Independent on Sunday 1293 with Picture Quiz

(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow.  To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)   I recall this was slightly more difficult to solve than usual for a Sunday puzzle.  Thanks to Hypnos.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1    Self-evident saying is penned by ex-President with article out (6)

TRUISM : IS contained in(penned by) “Truman”(Harry S., ex-US President) minus(with … out) “an”(the indefinite article).

4    Person critically providing medical sample (8)

SPECIMEN : Double defn: 1st: A particular or particular type of person, often used critically, as in “you’re a fine specimen!”.

9,10 A fellow in US group, genuine footballer (6,8)

RAHEEM STERLING : A + HE(third person pronoun for a fellow) contained in(in) R.E.M.(American rock band) + STERLING(genuine and reliable).

Answer: Jamaican-born English footballer currently playing for Liverpool.

11    Belfast party maybe defended by chairman in party programme (9)

MANIFESTO : [N.I. FEST](a party or festival that may be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland) contained in(defended by) MAO(Zedong, former Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party).

Defn: A political party’s programme of its intentions, policies, principles, etc.

13    A bed in Paris in the dark? (5)

UNLIT : [UN LIT](what a bed might be refered to in Paris, France).

14    See role rain plays in developing country (6,5)

SIERRA LEONE : Anagram of(… plays) SEE ROLE RAIN.

18    Ancient quiet park bordering hotel is closed by state (11)

PREHISTORIC : [ P(abbrev. for “piano”, musical direction to play quietly) + REC(short for a recreation ground;a park) ] containing(bordering) [ H(the letter represented by “hotel” in the phonetic alphabet) + IS + TO(towards a closed position, as in “pull the door to”) plus(by) R.I.(abbrev. for Rhode Island, the US state) ].

21    Skimpy garment in marathon glamorised (5)

THONG : Hidden in(in) “marathon glamorised “.

Defn:… in a marathon or at the beach:

 

22    Bile party churned out? It defines a minor party (3,6)

BIT PLAYER : Anagram of(… churned out) BILE PARTY.

24    Artist in Paris or otherwise capturing sun (8)

PISSARRO : Anagram of(… otherwise) PARIS OR containing(capturing) S(abbrev. for “sun”).

Answer: Camille, Danish-French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painter.

25    Rough element in dinner, we’re told (6)

COARSE : Homophone of(…, we’re told) “course”(one or more of which constitutes a meal, say, dinner, each element being served one at a time).

26    Irritable like a demon? (8)

SCRATCHY : Cryptic defn: In folklore, witches bore the devil’s mark, made by him scratching their flesh with his claw.

27    Key flight (6)

ESACPE : Double defn: 1st: The full name for the computer keyboard key, usually labelled as “Esc”.

Down

1    Rum is a bit possibly lacking in black dessert (8)

TIRAMISU : Anagram of(… possibly) “Rum is a bit ” minus(lacking in) “b”(abbrev. for “black”).

2    Crazy characteristic of door after dislodgement? (8)

UNHINGED : Cryptic defn: A dislodged door might go off its hinges.

3    Old book left fellow giving support for books? (5)

SHELF : “SHE”(title of the old book by Rider Haggard) + L(abbrev. for “left”) + F(abbrev. for “fellow”).

5    One used to a stiff examination? (11)

PATHOLOGIST : Cryptic defn: One who performs medical examinations of corpses, stiffs in slang.

6    It’s not cruel when reviewed to restrain pupil principally getting fat (9)

CORPULENT : Anagram of(It’s … when reviewed) NOT CRUEL containing(to restrain) the 1st letter of(… principally) “pupil “.

7    Popular line saved by guitarist for the most part (6)

MAINLY : [ IN(popular;in fashion) + L(abbrev. for “line”) ] contained in(saved by) MAY(Brian, lead guitarist with the band, Queen, and a PhD in astrophysics to boot).

8    Deny foreign character information that’s arisen (6)

NEGATE : Reversal of(… that’s arisen, in a down clue) [ ETA(the 7th character of the Greek alphabet) + GEN(information) ].

12    Some change resting place put up by husband in tree (6,5)

SILVER BIRCH : SILVER(currency coins made of, or having the appearance of, silver, and representing loose change) + reversal of(… put up, in a down clue) CRIB(a child’s bed;resting place) placed above(by, in a down clue) H(abbrev. for “husband”).

15    Disgusting dog with aged relative in northerly terrace (9)

REPUGNANT
: PUG(a small compact breed of dog) plus(with) NAN(an informal term for one’s grandmother) contained in(in) reversal of(northerly, in a down clue) TER(abbrev. for “terrace”, as in an street address).

16    Unclear state of affairs in retirement home? (4,4)

GREY AREA : Cryptic defn: What a retirement home might be described as.

17    Director with twenty touring timeless film locations (8)

SCORSESE : SCORE(twenty in number) containing(touring) “sets”(locations where films are shot) minus(…less) “t”(abbrev. for “time”).

Answer: Martin, film director.

19    Birth control advocate influences top establishment essentially (6)

STOPES : Hidden in(… essentially) “influences top establishment “.

Answer: Marie, British birth control advocate.

20    Shaded area housing small vehicle for oil (6)

BOWSER : BOWER(an area shaded by trees in, say, a garden or wood) containing(housing) S(abbrev. for “small”).

23    French city that is beset by left-wingers in lawless strike (5)

LYONS : YON(an archaic or dialect word for “that”, as in “yon man”) contained in(is beset by) the leftmost letters, respectively, of(left-wingers in) “lawless strike “.

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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.

      

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