Independent on Sunday 1257 Commoner

(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)   Not exactly a pushover for a Sunday, but enjoyable, with many fine surface readings.  Thanks to Commoner.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Jack‘s a long way off being taken in by psychic (8)

SEAFARER : AFAR(a long way off) contained in(being taken in by) SEER(a psychic).

Defn: A sailor, or in nautical terms, a Jack.

6 Live on BBC1, say (6)

RESIDE : RE(about;concerning;on as in “… re your submission …”) + SIDE(a Briticism for a TV channel, presumably from the days when there was only BBC1 and ITV in Britain, as in “what’s showing on the other side?”).

Defn: To live in a dwelling.

9 Contest such a claim made up by taxmen (7,6)

MUSICAL CHAIRS : Anagram of(made up) SUCH A CLAIM plus(by) IRS(abbrev. for the Internal Revenue Service, the taxmen).

10 Runs into an exam, being late (2,4)

AT REST : R(abbrev. for “runs” in cricket) contained in( into) [A TEST](an exam).

Defn: The state of being dead;late.

11 A bottle smashed on soft work surface (5,3)

TABLE TOP : Anagram of(smashed) A BOTTLE plus(on) P(abbrev. for “piano”, musical direction to play softly).

13 Sitting by river, I’m about to tuck into fruit – this may bring death! (4,6)

GRIM REAPER : R(abbrev. for “river”) placed after(Sitting by …, in an across clue) [ I’M + RE(with reference to;about) contained in(to tuck into) GRAPE(a fruit) ].

Defn: The personification of death.

15 Having a change of heart, snatch dress (4)

GARB : GRAB(to snatch) with its 2 inner letters changing places(Having a change of heart).

16 Diver number 24 comes first (4)

LOON : N(abbrev. for “number”) placed after(… comes first, in an across clue) LOO(answer to 24 Down).

17 Again stirred around three, at heart dead exhausted (10)

OVERWORKED : OVER(again, as in “had to do it over”) + [ WOKE(stirred;got up from sleep) containing(around) the innermost letter of(at heart) “three ” ] + D(abbrev. for “dead”).

19 Criticise line in rendition of Let It Be (8)

BELITTLE : L(abbrev. for “line”) contained in(in) anagram of(rendition of) LET IT BE.

21 Affected by Times online comments (6)

TWEETS : TWEE(affected;overly sentimental, sweet or pretty) plus(by) T’S(plural of T;abbrev. for “Time“).

Defn: … on the Twitter website.

23 Fictitious addition: Butcher Bill meets with hard men (13)

EMBELLISHMENT : Anagram of(Butcher) [BILL MEETS plus(with) H(abbrev. for “hard”) + MEN].

25 Where an artist may work, one wearing earring and ring (6)

STUDIO : I(Roman numeral for “one”) contained in(wearing) [ STUD(an earring) plus(and) O(letter representing a ring) ].

26 Anxious son with long hair (8)

STRESSED : S(abbrev. for “son”) + TRESSED(describing one with long locks of hair).

Down

2 Dorothy’s aunt was introduced to old worker? (5)

EMMET : EM(short for Emily, Dorothy’s aunt in the series of books starting with “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”) + MET(was introduced to).

Defn: An archaic;old word for “ant”, a member of social insects one of whose caste is the worker).

3 Angler‘s koi finally put in fine tank? (9)

FISHERMAN : The last letter of(… finally) “koi” contained in(put in) [ F(abbrev. for “fine”) + SHERMAN(the principal military tank used by the Allies in WWII) ].

4 This is one way to make waves! (4,3,4)

ROCK THE BOAT : Cryptic defn: The literal interpretation of the figurative sense of causing trouble.

5 Bunk incorporating 50s work desk (4-3)

ROLL-TOP : ROT(bunk;rubbish) containing(incorporating) 2 x L(Roman numeral for 50) + OP(abbrev. for a musical work;composition).

6 Isaac’s mum needs to show no sex appeal to make whoopee! (3)

RAH : “Sarah”(biblical wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac) minus(needs to show no) “SA”(abbrev. for “sex appeal”).

Answer: Another exclamation of encouragement;excitement, similar to “whoopee!”. And of course, “making whoopee” is slang for making love, which makes the clue’s surface a deliberate self-contradiction!

7 Thorn from small tree (5)

SPINE : S(abbrev. for “small”) + PINE(a coniferous tree).

Defn: … as one would find, say, on a porcupine.

8 Dance sure to be spoiled by conversation (9)

DISCOURSE : DISCO(a dance style) + anagram of(… to be spoiled) SURE.

12 Prison guard – one who twitches? (4,7)

BIRD WATCHER : BIRD(rhyming slang for a prison, from “birdlime” rhyming with “time” in prison) WATCHER(one who guards).

Defn: …, in other words, a “twitcher”.

14 First lady originally laying in bed with president (9)

ROOSEVELT : [ EVE(the biblical first lady) + 1st letter of(originally) “laying ” ]contained in(in) ROOST(a bed;a place for resting at night, especially for birds).

Answer: Franklin or Theodore, former presidents of the USA, take your pick.

15 Perhaps nursery workers gather before start of school, requiring requiring Dutch courage ultimately (9)

GARDENERS : [ GARNER(to gather or store, as with grain, say) placed above(before, in a down clue) 1st letter of(start of) “school ” ] containing(requiring) [ D(abbrev. for “Dutch”) + last letter of(… ultimately) “courage ” ].

Defn: … in a garden, and not, as the surface suggests, of nursemaids drinking.

18 Idly see out when these are open! (7)

EYELIDS : Anagram of(out) IDLY SEE.

20 10, as 15 Down may be? (2,3)

IN BED : Cryptic defn: Where gardeners(answer to 15 Down) might be working in.

Answer: … and therefore at rest(answer to 10 Across).

22 Heading for championship (5)

TITLE : Double defn: 1st: … for, say, a chapter or a piece of writing.

24 Endless deluge creates bog (3)

LOO : “flood”(a deluge;an overwhelming quantity, say, of water) minus its 2 endmost letters(Endless …).

Answer: Slang, as is “bog”, for a lavatory.

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