram of(unfortunate) ARCHER contained in(in) anagram of(…storm) HAIL.

21 Information describing a third activist, initially (4)

DATA : The 1st letters, respectively, of(…, initially) “describing a third activist“.

24 Drinks for everyone or a single shot? (5)

ROUND : Double defn: 2nd: … of ammunition.

25 Great headland’s great size (9)

LARGENESS : LARGE(great) + NESS(a headland;a cape).

26 More severe back on East River (7)

STERNER : STERN(the back of a craft) plus(on) E(abbrev. for “east”) + R(abbrev. for “river”).

27 William’s shelter for old white trees (7)

WILLOWS : WILL(short for William)‘S containing(shelter) [O(abbrev. for “old”) + W(abbrev. for “white”)].

Down

1 Infant left in tower (5)

BABEL : BABE(an infant, from “baby”) + L(abbrev. for “left”).

Defn: … in the Bible.

2 Deer looking out of car I bought (7)

CARIBOU : Hidden in(looking out of) “car I bought “.

3 Bivouac where East Anglian river’s quiet (4)

CAMP : CAM(river in East Anglia) + P(abbrev. for “piano”, musical instruction to play quietly).

4 Kind of activity involving adultery between academics? (15)

EXTRACURRICULAR : Cryptic defn: An informal synonym for “extramarital”, descriptive of adulterous activity, doubly apt where academics are involved, since the term also describes activities that are outside their usual duties.

5 Upright, slim, on the way to a better life (6,3,6)

STRAIT AND NARROW : STRAIT(upright;scrupulous) AND NARROW(slim;thin).

This is the original spelling of the phrase which originates from the Bible. The common “straight” instead of “strait” dates from the 17C, the former denoting “honest”, which also fits “upright”.

6 Means of having a choice in the poll? (2-8)

BY-ELECTION : [BY ELECTION](through the means of election;by the means of election).

7 Radical art disc playing (7)

DRASTIC : Anagram of(… playing) ART DISC.

8 Lever on which the French step first (7)

TREADLE : LE(French for “the”) placed after(… first) TREAD(step;walk).

13 Plant a piece of land (4,6)

HERB GARDEN : I’m not sure about this clue. If the definition is as underlined, HERB(a plant) + GARDEN(to plant), requires “plant” to be implicitly used twice. Alternatively, it is HERB(a plant) + GARDEN(a piece of land), with a missing definition.

16 He’s into cores and bonds (7)

COHERES : HE contained in(…’s into;is into) CORES.

17 Poultice cub eats partly in cooler (3,4)

ICE CUBE : Hidden in(… partly) “Poultice cub eats “.

19 Job for old pupil returning as pacifier (7)

PLACEBO : PLACE(a position;a job, as in “a place in the organization”) plus(for) reversal of(… returning) OB(abbrev. for for “old boy”;a former pupil).

22 Judge almost all animals (5)

ASSES : “assess”(to judge) minus its last letter(almost all).

23 Otherwise live in mask? (4)

VEIL : Anagram of(Otherwise) LIVE.

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