Another Sunday another Everyman for you all.
Solved this remarkably quickly, the write-up took much longer, thanks Everyman.
Across
1 Agile thief in saloon, say, grabbing food with thanks, turned and left (3,7)
CAT BURGLAR
GRUB (food) & TA (thanks) both reversed & L(eft) all in CAR (saloon)
6 Work that’s necessary to stop usurper (4)
OPUS
Hidden necessary to answer
9 Completed refund, food being rotten (7,3)
ROUNDED OFF
As in rounded off a fine meal. [REFUND FOOD]* rotten
10 Kid after carbon copy (4)
CRIB
C(arbon) & RIB (kid, tease)
11 Area of London church? Different area (7)
CHELSEA
CH(urch) & ELSE (different) & A(rea)
12 Address European court, entering appeal (7)
LECTURE
E(uropean) & C(our)T both in LURE (appeal)
14 Opening wide, scoffed doughnut? Delicious (5-8)
MOUTH-WATERING
MOUTH (opening) & W(ide) & ATE (scoffed) & RING (doughnut shape)
17 Victory and loss traced variously in royal residence (7,6)
WINDSOR CASTLE
WIN (victory) & [LOSS TRACED]* variously
19 Second language good for party (7)
SHINDIG
S(econd) & HINDI (a language) & G(ood)
21 Leading story, not a surprise (7)
STARTLE
STAR (leading) & A removed from T(a)LE
23 Notion one endlessly cherished (4)
IDEA
1 & an unfinished DEA(r)
24 Singer arriving initially during frantic alarm in Oz (5,5)
MARIO LANZA
MARIO LANZA famous 40s/50s singer. A(rriving) inside [ALARM IN OZ]* frantically
25 Pant softly and sink back (4)
GASP
P (softly) & SAG all reversed
26 State laundry list, finally acceptable (10)
WASHINGTON
WASHING (laundry) & (lis)T finally & ON (acceptable)
Down
1 Account kept by scoundrel with yen for ministerial office (6)
CURACY
CUR (soundrel) & AC(count) & Y(en)
2 Rising in force, curtailed armistice (5)
TRUCE
Hidden reversed (rising) answer
3 Open day in university, I’d guess, chaotic (11)
UNDISGUISED
Less than obvious definition – D(ay) in UNI(versity) & [ID GUESS]* chaotically
4 Hear about upset following party for Mafia boss (9)
GODFATHER
Not hear* this time, GATHER (hear) around F(ollowing) & DO (party) reversed upset
5 Permissible to exclude learner? Very bad (5)
AWFUL
L(earner) removed from (l)AWFUL
7 Ridiculous price upon large rodent (9)
PORCUPINE
[PRICE UPON]* ridiculously
8 Cover me, supporting battalion’s leader in rush (8)
SUBMERGE
ME & B(attalion) both in SURGE (rush)
13 Dejected and cold, pause on marshland, taking everything in (11)
CRESTFALLEN
C(old) & REST (pause) & ALL (everything) in FEN (marshland)
14 Virility in body securing new job (9)
MANLINESS
N(ew) & LINE (job) both in MASS (body)
15 Economist‘s answer blocks merriment, right away (4,5)
ADAM SMITH
A(nswer) & DAMS (blocks) & R(ight) from MI(r)TH
16 Misrepresenting wit, badly hurt (8)
TWISTING
WIT* badly & STING (hurt)
18 Get back for example in shower (6)
REGAIN
E.G. in RAIN (shower)
20 Fruit in Antigua varied (5)
GUAVA
Hidden answer
22 Number with alien belief (5)
TENET
TEN & E.T. What did compilers do before that film?
Thanks Everyman and flashling.
This was a pleasant solve, many clues had smooth surfaces. I liked the “agile thief” and the “Mafia boss”, also it was good to be reminded of the word SHINDIG!
Yes, nice clues and very straightforward after the previous week. My favourite was “CURACY” (1d).
As an aside, I wonder if anyone can help explain this clue from Everyman 3,021:
“New York: big blonde crossing river – here?” (8,6).
It’s Brooklyn Bridge, but I can’t see how.
Thanks in advance,
Hi Kevin
It’s an anagram (new) of YORK BIG BLONDE around (crossing) R (river)
A nice Sunday puzzle. I didn’t note any particular issues or favourites, so I’ll just say “Thanks, Everyman and flashling”.
@Gaufrid – Ach! Should have spotted that. I was hung up on trying to incorporate NY somehow. Schoolboy error. Thanks!
Accessible, enjoyable, and not overly taxing, everything we need from Everyman on a Sunday…
Not too difficult for a Saturday morning exercise. First in was 20d Guava, last in was 1d Curacy.
I quite liked Cat Burglar, Rounded Off, and Mario Lanza.
QED. Thanks Everyman
Yes, not too hard except I hadn’t heard of Mario Lanza and according to Google there is a Maria Lonzo who also fits.
I think when using names of celebs they should be better known and thus unambiguous.
Thanks Flashling and EM. Your crosswords are hitting the mark now.
Yes, not too hard except I hadn’t heard of Mario Lanza and according to Google there is a Maria Lonza who also fits.
I think when using names of celebs they should be better known and thus unambiguous.
Thanks Flashling and EM. Your crosswords are hitting the mark now.
At last I can say I enjoyed this and it wasn’t like a difficult homework exercise.
Barrie how can you not have heard of Mario Lanza? He was a very popular Italian tenor who sang popular songs and starred in quite a few films. You must be too young. Mind you, I have never heard of Adam Smith, although when I looked him up to see if there,was such a person, he looked to be well before my time.
Thanks Flashling and Everyman. This was more to my taste.
Well we did that one without any electronic assistance (a rare achievement).
Hadn’t heard of Adam Smith but it was the obvious fit.
I agree with what’s been said, a pleasant jaunt for a Saturday morning. I must admit though, I put in palace for castle which made me crestfallen when I realised my error!
Thanks to all involved