Nothing too devious from Falcon this morning: a decent mix (though perhaps a few too many insertions), a handful of real dollies and only one or two quibble-worthy liberties…
ACROSS
1. CHAPEL MASTER Elm [wood] + as within chapter [series?]
8. HATCHET Che [revolutionary, as in Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara] within anagram of that
9. REBECCA Re [about] + (E [English] + CC [Cricket Club]) within BA [Bachelor of Arts, scholar] to give the novel by Daphne du Maurier
11. WARRANT War [conflict] + rant [angry tirade]
12. ORIGAMI O [ring] + rig [fake? As in rig an election, I suppose, but I’d say that’s more ‘fix’ than ‘fake’] + ami [French for ‘friend’] to give the Japanese art of paper-folding
13. NIGHT Nigh [near] + (fligh)t
14. CATHEDRAL Anagram of had claret
16. SNARE DRUM Snared [got hold of] + rum [peculiar]
19. LASSO Lass [girl] + O [zero, nothing]
21. ODDMENT D(aughter) within anagram of to mend
23. TAVERNA Tavern [pub] + a
24. EARMARK Arm [member] within E [European] + ark [vessel, ship]
25. BARRIER Barrie [Scottish playwright JM Barrie] + R [right]
26. GARDEN CENTRE Arden [wooded area in Warwickshire, featured in Shakespeare’s As You Like It] within g [good] + centre [meeting place]
DOWN
1. CUT A RUG Reversal of at within guru [teacher] + c [college]
2. AT HEART The + a [definite and indefinite articles] within art [skill]
3. ESTATE CAR State [position] within reversal of race [event]
4. MARIO M(ime) + ario(so) [song in opera] to give the popular tenor Mario Lanza
5. SUBSIDE Sub [reserve, substitute] + side [team]
6. EN CLAIR Enc [enclosure] + l(etters) + air [look, manner]
7, 10. WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE The title of both a TV gameshow and a song: rather a weak clue for a 24-letter solution
15. TIMETABLE I met [I came across] within table [desk]
17. ANDORRA Anagram of road ran to give the Pyrenean principality
18. EMERALD Me within (h)erald [courier]
19. LEVERET Ever [always] within let [allowed] to give the word for a young hare
20. SERVICE I [one] + C(hristmas) within anagram of verse to give the tree Sorbus torminalis
22. TOKEN OK [pass] within ten [number]
Thanks Ringo – and Falcon for a quick, enjoyable solve.
One of my dictionaries gives:
“a chapter of accidents” Brit: a series of unfortunate events.
“fake someone out” N Amer: trick or deceive someone.
Thanks Ringo and Falcon. Re 12, Chambers gives rig=trick or fraud (noun). A bit of a surprise to me, as well!
All enjoyable and straightforward for me too thanks Falcon, and Ringo too. I had heard of ‘rig’ before and not just in cryptic crosswords!