Guardian Cryptic 26297 with Picture Quiz

[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow.  To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)  A slow start, but a quick finish.  Thanks to Philistine.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

9    Reciprocating, mum goes topless on topless beach (4,5)

EACH OTHER : “mother”(one’s mum) minus its 1st letter(goes topless) placed after(on, in an across clue) “beach ” minus its 1st letter(topless …).

10    A court case almost reaching the chambers (5)

Defn: … or cavities in the body, especially of the heart.

ATRIA : A + “trial”(a case heard in a court of law) minus its last letter(… almost).

11    Sea captain’s boat at last lost in storm (7)

CASPIAN : Anagram of(… in storm) [ “captain’s” minus the last letter of(… at last lost) “boat” ].

12    No more pleasure shifting iron out of fault (7)

DEFUNCT : FUN(pleasure) replacing(shifting … out of) “Fe”(the chemical symbol for the element, iron) in “defect”(a fault;a flaw).

13    Shred half the letters (4)

ATOM : [A TO M](the first 13 letters;half of the English alphabet).

14    Scraps first flights with both sides lost (4,6)

FIST FIGHTS : “first flights ” minus(with … lost) “r,l”(the abbrevs. for both sides, right and left, respectively).

16    Degustation of bubbly isn’t confined to a label (7)

TASTING : Anagram of(bubbly) ISN’T contained in(confined to) TAG(a label).

17    Falls out of gear again when reversing (7)

NIAGARA : Hidden in(out of) reversal of(… when reversing) “gear again “.

19    Thus, in washing, get forgiveness (10)

ABSOLUTION : SO(thus;hence) contained in(in) ABLUTION(a washing of the body, hands, etc.).

22    Some obstetricians leave it alone (4)

STET : Hidden in(Some) “obstetricians “.

Defn: … as an instruction that certain text marked for deletion or correction should be retained, from Latin, literally, “let it stand”.

24    Smarty-pants reports missing partition (4-3)

KNOW-ALL : Homophone of(reports) “no”(missing) + WALL(a partition).

25    Notice muck heading for rotating fan (7)

ADMIRER : AD(abbrev. for “advertisement”;a promotional notice) + MIRE(muck;mud) + the 1st letter of(heading for) “rotating “.

26    Fleet Street a constant intrusion (5)

RAPID : RD(abbrev. for a road;a street) containing(… intrusion) [A + PI(the mathematical constant).

27    Game of choice perhaps, out of cinematographic production (9)

PTARMIGAN : Anagram of(… production) [“cinematographic” minus(… out of) rearrangement of(… perhaps) “choice” ].

Defn: Various arctic and sub-arctic grouse, game birds.

Down

1    Nice sea shanty breaks out round noon, held responsible for 5 7 (8,7)

MERCHANT BANKERS : MER(the sea, as it is called in Nice, France) + CHANT(a song, eg. one sung by sailors;a shanty – both “chant” and “shanty” sharing the same root word from French) + anagram of( … out ) BREAKS containing(round) N(abbrev. for “noon”).

2    They clip specific items studio requires after vacation (8)

SCISSORS : “specific items studio requires ” respectively minus all their inner letters(after vacation).

3    Test provided design (5)

MOTIF : MOT(the annual test, in the UK, of all road vehicles over a certain age, from the abbrev. for the Ministry of Transport) + IF(provided;on condition that …).

Defn: …, in architecture or decoration, that is repeated.

4    Evolution of c-capital punishment (8)

CHANGING : C-+ HANGING(a form of capital punishment).

5,7    Tick bite crisis (6,6)

CREDIT CRUNCH : CREDIT(in commerce, tick, shortened from “ticket”, as in “he bought his TV set on tick”) + CRUNCH(to bite with a crackling sound).

Defn: … of the financial kind, when bankers are unwilling to lend money.

6    After a departure, many afraid to turn for help (3,6)

MAN FRIDAY : Anagram of(… to turn) [“many afraid” minus(After … departure) “a”].

Defn: As a noun, an assistant.

7    See 5

8    Really big heart? (5-10)

EARTH SHATTERING : A reverse clue: Anagram of(… -SHATTERING) EARTH = “heart “.

15    Poorly compiler to dive into poet’s pool (9)

BILLIARDS : [ILL(in a poor condition, health-wise] + I(self-referential pronoun for this crossword compiler)] contained in(to dive into) BARD(a poet)‘S.

17    Someone on a talk for recent arrivals (8)

NEONATAL : Hidden in(Some) “one on a talk “.

Defn: Related to newborn infants.

18    Most like one voice full of hesitation, say (5,3)

ALTER EGO : ALTO(the highest adult male voice) containing(full of) [ ER(an expression signifying hesitation) + EG(say;for example, from the Latin abbrev.)].

20    Exclusive features of ice cream? (6)

SCOOPS : Double defn: 1st: … or news stories reported in one publication before appearing in any others; and 2nd: … that comes in dollops.

21    With these plants, Leon makes lentil soup (6)

TULIPS : A reverse clue: TULIPS(plants) plus(With these …) “Leon” = anagram of(makes) “lentil soup “.

23    Taste of plum? A miracle (5)

UMAMI : Hidden in(of) “plum? A miracle “.

Defn: … associated with meats and other high-protein foods, from Japanese.

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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.

                

Answer to pic3 please click here , pic7 here , pics2&10 here and here.

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)