Independent on Sunday 1381 Hypnos

(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)  Largely manageable for an IoS, with only a couple requiring a bit more thought. Thanks to Hypnos. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Rate poet that’s arranged musical work (8)

OPERETTA : Anagram of(… that’s arranged) RATE POET.

10 Put away celebrity magazine hiding cover (3)

EAT : “Heat”(British entertainment magazine, about celebrities, what else?) minus(hiding) its 1st letter(cover).

11 Keen girl deployed around a network as TV presenter (4,7)

GARY LINEKER : Anagram of(… deployed) KEEN GIRL containing(around) [A + RY(abbrev. for “railway” network)].

Defn: … of sports programmes.

12 Procedure in course credits discussed (7)

TACTICS : Homophone of(… discussed) [“tack”(the course taken by a vessel sailing upwind) + “tick”(in commerce, credit … allowing you to buy now and pay later)S].

13 Greek character on reflection not wanting new fabric (7)

CHIFFON : CHI(the 22nd character of the Greek alphabet) + reversal of(on reflection) OFF(not wanting;not inclined towards, as in “I’m off crosswords”) + N(abbrev. for “new”).

14 Serve around Ascot possibly in sleeveless gear (9)

WAISTCOAT : WAIT(to serve at a table, as, well, a waiter does) containing(around) anagram of(… possibly) ASCOT.

15 Policeman abroad backed a tiresome activity (5)

GARDA : Reversal of(backed) [A + DRAG(a tiresome activity, as in “solving crosswords is a drag”)].

Defn: …, specifically in the police force of the Irish Republic.

17 Symbol close to ocean giving surfers’ access? (3-2)

LOG-ON : LOGO(a symbol used by, say, organisations) + the last letter of(close to) “ocean “.

Defn: … to a website.

19 Record exchange after book is banned in speech (9)

DISCOURSE : DISC(a gramophone record) + “bourse”(a stock exchange in continental Europe, especially the one in Paris) minus(after … is banned) “b”(abbrev. for “book”).

22 Western man’s agent recalled rumour (7)

WHISPER : W(abbrev. for “western”) + HIS(possessive pronoun for a man) + reversal of(… recalled) REP(short for “representative”, an agent).

23 Italian food over austere period old man hoards (7)

POLENTA : [O(abbrev. for “over”, in cricket scores) + LENT(the austere period before Easter, involving fasting and penitence) ] contained in(… hoards) PA(term for one’s father, one’s old man).

24 Railing in almost perfect road race (11)

FULMINATION : “full”(perfect;not lacking in any respect) minus its last letter(almost …) + MI( “M1”, the major road in England, with 1 substituted by its Roman numeral) + NATION(a race being a community of people with similar characteristics and culture who might be organised as a nation, though in modern times, the latter is more likely to consist of various races).

25 Jellied food packed in free lunches (3)

EEL : Hidden in(packed in) “free lunches “.

26 Object put between two rivers and yard in bucolic atmosphere (8)

RURALITY : IT(a pronoun refering to an object or thing) contained in(between) [ R(abbrev. for “river”) + URAL(a river flowing into the Caspian Sea) + Y(abbrev. for “yard”).

Down

2 Survey reported on queen, say, is source of stink (7)

POLECAT : Homophone of(… reported) “poll”(a survey) placed above(on, in a down clue) CAT(the mature female of which is a queen).

Defn: A mammal noted for its fetid smell.

3 Crime writer with good position on scale (7)

RANKING : RANKIN(Ian, Scottish crime writer, creator of Inspector Rebus) plus(with) G(abbrev. for “good”).

4 Treat casually opinion US President held about another last in office (4,3,7)

TAKE FOR GRANTED : TAKE(one’s opinion, as is “what’s your take on the Brexit referendum?”) + FORD(Gerald, former US President) containing(held about) [ GRANT(Ulysses S., another former US President) + the last letter of(last in) “office “].

5 A Republican administered Scottish island (5)

ARRAN : A + R(abbrev. for “Republican”) + RAN(administered;managed).

6 Award, one held by top Sheffield Wednesday player (8)

BESTOWAL : A(one;singular article in grammar) contained in(held by) [BEST(top) + OWL(what you might call a player in the Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, nicknamed The Owls) ].

7 Minor gift for cellist after playing piece inside (8,6)

STOCKING FILLER : Anagram of(… after playing) FOR CELLIST containing(… inside) KING(a piece on the chessboard).

Defn: A present small enough (minor) to put into a child’s (minor’s) Christmas stocking.

8 One opposed to people getting on? (6)

AGEIST : Cryptic defn: Reference to aging people;people getting on.

9 Largely original company painting (6)

FRESCO : “fresh”(original;new) minus its last letter(L argely …) + CO(abbrev. for a “company”).

16 Woman during stroll open to suggestion (8)

AMENABLE : ENA(a feminine name) contained in(during) AMBLE(to stroll along).

18 Police put in LA regarding union activity? (7)

NUPTIAL : Anagram of(Police) PUT IN LA.

Defn: …, a matrimonial union, that is.

19 Inactive matador, man that’s restricted (7)

DORMANT : Hidden in(…’s restricted) “matador, man that “.

20 Poisonous priest among group in charge (6)

SEPTIC : P(abbrev. for “priest”) contained in(among) SET(a group of similar things) + IC(abbrev. for “in charge”).

21 Old internet piece encapsulating Northern figure (6)

OBLONG : O(abbrev. for “old”) + BLOG(a piece of writing on the internet) containing(encapsulating) N(abbrev. for “northern”).

22 Thin biscuit a few baked with recipe (5)

WAFER : Anagram of(… baked) A FEW plus(with) R(abbrev. for “recipe”).

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