The following analysis was kindly supplied by John D French in comment #1, who remarked “Ah! The advantage of FT paper”. Many thanks John. Gaufrid.
Agentzero originally posted the following placeholder: “The link on the FT website for today’s puzzle actually links to yesterday’s Prize Crossword. I will check back later on and post a blog when the site is updated.”
ACROSS
1 MUSCLE Cold and Left in MUSE (patron of the arts) = meat
4 COFFER C (Charlie) OFFER (present) = box
8 OPERATE OPERA (stage work) TE (T.E. “Lawrence of Arabia”) = perform
9 STRANGE STreet (= road) and N (pole) in RAGE = odd
11 HEATSTROKE STROKE (oarsman) after HEAT (eliminator) = sickness
12 TALE tail (detective) heard = account
13 APHID A P (abbrev Page, leaf) HID (concealed) = garden pest
14 ETERNITY TINY TREE anag = forever
16 CONTESSA CON (trick) ASSET (property) rev = noblewoman
18 CIDER CID (detectives) ERr (slip up, endlessly) = drink
20 ETNA ANTE (ante-post, bet) rev = Italian smoker (volcano)
21 SILHOUETTE I USE THE LOT anag = profile
23 HADDOCK HAD (kept) DOCK (rendezvous) = fish, swimmer
24 LUCKILY pLUCKILY (bravely, removing leader) = by chance
25 EVEN SO EVENS (makes uniform) before O (Oscar in radio alphabet) = nevertheless
26 PENNON PENN (William, Quaker founder of Pennsylvania) ON (attached to) = flag
DOWN
1 MAPLE P (parking) in MALE (man) = wood, from maple tree
2 SCRATCH = pull out (of competition) and = claw (verb)
3 LATITUDES pLATITUDES (cliches start off) = regions
5 OUTRE OUT (dismissed) RE (soldier, Royal Engineer) = French loan-word for bizarre
6 FLATTEN FLAT (apartment) TEN (number) = floor, to knock down
7 REGULATOR TO put in REGULAR (uniform) = Governor
10 TOLERABLE OLER (new role) in TABLE (board) = OK
13 ABOUT-FACE A BOUT (fight) with F (French) ACE (champion) = sudden change of direction
15 ENCLOSURE CL (150, in Roman numerals) and O (duck) in ENSURE (guarantee) = compound, for animals, etc
17 TWADDLE T (Texan leader) WADDLE (walk awkwardly) = moonshine, nonsensical talk
18 DOESKIN DOES (satisfies, as in suffices) KIN (relations, family) = leather, doe skin
21 SOCKS = belts (hit somebody) and = clothing
22 TALON whaT A LONg piece = claw, noun
Ah! The advantage of FT.paper.
ACROSS
1 MUSCLE Cold and Left in MUSE (patron of the arts) = meat
4 COFFER C (Charlie) OFFER (present) = box
8 OPERATE OPERA (stage work) TE (T.E. “Lawrence of Arabia”) = perform
9 STRANGE STreet (= road) and N (pole) in RAGE = odd
11 HEATSTROKE STROKE (oarsman) after HEAT (eliminator) = sickness
12 TALE tail (detective) heard = account
13 APHID A P (abbrev Page, leaf) HID (concealed) = garden pest
14 ETERNITY TINY TREE anag = forever
16 CONTESSA CON (trick) ASSET (property) rev = noblewoman
18 CIDER CID (detectives) ER (slip up endlessly : I can’t see why : RE_ rev?) = drink
20 ETNA ANTE (ante-post, bet) rev = Italian smoker (volcano)
21 SILHOUETTE I USE THE LOT anag = profile
23 HADDOCK HAD (kept) DOCK (rendezvous) = fish, swimmer
24 LUCKILY pLUCKILY (bravely, removing leader) = by chance
25 EVEN SO EVENS (makes uniform) before O (Oscar in radio alphabet) = nevertheless
26 PENNON PENN (William, Quaker founder of Pennsylvania) ON (attached to) = flag
DOWN
1 MAPLE P (parking) in MALE (man) = wood, from maple tree
2 SCRATCH = pull out (of competition) and = claw (verb)
3 LATITUDES pLATITUDES (cliches start off) = regions
5 OUTRE OUT (dismissed) RE (soldier, Royal Engineer) = French loan-word for bizarre
6 FLATTEN FLAT (apartment) TEN (number) = floor, to knock down
7 REGULATOR TO put in REGULAR (uniform) = Governor
10 OLER (new role) in TABLE (board) = OK
13 ABOUT-FACE A BOUT (fight) with F (French) ACE (champion) = sudden change of direction
15 ENCLOSURE CL (150, in Roman numerals) and O (duck) in ENSURE (guarantee) = compound, for animals, etc
17 TWADDLE T (Texan leader) WADDLE (walk awkwardly) = moonshine, nonsensical talk
18 DOESKIN DOES (satisfies, as in suffices) KIN (relations, family) = leather, doe skin
21 SOCKS = belts (hit somebody) and = clothing
22 TALON whaT A LONg piece = claw, noun
Voila
P.S. As soon as I posted it, I got a FOTBO (Flash Of The Blindingly Obvious).
18 CIDER CID (detectives) ERr (slip up, endlessly) = drink