I think this one meets the remit. Nothing too tricky so a reasonably quick solve for me, and I wouldn’t imagine that it would take that much longer for a relative newcomer to cryptics.
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Across
1 Top team’s surprising defeat (5)
UPSET – UP (top) SET (team)
4 Before six, the French woman had showered (8)
LAVISHED – LA (the French) VI (six) SHE’D (woman had)
8 Typical / MP (14)
REPRESENTATIVE – double def.
10 Taking on a party with power can get gruelling initially (8)
ADOPTING – A DO (a party) P (power) TIN (can) G[ruelling] (gruelling initially)
11 Extremely significant “yes” vote reversed refusal to remain (4,2)
STAY ON – S[ignifican]T (extremely significant) AY (“yes” vote) NO (refusal) reversed
12 Unmanageable without help? (3,2,4)
OUT OF HAND – OUT OF (without) HAND (help)
15 Energy and enthusiasm got us dancing (5)
GUSTO – an anagram (dancing) of GOT US
17 Real fuss over dead tree (5)
ALDER – an anagram (fuss) of REAL around (over) D (dead)
18 Regularly tour Belgium and Spain with coach as transport (4,5)
TUBE TRAIN – T[o]U[r] (regularly tour) B (Belgium) E (Spain) TRAIN (coach)
19 Cream is not adulterated with oil (6)
LOTION – an anagram (adulterated) of NOT OIL
21 After university I take steps to follow good advice (8)
GUIDANCE – G (good) U (university) I DANCE (I take steps)
24 Author‘s murderer goes after girl (6,8)
AGATHA CHRISTIE – AGATHA (girl) CHRISTIE (murderer) – the murderer is rather obvious if you have been watching the current BBC1 series entitled Rillington Place
25 Made a grinding noise to turn on central heating in about December (8)
CRUNCHED – RUN (turn on) CH (central heating) in DEC (December) reversed (about)
26 Beginning to improve during break, so try to pass again (5)
RESIT – I[mprove] (beginning to improve) in (during) REST (break)
Down
1 Peacekeepers argue over having the power to be unfair (12)
UNREASONABLE – UN (peacekeepers) REASON (argue) ABLE (having the power)
2 Backed journalist following games, including on horseback (9)
SUPPORTED – SPORT (games) around (including) UP (on horseback) plus ED (journalist)
3 The newspaper caused offence (5)
THEFT – THE FT (the newspaper)
4 Get ready to attack false story during interval (3,2,4)
LIE IN WAIT – LIE (false story) IN (during) WAIT (interval)
5 Ban from competitive tobogganing (4)
VETO – hidden in (from) ‘competitiVE TObogganing’
6 Stays put in seats with little room to move (4,5)
SITS TIGHT – SITS (seats) TIGHT (little room to move)
7 Diplomat creates resentment about opposition leader (5)
ENVOY – ENVY (resentment) around (about) O[pposition] (opposition leader)
9 Secure support for a new name for news bulletin (12)
ANNOUNCEMENT – A N (new) NOUN (name) CEMENT (secure)
13 Unfortunately, Romeo often got overlooked (9)
FORGOTTEN – an anagram (unfortunately) of R OFTEN GOT
14 Dissolute beach dude in trouble (9)
DEBAUCHED – an anagram (in trouble) of BEACH DUDE
16 Does nothing to get brown back between legs (9)
STAGNATES – TAN (brown) reversed (back) in between) STAGES (legs)
20 Woods for a wild cat? (5)
TIGER – double def. – is he going to win another Major?
22 Without rain initially the German river becomes less full of water (5)
DRIER – DIE (the German) R (river) around (without) R[ain] (rain initially)
23 Hasty strike after changing sides at the top (4)
RASH – LASH (strike) with the L changed to R (after changing sides at the top)
Unless I’m missing something, 24 is rather unsatisfactory as ‘girl’ could be any female given name, and in the answer it’s also a given name rather than being involved in word play.
I agree with Flavia about 24. I also thought that the definition in 22, ‘less full of water’, was rather clumsy and odd.
Thanks Provis and Gaufrid
Much harder than Rufus. I was missing 9d, 16d and 21a for some time, and didn’t understand the first of these until I came here.
I liked LAVISHED and in contrast to Gillian, DRIER, but I too thought that 24a was a very poor clue – of course it’s a girl’s name first,as she was a girl, and “murderer” for Christie is very general knowledgy (I’m not watching the serial you mention, Gaufrid).
Thank you Provis and Gaufrid. As muffin @3 says, harder than Rufus, but nothing was too difficult.
I didn’t find this any harder than Rufus, just different. I agree about 24a. I did know the name, but I don’t think that younger generations than mine would know of him, except perhaps now if they are watching the series (which I am not). I was also slightly disappointed in 8a. The first definition on its own would be a respectable clue in a non-cryptic crossword, so there is little point left in adding the second one.
That’s (more than) enough quibbling, though. There are plenty of good clues too, nicely pitched for a Quiptic, so many thanks to Provis, and thanks too to Gaufrid for the blog.
I actually think that Provis is one of the Quiptic’s very best.
Yes, the definition of 22d is not ideal, and yes, 24ac and also 6d were perhaps not up to her high standard.
But there’s a lot thaty’s very good here, also for the one trying to understand how crosswords work.
Comparing this crossword with today’s Rufus (which was indeed really easy) is a bit nonsensical.
The two setters have completely different styles.
My only quibble was 23d (RASH) which could just as easily have been LASH.
‘Hasty’ becoming ‘strike’ after changing R into L.
Unfortunately, it would have suited the grid as the first letter was unchecked.
Thanks to Gaufrid, and to Provis (whom we haven’t seen that much recently – not here nor in the FT (as Magwitch).
Sil @6, agreed, this puzzle by Provis was a very good Quiptic, no-one was comparing it with Rufus’s, only remarking that Rufus was easier today for beginners, which is apparent from the posts on the Cryptic site, see comments 47, 55 and 58.
I see no problem with 23a, the definition in a Quiptic would obviously be at one end of a long clue.
I have a question re 21a How does “After” relate to “G” in Good? Or am I off-kilter here?
Martin @8
I DANCE (I take steps) comes ‘after’ U (university) which then ‘follows’ G (good).
Many thanks for the prompt reply, all is very clear now.