Well, this one was different! Normally I enjoy Hamilton’s puzzles but this one left me rather confused as there seemed to be some extraneous words in several clues (or at least some that I can’t explain).
I also felt whilst solving that there were some dubious synonyms but no doubt they can be justified in one or other of the usual references.
Across
1 Maryland and Ohio revisited by European for a 1950s movie? (5,7)
ROMAN HOLIDAY – an anagram (revisited) of MARYLAND OHIO – I have no idea what ‘by European’ is doing in the clue!
8 Refers to suggestive talk as confining (7)
ALLUDES – AS around (confining) a homophone (talk) of ‘lewd’ (suggestive)
9 European people, himself perhaps being one (7)
FLEMISH – an anagram (perhaps) of HIMSELF – what purpose is ‘being one’ serving?
11 Use up deposit for summer in Nice after July 3 (7)
DEPLETE – DEP (deposit) [ju]L[y] (July 3) ETE (summer in Nice)
12 Mould metal company stamp to begin with (3-4)
DIE-CAST – DIE (stamp) CAST (company)
13 Dances to drums (5)
REELS – double def.
14 Original manuscript in head office; look, on the table! (9)
HOLOGRAPH – HO (head office) LO (look) GRAPH (table)
16 Train Martina as an aid worker (9)
SAMARITAN – an anagram (train) of MARTINA AS
19 The last note included in account from Mexican (5)
AZTEC – Z (the last) TE (note) in (included in) AC (account)
21 Hide from girl seeking new start (7)
LEATHER – hEATHER (girl) with the first letter changed (seeking new start)
23 Native holds old city to be authentic (7)
NATURAL – NATAL (native) around (holds) UR (old city)
24 Quits when beaten back, having lost 1p (7)
DEPARTS –STRAP[p]ED (beaten … having lost 1p) reversed (back)
25 Gather on playing field for sport appeal (7)
RECRUIT – REC (playing field) RU (sport) IT (appeal)
26 Service the groom’s habit? On the contrary! (7,5)
WEDDING DRESS – WEDDING (service) DRESS (groom)
Down
1 Please Romeo or precipitate a setback (7)
RELAPSE – an anagram (or precipitate) of PLEASE R
2 Group turns mother’s head (7)
MADNESS – DAM (mother) reversed (turns) NESS (head)
3 Unites NHS process in makeshift accommodation (6,3)
NISSEN HUT – an anagram (process) of UNITES NHS
4 Delayed many times, so it’s said (5)
OFFED – sound like (so it’s said) ‘oft’ (many times)
5 Cold person in charge of bird flying northwards (7)
ICEBERG – IC (in charge) GREBE (bird) reversed (flying northward)
6 Boxer meets gorgeous girl; ‘e becomes a fabled woodcutter (3,4)
ALI BABA – {Mohamed} ALI (boxer) BABe (gorgeous girl) with A replacing e (‘e becomes a)
7 Awards do fall to be made for starter (7,5)
WALDORF SALAD – an anagram (to be made) of AWARDS DO FALL
10 Group handling stolen confectionery? (3,9)
HOT CHOCOLATE – HOT (stolen) CHOCOLATE (confectionary)
15 Once a city of first degree learning, now reconstructed (9)
LENINGRAD – an anagram (now reconstructed) of D[egree] LEARNING
17 “Fuel? My!”, said Spooner, wanting something to eat (4,3)
MEAT PIE – a Spoonerism of ‘peat (fuel) my’
18 On greeting Adair, was taken back into the labour market (7)
REHIRED – RE (on) HI (greeting) RED (Adair)
19 The case of the associate Earl (7)
ATTACHE – ATTACH (associate) E (Earl)
20 Essentially, objector questioned such powerful forces (7)
TORQUES – hidden in (essentially) ‘objecTOR QUEStioned’
22 Substance some in Singapore sing about (5)
RESIN – hidden in (some in) ‘singapoRE SINg’ – the ‘about’ is misleading as it would normally indicate a hidden reversal
Thank you Gaufrid – I shared your confusion! That said, there were plenty of nice surfaces & a fair bit of fun to make up for it, so thank you Hamilton.
[You’re working hard today, Gaufrid!]
I can only imagine that the “being one” in 9 A and the “about” in 22 D are so that the clues by themselves make sense … can’t explain why we have “by European” in 1 A however.
Thanks for the blog Gaufrid.
Re the Roman Holiday at 1a, “by European” wasn’t in the puzzle as submitted.
Thanks Hamilton and Gaufrid
Had misgivings with the same two clues as the blog – nice to see the first one explained away – I did like the rest of it though. A good variety of clue devices used throughout with my favourite probably my last one in – RECRUIT.
Hadn’t seen this definition of OFFED before and couldn’t find the verb format for it. Assume that it is another variation of PUT OFF.
Finished in the SE corner with HOLOGRAPH (another clever word play), LENINGRAD (and I’m told that it is still a ‘city of first degree’ with it’s original name of ST PETERSBURG again) and that tricky RECRUIT as the last few in.
I also share your misgivings and would add my concern that the meaning of DIE is the same in definition as in wordplay. All in all, my feelings towards this puzzle could not be described as ‘simpatico’ I’m afraid.
I reserve my stronger (and sometimes contentious) opinions for when I’m defending setters – so I’ll say no more!
Thanks to Hamilton and Gaufrid.