Themed puzzle based on 24. When I saw HAWK hidden in the 2nd across clue, 6, I went straight to 24, and worked out BIRD. Bullet-proof clueing as always from Phi. I worked out quite a few words, new to me, from the wordplay. Solving time, 17 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
1 R (ENT-A-MOB) (boatmen)*
6 HAWK hidden
9 TO (M) T IT
10 VER AND A i.e. Vera
11 KILL (DE) ER
12 GO T (CH) A IVR code for Switzerland
18 H O USE SPAR ROW
16 CAPER C (about) AIL LIE
19 L IN EAR Good misleading context in surface
20 ACCENT OR
22 E (ND) MOS T (time) some< Good seamless join of two clue parts at “Last/time”
23 A V (OC) ET
24 BI (R) D
25 DO TTEREL (letter)*
DOWN
2 EMOTI (CO)N (no time)*
3 TO (TA) L lot<
4 MOTHER S UP ERIOR i for r in error
5 B A VARIA(tions) (a b)<
6 HAND TO (W) EL (load then)*
7 W (HAT) HO A loud summons, dict tells me
8 GREGORIAN CHANT (gracing another)*
14 S (U CC) EEDED Clue of the puzzle for me.
15 TI (ROLE) SE (site)*
17 R (OAST) ED oast in red not red in oast as ‘on the contrary’ tells us
19 L I GET I Austrian composer, born 1923. Got it from the wordplay
21 NO (p)OSE
What Ho!
Does this mean ‘I say!’? ‘A loud hail or summons’ is what Chambers says. I had always thought it was a form of greeting, but in any case it doesn’t seem to be a general exclamation.
I’d never heard of it, but worked it out from the friendly wordplay, verifying later.