It’s a bank holiday, so perhaps we should expect something a bit more demanding. Any road up, I found this demanding; but that could just be me. Sound puzzle, though.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) missing
definitions are underlined
Across
3 Large dock arranged private security measure
LOCKDOWN
A charade of L, (DOCK)* and OWN.
7 Folk exercise by pole dancing
PEOPLE
A charade of PE for ‘exercise’ and (POLE)* with ‘dancing’ as the anagrind.
9 Following guards right behind
TRAILING
An insertion of R in TAILING.
10 Be unsuccessful finding accommodation after some time in US
FALL FLAT
A charade of FALL for the American English word for ‘autumn’ and FLAT for ‘accommodation’.
11 I’m to reflect in religious sermon
HOMILY
The setter is inviting you to reverse I’M and insert it into HOLY.
12 Losing article, suspicion about new associates
BRETHREN
I think that this is BRE[A]TH, RE and N, but as always am happy to be corrected.
13 Good nosh in excess makes you extremely big
GREATEST
A charade of G for ‘good’ and EAT inserted into REST.
16 Left field by opening in fence on the other side
OVERLEAF
A charade of OVER, LEA and F for the first letter of ‘fence’.
19 Shabby fur; sides split
FISSURED
(FUR SIDES)*
22 A Parisian fellow with address online is open
UNFURL
A charade of UN for one of the French words for ‘a’, F and URL for Uniform Resource Locator.
23 Hear legend of seabird and run away
TURN TAIL
A homophone of TERN TALE.
24 Courage to change sides shows inconsistency
VARIANCE
VALIANCE is ‘courage’, so if you changed sides from L to R, you’d get your answer.
25 One flies to cave in orderly fashion
AVOCET
(TO CAVE)* with ‘in orderly fashion’ as the anagrind. An elegant bird, which is the symbol for the RSPB. You know what’s coming next: the obligatory Pierre bird link.
Besides being beautiful, it’s one of the conservation success stories, and possibly one of the only good news stories from WW2. Google it if you’re interested.
26 Spirit after cold beer addled part of brain
CEREBRUM
A charade of C, (BEER)* and RUM.
Down
1 Make good mate after Rome vacation
REPAIR
A charade of RE for the outside letters of ‘Rome’ and PAIR.
2 Vocal person auctioning room
CELLAR
A homophone (‘vocal’) of SELLER.
3 Relieving tension, excusing mates in conflict
LETTING OFF STEAM
A charade of LETTING OFF for ‘excusing’ and (MATES)*
4 Directors of vehicle company making relocation to North Cheam
COACHMEN
A charade of CO and (N CHEAM)*
5 Establish food store with German
DELIMIT
A charade of DELI and MIT for the German word for ‘with’.
6 Still lifting item, needing energy for last of stamina
WINDLESS
A WINDLASS is a ‘lifting item’, so if you replace the last letter of ‘stamina’ with E for ‘energy’, you’re home and dry.
8 Taste dish containing innards of ram
PALATE
Doesn’t sound inviting, but it’s an insertion of A for the inner letter of ‘ram’ in PLATE.
14 Dishes from Verona we smashed
OVENWARE
(VERONA WE)*
15 German trio ending four months on ship
BERLINER
Thirty days hath September … The last four months of the year end in the trio of BER, so stick a ship on the end of that. Reminded me of JFK’s gaffe, although it came from the heart: Ich bin ein Berliner.
17 Ordinary metal in rake
ROUTINE
An insertion of TIN in ROUÉ.
18 I agree nothing should be dropped from medieval shows
JUST SO
The O from JOUSTS needs to be dropped, since it’s a down clue, to give you JUST SO.
20 Mounted soldiers hired to contain a riot
SCREAM
An insertion of A in MERCS for ‘mercenaries’ reversed.
21 Fabrics rejected time and again, they’re not allowed back
EXILES
[T]EX[T]ILES
Many thanks to eXternal for the Bank Holiday puzzle.
Thanks Pierre – I don’t know why you’re doubtful about your explanation of 12d: it seems fine to me.
However, Kennedy’s Ich bin ein Berliner was not a gaffe…
An extraordinary grid, with only the central square linking top and bottom halves and quite “four-cornered” in design. There’s most likely some devilish eXternalesque reason for this, but I can’t see it.
Many thanks to eXternal and Pierre
I always thought that JFK was saying that he was a doughnut, but your link puts me right, Andrew. Thank you.
Thanks Pierre & eXternal.
Did anyone else notice the run of solutions which were plural-without-‘s’-endings? People, brethren, ovenware, coachmen… not quite thematic, just QI.
Just couldn’t get 20dn. Didn’t see MERCS for soldiers. Couple of others I needed help to get.
Stuck in the SW corner again but could have kicked myself when my wordfinder came up with OVERLEAF. 2dn was one of those ambiguous clues where either of two homophones would fit and it took a moment or two to decide which way round the clue worked. Some great clues, though, FISSURED and BERLINER among them.
Fwiw, Berliners aren’t, of course, the only food items named after German cities; the ubiquitious Frankfurter and Hamburger come to mind. Which reminds me that there was a train in Germany in the 30s called The Flying Hamburger – the mind boggles!
Thanks, though, eXternal and Pierre
Good stuff, I thought. Missed a couple as is my wont and defo thought there must be a theme with the grid, but couldn’t spot one. Fave clues 13a, 26a, 4d and 18d so thanks to eXternal for the puzzle and to Pierre for blog and birdy link.