BOBCAT kicks off the week…
I found this a bit more challenging than a usual Monday puzzle, and it took a while to spot the feline Nina.
Thanks BOBCAT!
ACROSS
7. Somewhat powerful nationalist army unit? (4)
ULNA
[powerf]UL NA[tionalist] (somewhat)
As in part of the arm
8. Where one may digest single literary work interminably? (10)
UNIVERSITY
UNITY (one) may digest (I (single) + VERS[e] (literary work, interminably)) &lit
10. Run at high speed without wearing things out (6)
STREAK
STREAK (run at high speed) &lit
11. Spartan character to change, adopting Latin social code (8)
CHIVALRY
CHI (Spartan character) + (VARY (to change) adopting L (Latin))
12. Half-sized can or bottle (8)
DEMIJOHN
DEMI (half-sized) + JOHN (can)
13. Was very unhappy about cocaine being reviewed and cut off (6)
DETACH
(HATED (was very unhappy) about C (cocaine))< (<being reviewed)
15. Personal examination of disorganised cops in Trenton curtailed by author (13)
INTROSPECTION
(COPS IN TRENTO[n] (curtailed))* (*disorganised) by I (author)
18. Use AI to contain disease native to S America (6)
AGOUTI
AI to contain GOUT (disease)
20. Vanilla drink heads up orders I’ve taken (8)
CHAPLAIN
PLAIN (vanilla), CHA (drink) heads up
22. A tiny bit in tune or out of kilter? (8)
NEUTRINO
(IN TUNE OR)* (*out of kilter)
24. Craze for City historically breaks Arsenal’s heart (6)
FURORE
(FOR, UR (city, historically) breaks) + [ars]E[nal] (heart)
25. Money-making professional kitty breeder? (4-6)
FUND-RAISER
26. Help young woman out of her clothes (4)
AIDE
[m]AIDE[n] (young woman, out of her clothes)
DOWN
1. Complimentary coffee provided for first one involved in discharge (10)
FLATTERING
LATTE (coffee) provided for first I (one) involved in FIRING (discharge)
2. Paper covering possibly facile improvement on nature? (4-4)
FACE-LIFT
FT (paper) covering (FACILE)* (*possibly)
3. Flyer seeking pre-natal adoption (6)
CUCKOO
4. Regular exercise police mounted to protect port (8)
PERIODIC
(PE (exercise) + (CID)< (police, <mounted)) to protect RIO (port)
5. They say you won’t land in Brittany (6)
USHANT
“you” = U (“they say”) + SHANT (won’t)
6. Player taking the lead for the most part (4)
STAR
STAR[t] (lead, for the most part)
9. Collapsed unconscious, having eaten most of pie without attracting attention (13)
INCONSPICUOUS
(UNCONSCIOUS)* (*collapsed) having eaten PI[e] (most of)
14. Variation of genetic resistance encompasses a degree of metric scale (10)
CENTIGRADE
(GENETIC R (resistance))* (*variation) encompasses (A + D (degree))
16. Novel sort of sin (8)
ORIGINAL
17. Extremely ineffectual lot remonstrate against abuse (3-5)
ILL-TREAT
I[neffectua]L L[o]T R[emonstrat]E A[gains]T
19. Scruffy, loose, lacking finish and dirty when discharged (6)
UNTIDY
UNTI[e] (loose, lacking finish) and D[irt]Y (when discharged)
21. Pay for a fine car (6)
AFFORD
A + F (fine) + FORD (car)
23. Australians finally recycle problem boomerangs (4)
EMUS
[recycl]E (finally) + (SUM)< (problem, <boomerangs)
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