Around 30 minutes for this fairly straightforward puzzle that was perhaps more suited to a Monday than Monday's puzzle was. There's not a lot to say, but here's what there is...
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Outcast in revolt on the counter (5) |
| LEPER - REPEL (counter) reversed [in revolt] | |
| 4 | Very dark stream, second to circle lake (3,5) |
| JET BLACK - JET (stream), BACK (second) containing [to circle] L (lake) | |
| 8 | Disapproving cry from New Zealanders having little time for a stick-in-the-mud? (10,4) |
| WELLINGTON BOOT - WELLINGTON BOO (disapproving cry from New Zealanders), T (little time). A somewhat whimsical definition. | |
| 10 | Con party eccentric (9) |
| SCREWBALL - SCREW (con), BALL (party) | |
| 11 | Passage into India is legendary (5) |
| AISLE - Hidden in [into] {Indi}A IS LE{gendary} | |
| 12 | In the role of an old king, Canute ultimately perceptive (6) |
| ASTUTE - AS (in the role of), TUT (old king), {Canut}E [ultimately] | |
| 14 | Boxed in turn, a kid beaten remains flattened (8) |
| ROADKILL - A + anagram [beaten] of KID contained by [boxed in] ROLL (turn). Wildlife that's killed by passing traffic. Sometimes it's gathered for food in which case it's preferable if not actually flattened. | |
| 17 | Cool to pour in wine (8) |
| RESERVED - SERVE (pour) in RED (wine) | |
| 18 | In expression of amazement, nothing but delight (6) |
| WALLOW - ALL (nothing but) in WOW (expression of amazement). All together now: Follow me, follow, down to the hollow... | |
| 20 | Ancient kingdom largely evacuated, charity recalled (5) |
| LYDIA - L{argel}Y [evacuated], AID (charity) reversed [recalled] | |
| 22 | Device for drawing level after a few games (3,6) |
| SET SQUARE - SET (a few games - tennis), SQUARE (level) | |
| 24 | Numbing feeling, doctors end endless pain (4,3,7) |
| PINS AND NEEDLES - Anagram [doctors] of END ENDLESS PAIN | |
| 25 | Last part in document, thorough (8) |
| DETAILED - TAIL (last part) in DEED (document) | |
| 26 | Out to lunch— like some fruit? (5) |
| NUTTY - Two meanings. All together now: Everyone's a fruit and nutcase... | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Writer reporting the song of an East Sussex town? (5,7) |
| LEWIS CARROLL - Sounds like [reporting] "Lewes" (East Sussex town), "carol" (song) | |
| 2 | River bird stopping short of the far north, perhaps? (5) |
| POLAR - PO (river), LAR{k} (bird) [stopping short] | |
| 3 | Hiding in temple, raised seat drops from above (9) |
| RAINWATER - IN + WAT (temple) contained by [hiding in] REAR (seat) reversed [raised]. Every time this Buddhist temple comes up I have to drag it from the recesses of my mind. | |
| 4 | Dance understood to be a puzzle (6) |
| JIGSAW - JIG (dance), SAW (understood) | |
| 5 | I'm going to impersonate flipping lion and duck! (6-2) |
| TOODLE-OO - TO, DO (impersonate) reversed [flipping], LEO (lion), 0 (duck). All together now: Good-bye-ee! good-bye-ee! Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee. Tho' it's hard to part I know, I'll be tickled to death to go. Don't cry-ee! don't sigh-ee! There's a silver lining in the sky-ee. Bonsoir old thing, cheerio! chin chin! Nah-poo! Toodle-oo! Good-bye-ee! | |
| 6 | Old party leader in retreat, a sign (5) |
| LIBRA - LIB (old party - now subsumed into the Liberal Democratic party), R{etreat} [leader], A | |
| 7 | Put out statement in flier (9) |
| CROSSBILL - CROSS (put out - annoyed), BILL (statement). Lots of bird names end in "-bill" but I didn't know this one. | |
| 9 | Chicken ahead of cow, leader's top (6,6) |
| YELLOW JERSEY - YELLOW (chicken - cowardly), JERSEY (cow). Worn by the current leader as each stage of a cycle rally begins. Apparently. I wouldn't want anyone to think I knew what I was talking about. | |
| 13 | First spin in cricket match getting shot of a batsman (4,5) |
| TEST DRIVE - TEST (cricket match), DRIVE (shot of a batsman). Spin / drive as in motoring rather than sport. | |
| 15 | One performing as a woman putting burden on man (4,5) |
| DRAG QUEEN - DRAG (burden), QUEEN (man). It seems that all chess pieces are called "men" regardless of apparent gender. Take to the streets! | |
| 16 | Intimate relationship's beginning, boy wearing ring (8) |
| PERSONAL - R{elationship's} [beginning] + SON (boy) contained by [wearing] PEAL (ring) | |
| 19 | Completely gone— as are cherries? (6) |
| STONED - Two definitions, the first being slang for "drunk". Before I came to this clue I had thought of "stoned" as a possible answer for the double-definition at 26ac. Being 6 letters it wouldn't fit of course, but it helped to have it already in mind. | |
| 21 | Where junk may be / all over the shop (2,3) |
| AT SEA - Another clue with two-meanings. A junk is a flat-bottomed boat. "All over the shop" means disorganised and in a mess as does "at sea" | |
| 23 | Set aside first of logs in piles (5) |
| ALLOT - L{ogs} [first] in A LOT (piles) | |