Apologies for the lateness. Trip to Manchester that turned into a nightmare and nearly resulted in an overnight hospital stay.
Solving time: 23 minutes
Like Phi, Dac always produces solid dependable puzzles that always leave you satisfied
when you finish them. This one took me a little while longer than it should as I messed up
13 across without seriously thinking about it (There’s probably a district in
France called Oriel!). 18 and 19 down likewise delayed my finishing time.
Loved the clues at 14 across, 17 across and 3 and 12 down.
ACROSS * = ANAGRAM CD = Cryptic Definition (R) = Reversal
1 HAILSHAM HAILS (Welcomes) + HAM (actor) – not heard of the place until I checked.
5 CARPAL CARP + A L
9 REDACTOR RED (Communist) + ACTOR (Star)
10 IN HOCK IN SHOCK (Reeling) minus S (Son)
11 CHAMELEON CLEAN HOME *
13 LOIRE (B)LERIO(T)*
14 JACQUES TATI J (Japan) + QUITE A CAST*
17 ACRIMONIOUS MORONIC* + I inside AUS (Oz / Australia)
20 JUMBO J (Judge) + UMBO (An architectural boss)
21 STONEWARE NEW A inside STORE
23 ISSUED I’S SUED (One’s taken to Court)
24 LINGUINE Hidden answer
25 THRUSH TH (Half of that!) + RUSH (To career)
26 STANDARD STAND (Stall) + A RD
DOWN
1 HORACE HO (House) on RACE (Channel)
2 INDIAN AID (R) inside INN
3 SUCRE Dbl def – The SUCRE is the unit of currency in Venezuela (I think!)
+ SUGAR in French
4 ADOLESCENTS DOLE (benefit) inside ASCENTS
6 ANNALISTS Homophone of ANALYSTS
7 PRODIGAL (Romano) PRODI (Italian politician) + GAL
8 LAKE ERIE A REEK (R)
12 NEUROLOGIST G + RESOLUTION*
14 JAMBOREES (Henry or M R) JAMES with BORE inside
15 BANJOIST BAN + JOIST
16 PROMISER CD
18 PATINA PAT + IN A
19 BEHELD HE + L inside BED
22 EGG ON E.G. (Say) + GO N (TRAVEL NORTH)
Yes. as you say, you always are satisfied by a Dac puzzle. I found this a little harder than usual. Cunning things that tricked me were (1) in 19 was looking for a synonym of bed (e.g. cot) whereas it was the word itself and (2) 21 across where similarly new = new not n! Re 16 down, which I liked a lot, and again was tantalisingly misleading, I read the wordplay as PRO MISER. I had to confirm HAILSHAM too, but the wordplay was very clear.
Quite surprised to see Hailsham, but easy enough as I used to live in Eastbourne. Best way for others to get it is probably to realise that the Hailsam in “Lord Hailsham” was a toponym.