I'm afraid to say I'm going to skimp on my blogly duties today as I'm off to York for Sloggers and Betters tomorrow, and I've still got a Cryptic Jumbo to write up in time for the weekend. This was a pleasant enough puzzle to solve but not particularly colourful, I'd say - I'm struggling to find much to say about it, especially with the scars of Wednesday's titanic battle still being fresh on my person. I did like it though, my highlights being 16ac with its clever construction, and 24ac, because you'd probably only get away with calling him a famous cleric in crosswording company, these days, wouldn't you.
6 minutes and three quarters for me, so maybe not so very Fridayish as these things go. Yourselves? And am I going to see any of you in York this weekend?
ACROSS
1 Locum happy nursing in India, say (12)
SUBCONTINENT - SUB [locum] + CONTENT [happy] "nursing" IN
8 Follow after troops rush to advance (3,4)
RAT RACE - TRACE [follow] after R.A. [troops]
9 Saves signals from sappers? (7)
RESCUES - the "signals from sappers" are RE'S CUES
11 Detective ruled lines for notes concerning women (7)
DISTAFF - D.I. STAFF [detective | ruled lines for notes]
12 Whale led by pack round island (7)
MAJORCA - ORCA [whale], led by JAM reversed [pack "round"]
13 State leaders to support overseas sanction (3-2)
SAY-SO - SAY [state] + S{upport} O{verseas}
14 Destructive, and a pain, holding a night flier back (9)
CATABOLIC - COLIC [a pain], "holding" A + BAT reversed [night flier "back"]
16 Doctor's left university for right case (9)
CARTRIDGE - CA{mb->RT}RIDGE [university, where MB (doctor) "has left for" RT (right)]
19 Headgear displayed by panto queen (5)
TOQUE - hidden in {pan}TO QUE{en}. These were completely de rigueur apparel when I lived in Edmonton, Alberta.
21 Unnaturally pale men put on list for service (7)
EMPANEL - (PALE MEN*) ["unnaturally"]
23 Harrowing account dogging Republican ruler (7)
RACKING - AC [account] "dogging" R [Republican], + KING [ruler]
24 Famous cleric by preference keeping close to bishop (7)
SPOONER - SOONER [by preference] "keeping" {bisho}P
25 On reduced allowance, writer's become more focused (7)
SHARPEN - on SHAR{e} ["reduced" allowance], PEN [writer]
26 A fruitless mission, rum do for Arsenal (1,5,6)
A FOOL'S ERRAND - (DO FOR ARSENAL*) ["rum"]
DOWN
1 Settle for one female model returning inside (7)
SATISFY - SAY [for one], with F SIT [female | model] reversed inside
2 See trouble with British artist fronting game show? (7)
BRAVADO - V ADO [see | trouble], with B RA [British | artist] "fronting"
3 Ingenuous old bird, female, given coat (4-5)
OPEN-FACED - O PEN FACED [old | bird, female | given coat]
4 Continuous murmur from Hard Right splitting corporation (5)
THRUM - H R [hard | right] "splitting" TUM [corporation]
5 Is competent professional perhaps in audition to provide cosmetic surgery? (4,3)
NOSE JOB - homophone of KNOWS JOB [is competent professional perhaps, "in audition"]
6 Colourlessindividual not taking sides (7)
NEUTRAL - double def
7 Deserter acts deviously to reveal them, perhaps (5,7)
TRADE SECRETS - (DESERTER ACTS*) ["deviously"], semi-&lit
10 Software providing instruction for transport police? (6,6)
SEARCH ENGINE - transport police might get an order to search an engine, in the course of their job
15 Philosopher arousing others' ire (9)
THEORISER - (OTHERS' IRE*) ["arousing..."]
17 Censure for each going up top (7)
REPROOF - PER reversed [for each "going up"] + ROOF [top]
18 Current cuts are enough to fund strike (3,4)
RUN INTO - IN [current] "cuts" RUN TO [are enough to fund]
19 A need for diplomat to accommodate firm over work? (7)
TOCCATA - A TACT [a | need for diplomat] to accomodate CO [firm], all reversed ["over"]
20 Course gone round by sovereign was full of cracks? (7)
QUIPPED - PPE [course] gone round by QUID [sovereign]. Cracks as in gags or jokes
22 Primate's teaching is used for English (5)
LORIS - LOR{e->IS} [teaching, with "IS" used instead of E for English]
6 minutes and three quarters for me, so maybe not so very Fridayish as these things go. Yourselves? And am I going to see any of you in York this weekend?
ACROSS
1 Locum happy nursing in India, say (12)
SUBCONTINENT - SUB [locum] + CONTENT [happy] "nursing" IN
8 Follow after troops rush to advance (3,4)
RAT RACE - TRACE [follow] after R.A. [troops]
9 Saves signals from sappers? (7)
RESCUES - the "signals from sappers" are RE'S CUES
11 Detective ruled lines for notes concerning women (7)
DISTAFF - D.I. STAFF [detective | ruled lines for notes]
12 Whale led by pack round island (7)
MAJORCA - ORCA [whale], led by JAM reversed [pack "round"]
13 State leaders to support overseas sanction (3-2)
SAY-SO - SAY [state] + S{upport} O{verseas}
14 Destructive, and a pain, holding a night flier back (9)
CATABOLIC - COLIC [a pain], "holding" A + BAT reversed [night flier "back"]
16 Doctor's left university for right case (9)
CARTRIDGE - CA{mb->RT}RIDGE [university, where MB (doctor) "has left for" RT (right)]
19 Headgear displayed by panto queen (5)
TOQUE - hidden in {pan}TO QUE{en}. These were completely de rigueur apparel when I lived in Edmonton, Alberta.
21 Unnaturally pale men put on list for service (7)
EMPANEL - (PALE MEN*) ["unnaturally"]
23 Harrowing account dogging Republican ruler (7)
RACKING - AC [account] "dogging" R [Republican], + KING [ruler]
24 Famous cleric by preference keeping close to bishop (7)
SPOONER - SOONER [by preference] "keeping" {bisho}P
25 On reduced allowance, writer's become more focused (7)
SHARPEN - on SHAR{e} ["reduced" allowance], PEN [writer]
26 A fruitless mission, rum do for Arsenal (1,5,6)
A FOOL'S ERRAND - (DO FOR ARSENAL*) ["rum"]
DOWN
1 Settle for one female model returning inside (7)
SATISFY - SAY [for one], with F SIT [female | model] reversed inside
2 See trouble with British artist fronting game show? (7)
BRAVADO - V ADO [see | trouble], with B RA [British | artist] "fronting"
3 Ingenuous old bird, female, given coat (4-5)
OPEN-FACED - O PEN FACED [old | bird, female | given coat]
4 Continuous murmur from Hard Right splitting corporation (5)
THRUM - H R [hard | right] "splitting" TUM [corporation]
5 Is competent professional perhaps in audition to provide cosmetic surgery? (4,3)
NOSE JOB - homophone of KNOWS JOB [is competent professional perhaps, "in audition"]
6 Colourlessindividual not taking sides (7)
NEUTRAL - double def
7 Deserter acts deviously to reveal them, perhaps (5,7)
TRADE SECRETS - (DESERTER ACTS*) ["deviously"], semi-&lit
10 Software providing instruction for transport police? (6,6)
SEARCH ENGINE - transport police might get an order to search an engine, in the course of their job
15 Philosopher arousing others' ire (9)
THEORISER - (OTHERS' IRE*) ["arousing..."]
17 Censure for each going up top (7)
REPROOF - PER reversed [for each "going up"] + ROOF [top]
18 Current cuts are enough to fund strike (3,4)
RUN INTO - IN [current] "cuts" RUN TO [are enough to fund]
19 A need for diplomat to accommodate firm over work? (7)
TOCCATA - A TACT [a | need for diplomat] to accomodate CO [firm], all reversed ["over"]
20 Course gone round by sovereign was full of cracks? (7)
QUIPPED - PPE [course] gone round by QUID [sovereign]. Cracks as in gags or jokes
22 Primate's teaching is used for English (5)
LORIS - LOR{e->IS} [teaching, with "IS" used instead of E for English]