Easy breezy puzzle.
Good surface stories and unambiguous cryptic instructions meant I didn’t have trouble with any of the answers or wordplays. Thanks GURNEY for the fun.
All clues have definitions marked like this.
* anagram, + charade, – deletion, H hidden, ~ homophone, <= reversal, DD double definition <=> palindrome
ACROSS
1 Fairy ceremony, special for starters (6) SPRITE [SPecial + ceremony=RITE]
4 Some parrot idea about media professional (6) EDITOR [H<=]
8 Support fellow tenor, one making predictions (7) PROPHET [support=PROP + fellow=HE + Tenor]
9 Order island court to block appointment (7) DICTATE [Island + CourT inside appointment=DATE]
11 Omit dry ice (crushed) seen as nothing special (10) MEDIOCRITY [OMIT DRY ICE]*
12 Midpoint either way (4) NOON [<=>]
13 We hear horses feed on vegetation (5) GRAZE [~horses=GREYS]
14 Temporary difficulty concealed by spiteful woman in talk (8) CHITCHAT [temporary difficulty=HITCH inside spiteful woman=CAT]
16 Jack briefly yearned to change English book (classic) (4,4) JANE EYRE [Jack + YEARNEd* + English]
18 Find // very small quantity (5) TRACE [DD]
20 Left // wine (4) PORT [DD]
21 Tell her secrets unsettling fiancé? Don’t! (10) CONFIDANTE [FIANCE DON’T]*
23 Happy to supply argument against portable shelter (7) CONTENT [argument against=CON + portable shelter=TENT]
24 Tabby is wandering – mind the child! (7) BABYSIT [TABBY IS]*
25 Senior our group had accommodated in country (6) SWEDEN [Senior =SEN outside our group=WE + had = ‘D]
26 News agency founder about to speak when time’s cut (6) REUTER [about=RE + to speak=UTtER]
DOWN
1 In part wiser (very) take court action? (5) SERVE [H]
2 Rewrite peculiar non-U copy? (7) REPLICA [PECuLIAR]*
3 Cheater concocted line leading to betrayal of trust (9) TREACHERY [CHEATER* + line=RailwaY]
5 Lawyer, one overlooking extremely lazy charwoman (5) DAILY [lawyer=DA + one=1 + LazY]
6 Note Brown in charge, exceptionally strong (7) TITANIC [note=TI + brown=TAN + In Charge]
7 Restrict supply of drink? Here’s why! (9) RATIONALE [restrict supply of=RATION + drink=ALE]
10 Con man perhaps, smart, nice, corrupt? (9) MISCREANT [SMART NICE]*
13 Attractive girl losing heart in the morning put on gold ring (American) (9) GLAMOROUS [GirL + in the morning=AM + gold=OR + ring=O + American = US]
15 Certain it’s extraordinarily difficult to understand (9) INTRICATE [CERTAIN IT]*
17 Give name to Teen Lit novel (7) ENTITLE [TEEN LIT]*
19 He examines article, aluminium, close to Coventry Street (7) ANALYST [article=AN + ALuminium + coventrY + STreet]
21 Is able to operate empty boat (5) CANOE [is able to=CAN + OperatE]
22 One making effort in German city (5) TRIER [DD]
Thanks to Bhavan and Gurney. Enjoyable – straightforward enough, but precisely clued.
Well that was quick, what the Guardian Quiptics should be. Like a Dac perfectly executed but alas over in seconds, sorry Gurney a couple of harder ones in places might have made this great.
Thanks Gurney and Bhavan
Agree, a very good puzzle to learn the craft – still enjoyable with the precision clueing. CHITCHAT was last in for no particular reason.