Another good Quiptic from Pan.
Most of the definitions given are from Chambers 12th Edition. Most of the standard abbreviations used in the wordplay are shown with the unused letters in brackets e.g. R(ight). Definitions are underlined in the clue and only included in explanations where further information is given.
Across
1 Renegade, with silver hidden in dam, forms an elaborate plan (9)
STRATAGEM – a renegade and the chemical symbol for silver inside a verb meaning to dam
6 Lecherous look of king reported (4)
LEER – sounds like (reported) Shakespeare’s most famous king
8 I censor a badly written summary of play’s plot (8)
SCENARIO – an anagram (badly) of I CENSOR A
9 No sin found in one yet to take vows (6)
NOVICE – NO followed by a sin
10 Invest a tenner to secure property (6)
ESTATE – hidden (to secure) inside the clue
11 I cry loudly for dessert (3,5)
ICE CREAM – sounds like (loudly) I cry
12 Nonsense talked in bed leading to expression of doubt (6)
BUNKUM – a type of bed followed by an expression of doubt or hesitation
15 Drink in Soho, having time to get wasted (8)
SMOOTHIE – an anagram (to get wasted) of SOHO TIME
16 Bone discovered in barrow is about to perish (8)
MORIBUND – a bone inside (discovered in) a barrow or tumulus
19 Tea ordered in attempt to reach agreement between states (6)
TREATY – an anagram ordered () of TEA inside an attempt
21 Stick together where the money is? (8)
COINHERE – split as (4,4) this could indicate where the money is
22 State adopting dancing bear is not far away (6)
NEARBY – the abbreviation of a US state around (adopting) an anagram (dancing) of BEAR
24 Surrealist painter claiming right to meet central character in Carroll’s Looking Glass (6)
MIRROR – a Surrealist painter around (claiming) R(ight) and followed by ( to meet) the middle letter of (central character in) CarRoll
25 “All the world’s a stage” is one trope ham delivered badly (8)
METAPHOR – an anagram (delivered badly) of TROPE HAM
26 Boss of a breeding establishment (4)
STUD – a double definition
27 Priest leading men to evangelist’s final manuscript (9)
PARCHMENT – P(riest) followed by an adjective meaning leading, MEN and the final letter of evangelisT
Down
1 Whacks with items of clothing (5)
SOCKS – a double definition
2 Managed to get rid of plunder (7)
RANSACK – a verb meaning managed followed by a verb meaning to get rid of
3 During winter, sex is brief! (5)
TERSE – hidden (during) inside the clue
4 Sticky stuff decays in treats (7)
GOODIES – some sticky stuff followed by a verb meaning decays
5 Worried aunt got me a vegetable (9)
MANGETOUT – an anagram (worried) of AUNT GOT ME
6 Young mammal always restricted by obstruction (7)
LEVERET – a word meaning always inside (restricted by) an obstruction
7 Evangelical Union against the Messiah embracing a sacrament (9)
EUCHARIST – the abbreviation of Evangelical Union followed by (against) the Messiah around (embracing) the A from the clue
13 Girl out, so arranged for a physician (9)
UROLOGIST – an anagram (arranged) of GIRL OUT SO
14 Must opera turn into long-running play? (9)
MOUSETRAP – an anagram (turn into) of MUST OPERA
17 Refused to have anything to with editor after groin trouble (7)
IGNORED – ED(itor) follows an anagram (trouble) of GROIN – I think the definition should have read “refused to have anything to do with”
18 Dickens’ first twenty quires given to Queen by idealist (7)
DREAMER – the initial letter (first) Dickens followed by twenty quires of paper and the regnal cypher for our Queen
20 Former Liberal issues a warning (7)
EXAMPLE – a charade of a former partner and an adjective meaning liberal
22 Nick‘s not at church (5)
NOTCH – NOT followed by CH(urch)
23 Promote footwear worn by Scottish leader (5)
BOOST – an item of footwear around (worn by) the initial letter (leader) of Scottish
Comments from solvers who are new to cryptic puzzles are more than welcome – and that doesn’t mean the usual suspects can’t add their thoughts as well!
I enjoyed this clearly-clued puzzle by Pan.
I especially liked RANSACK, TREATY, PARCHMENT, MORIBUND, STRATAGEM, NOVICE, ICE CREAM & SMOOTHIE.
New words that I learnt today were MANGETOUT & COINHERE (last in).
Thanks for the blog, Big Dave.
Good straightforward Quiptic, except perhaps for COINHERE – not in my everyday vocabulary anyway.
Thanks Big Dave for the good pictorial blog. Like you, I noticed the missing ‘do’ in 17 – ironic that ‘editor’ is in the clue. I tried ‘boast’ in 23 at first but BOOST fits better.
I particularly liked the clue for MIRROR.
Thanks Pan and Big Dave. I didn’t get 21a even though the clue is very helpful because I’d never heard of it.
Thanks for the photo of the Goodies – happy memories for those of us who are old enough!