Independent on Sunday 1345 Daedalus

(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.)  Thanks to Daedalus for an enjoyable puzzle, just a bit tricky in parts.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 King Edward prepared? Too apt! (6,6)

MASHED POTATO : Reverse clue: Anagram of(MASHED) POTATO = Too apt.

Defn: A preparation you could get using a King Edward potato.

9 Prince Oscar is all about getting things just so (9)

PRECISION : Anagram of(… all about) [ PRINCE + O(letter represented by “Oscar” in the phonetic alphabet) + IS ].

10 Sacred word such as amen‘s first and last (5)

OMEGA : OM(in Hinduism and Buddhism, a sacred syllable used as a mantra) + EG(abbrev. for “exempli gratia”;for example;such as) + the 1st letter of(…’s first) “amen“.

Defn: … of a series.

11 Spot lion and unicorn heading inside to make deal (4,3)

DOLE OUT : DOT(a spot) + LEO(from Latin, the name for a lion, as used in children’s tales, fables, etc.) containing(… inside) the 1st letter of(… heading) “unicorn “.

Defn: To give out shares;to distribute.

12 At first you’re all nervous, giving the Zulu elder a flower (7)

YANGTZE : The 1st letters, respectively, of(At first) “you’re all nervous, giving the Zulu elder “.

Defn:  Flow-er;river.

13 Feverish convulsion stopped by shock treatment (6)

HECTIC : HIC(representation of the sound of a hiccup, caused by a spasm;a convulsion of the diaphragm) containing(stopped by;plugged by) ECT(abbrev. for “electroconvulsive therapy”;electric shock treatment).

14 Caught erstwhile setter’s fancy (8)

CONCEIVE : C(abbrev. for “caught”, as in cricket scores) + ONCE(erstwhile;at a time before) + I’VE(“I have” used self-referentially, for “setter has;setter’s”).

Defn: To imagine.

17 Pains besetting ailing hero at Troy (8)

ACHILLES : ACHES(pains) contained in(besetting) ILL(ailing;sick).

18 Teddy maybe comes back to life? (6)

UNDIES : [ UN-(prefix expressing a reversal of an action) DIES ](comes back to life).

Defn: A woman’s one-piece undergarment.

20 Astronomer terribly ill with old age (7)

GALILEO : Anagram of(terribly) [ ILL plus(with) O(abbrev. for “old”) + AGE].

22 Leave rag-ends, keeping what’s modish? (7)

AVERAGE : Hidden in(…, keeping) “Leave rag-ends “.

Cryptic defn: Mode(in statistics, the most frequently occurring value in a set of quantities, and a value that is representative of a set of quantities). -ish(suffix to represent a nearness to;approximately and/or having the characteristics of). Hence “modish”.

Answer: The arithmetic mean of a set of quantities, which could approximate the mode, and like the latter, be representative of a set of quantities.

24 One leaves injured maiden getting better (5)

AMEND : “I”(Roman numeral for “one”) deleted from(leaves) anagram of(injured) “maiden “.

Defn: …, as a verb.

25 A way to understand things during class (9)

INTUITION : IN(during) TUITION(class;the period when a group of students are being tutored).

26 With hollow smile, take silver spear and apprehend immediately (3,2,1,6)

SEE AT A GLANCE : The 1st and last letters of(hollow)”smile” + EAT(to take food) + AG(chemical symbol for the element, silver) + LANCE(a spear).

Down

1 Vehicle idled (5)

MOPED : Double defn: 1st: A motor scooter; and 2nd: To move or act in an aimless way.

2 I investigate the underworld or Hell – shocks me appallingly (8,6)

SHERLOCK HOLMES : Anagram of(… appallingly) OR HELL – SHOCKS ME.

Defn: … of criminals.

3 Study old-time retired leader (9)

EDITORIAL : Reversal of(… retired, in a down clue) [ LAIR(a place to retire to;a study) + O(abbrev. for “old”) + TIDE(used in combination to represent a time or season, as in Christmastide) ].

Defn: The leading article in a newspaper that expresses the opinion of its editor or publishers.

4 Python lacking a python’s core support (6)

PLINTH : “Palin”(Michael, a member of the Monty Python team) minus(lacking) “a ” + the middle 2 letters of(…’s core) “python“.

Defn: The slab supporting a pedestal, column or statue.

5 Sport broadcast just after poet (8)

TENNYSON : Homophone of(… broadcast) “tennis”(a sport) + ON(just;immediately after an event, as in “on arrival, they checked in at the desk”)

6 Letter written long ago with quill? (5)

THORN : Double defn: 1st: A Germanic runic letter used in Old and Middle English, and Old Norse.

7 Invading yuppies infect compound with rigatoni (14)

GENTRIFICATION : Anagram of(… compound …) [INFECT plus(with) RIGATONI].

Defn: The process by which yuppies take over a traditionally working-class area in a city.

8 Dodgy leases in empty buildings with no foundations (8)

BASELESS : Anagram of(Dodgy) LEASES contained in(in) the 1st letter and last letters of(empty) “buildings “.

13 Principal effects of nightcap? (8)

HEADGEAR : HEAD(principal) + GEAR(one’s personal effects, including clothing).

15 Leave to go, having settled up in good humour (9)

CONGENIAL : CONGE(formal permission;leave to depart) + reversal of(… up, in a down clue) LAIN(having settled on;stretched on).

16 In Romeo’s home I start to collect speedwell (8)

VERONICA : VERONA(home of Shakespeare’s Romeo) containing(In …) [I + the 1st letter of(start to) “collect “].

19 Danger failing to finish chant (6)

MANTRA : “mantrap”(a danger to trespassers, poachers, or males) minus
its last letter(failing to finish).

21 Spooner‘s boy left Spain (5)

LADLE : LAD(a boy) + L(abbrev. for “left”) + E(the International Vehicle Registration code for Spain).

Cryptic defn: Something to spoon with, and not the Reverend with the speech idiosyncrasy.

23 I pick winners for Bert’s mate (5)

ERNIE : Double defn: 1st: Acronym for “Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment”, the machine that picks the winning numbers of Premium Bonds in the UK; and 2nd: … in Sesame Street, the children’s educational TV series.

 

(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)