The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28936.
It took me a little effort to unravel the wordplay for 6D and 23A, but they were the main stumbling blocks here. Otherwise, a slow but steady solve.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | ALFRESCO |
Outside broadcast for scale (8)
|
| An anagram (‘broadcast’) of ‘for scale’. | ||
| 9 | NOOKS |
In retrospect, young man’s fine cutting corners (5)
|
| An envelope (‘cutting’) of OK (‘fine’) in NOS, a reversal (‘in retrospect’) of SON (‘young man’). | ||
| 10 | SNUG |
Bar room finally has cordon bleu cooking (4)
|
| Last letters (‘finally’) of ‘haS cordoN bleU cookinG‘. | ||
| 11, 15 | ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN |
A binman, on working with a womble, describes small mythical creature (10,7)
|
| An envelope (‘describing’) of S (‘small’) in ABOMINABLENOWMAN, an anagram (‘working’) of ‘a binman on’ plus ‘a womble’. | ||
| 12 | STODGE |
On the counter, say with peppers filling dish (6)
|
| A reversal (‘on the counter’) of EG (‘say’) plus DOTS (‘peppers’, verb) | ||
| 14 | EXERCISE |
Queen’s duty-bound to practice (8)
|
| An envelope (-‘bound’) of ER (‘Queen’) in EXCISE (‘duty’-). The spelling ‘practice’ is, at least in British English, used for the noun, but ‘to’ can be a link word, with a nounal definition. | ||
| 15 |
See 11
|
|
| 17 | CORRODE |
4 down, 1 to go — lay waste (7)
|
| A charade of CORR, which is CORONER (‘4 down’) minus ONE (‘1 to go’); plus ODE (‘lay’). | ||
| 20 | PROMPTED |
Expert politician, Kennedy could be motivated (8)
|
| A charade of PRO (‘expert’) plus MP (‘politician’) plus TED (‘Kennedy’). | ||
| 22 | SESAME |
Oil producer‘s assets essentially unchanged (6)
|
| A charade of SE (‘asSEts essentially’) plus SAME (‘unchanged’). | ||
| 23 | ESCRITOIRE |
Weirdly, I censor intern after dismissing the news desk (10)
|
| An anagram (‘weirdly’) of ‘I ce[n]sor i[n]ter[n]’ minus NNN (‘the news’). | ||
| 24 | EONS |
Ages in Westgate-on-Sea (4)
|
| A hidden answer in ‘WestgatE–ON–Sea’. | ||
| 25 | SPEND |
Pass leads to simple poacher’s goal (5)
|
| A charade of SP (‘leads to Simple Poacher’s’) plus END (‘goal’). | ||
| 26 | OFF-WHITE |
First to move on from Cream? (3-5)
|
| A charade of OFF (‘from’) plus WHITE (‘first to move’, chess), with ‘on’ indicating the order of the particles. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PLANKTON |
Drifters not mountain climbing around North Korea’s capital (8)
|
| An envelope (‘around’) of N (‘North’) plus K (‘Korea’s capital’) in PLATON, a reversal (‘climbing’ in a down light) of ‘not’ plus ALP (‘mountain’). | ||
| 2 | FROG |
King wearing obscure jumper (4)
|
| An envelope (‘wearing’) of R (Rex, ‘king’) in FOG (‘obscure’, verb). | ||
| 3 | ESCAPE |
Copy key to open bolt (6)
|
| A charade of ESC (‘key’ top left) plus APE (‘copy’) with ‘to open’ indicating the order of the particles. | ||
| 4 | CORONER |
Singer’s first disc rising to second place — official! (7)
|
| CROONER (‘singer’) with the first O (‘first disc’) moved up one (‘rising to second place’). | ||
| 5 | ANTI-HERO |
Perhaps Rupert Pupkin‘s on the air, somehow (4-4)
|
| An anagram (‘somehow’) of ‘on the air’. Rupert Pupkin, played by Robert De Niro, is the anti-hero in the film The King of Comedy directed by Martin Scorsese. | ||
| 6 | VOCAL CORDS |
90% discount on opening of neighbourhood business — approach succeeded — they make some noise (5,5)
|
| A charade of VOCAL, which is LOCAL (‘neighbourhood’) with the initial L replaced by V (Roman numerals, 50 replaced by 5, ‘90% discount on opening’) plus CO (company, ‘business’) plus RD (road, ‘approach’) plus S (‘succeeded’). | ||
| 7 | PSALMS |
Songs of praise revealed second thoughts over charity (6)
|
| A charade of PS (‘second thoughts’) plus ALMS (‘charity’). | ||
| 13 | DOWNMARKET |
Investing own money in bad film is common (10)
|
| An envelope (‘investing’) of ‘own’ plus M (‘money’) in DARK (‘bad’) plus ET (‘The Extraterrestrial, ‘film’). | ||
| 16 | ATTITUDE |
Uncover fatty bits with topless, risqué pose (8)
|
| A charade of ATT IT (‘uncover fATTy bITs’) plus [r]UDE or even [n]UDE (‘risqué’) minus the first letter (‘topless’) | ||
| 18 | DOMINATE |
Military Intelligence inside give command (8)
|
| An envelope (‘inside’) of MI (‘military intelligence’) in DONATE (‘give’). | ||
| 19 | ADVISOR |
Guide for audience to put on face mask (7)
|
| Sounds like (‘for audience’) ADD VISOR (‘to put on face mask’). | ||
| 21 | RESIST |
Weather is interrupting break (6)
|
| An envelope (‘interrupting’) of ‘is’ in REST (‘break’). | ||
| 22 | SHEAFS |
Bundles that man and a female on board ship (6)
|
| An envelope (‘on board’) of HE (‘that man’) plus ‘a’ plus F (‘female’) in SS (‘ship’). The plural sheaves is far more common. | ||
| 24 | ECHO |
All wanting a ring to copy (4)
|
| A charade of E[a]CH (‘all’) minus A (‘wanting a’) plus O (‘ring’). |
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