I found this a serious work-out, more on the way to Club Monthly stlye than a standard weekday romp, with quite a few answers being obscure words known only to cryptic crossword regulars and pub quizzers. It took me 38 minutes to complete it to my satisfaction. Fortunately the wordplay is mainly straightforward and once you've avoided the anagram boob at 16a (I didn't at first) and dredged the muddy bottom of the mind to find the words you dimly knew but seldom used, it all falls into place with a satisfying 'done that'.
| Across | |
| 1 | Jolt in lifestyle, taking sect’s wine across river (7,5) |
| CULTURE SHOCK - CULT'S HOCK = sect's wine, insert the River URE, which flows through the Yorkshire Dales. | |
| 8 | Opening for Irishman initially involved with diamonds (7) |
| ORIFICE - (FOR I)*, ICE = diamonds. | |
| 9 | Formal warning demanding prudence (7) |
| CAUTION - double definition. | |
| 11 | Wife wearing top hat, oddly, for walk by river (7) |
| TOWPATH - Insert W into (TOP HAT)*. | |
| 12 | Renowned English medic primarily concerned with otolaryngology (7) |
| EMINENT - E(nglish) M(edic) IN ENT (ear, nose and throat). | |
| 13 | Bore raring to be heard (5) |
| EAGRE - Sounds like EAGER = raring. A tidal wave caused by cross currents. | |
| 14 | Hubbub exposed in daily, one modified when editor’s absent (9) |
| CHARIVARI - A word I learnt from crosswords, meaning a loud banging of pots and pans to acclaim a wedding or similar celebration; if you don't know it the wordplay is clear, CHAR = daily, I, VARI(ED). | |
| 16 | Misusing a mug, slurp something sweet (9) |
| SUGARPLUM - I had SUGARLUMP written in before realising 3d ending in a U was going to be too strange. The I rearranged (A MUG SLURP)* again. | |
| 19 | Changing sides, fetch flashy jewellery (5) |
| BLING - BRING = fetch, change the R for an L. | |
| 21 | Takes risks with popular exponents (7) |
| INDICES - IN = popular, DICES = takes risks. | |
| 23 | Fellow backing judge leaving large aircraft plant (7) |
| NELUMBO - Today's plant rang a faint bell as having something to do with water lilies, which the French call nénuphars. LEN is our fellow, reversed, add (J)UMBO. I had the jumbo bit quickly and then the chap followed. | |
| 24 | Classically simple part of City toured by old lady (7) |
| GRECIAN - E.C.1 is part of the City of London, insert into GRAN. What's a Grecian urn, you ask? Not many euros, these days. | |
| 25 | Monkey, yellow-brown, seen around first day of month (7) |
| TAMARIN - Today's primate emerged from another very dusty corner of the grey cells. MAR 1 inserted into TAN. | |
| 26 | Fuming, one arrests any number for excessive drinking (12) |
| INTEMPERANCE - IN TEMPER = fuming, then insert N into ACE = one. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Gossip’s outstanding feature — wit (7) |
| CHINWAG - CHIN = outstanding feature, WAG = wit. | |
| 2 | For example, a currency set up for animal accommodation (7) |
| LAIRAGE - All reversed; E.G. A RIAL, a rial being the currency of Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Not a word I'd seen before but it seemed plausible from LAIR. | |
| 3 | Improperdistribution of lace in hut (9) |
| UNETHICAL - (LACE IN HUT)*. I didn't spend too long looking for nine letter words ending in U, just revisited 16a as noted above. | |
| 4 | Host’s medal for gallantry mentioned in speech (5) |
| EMCEE - Sounds like.M.C. Military Cross. A chestnut of a clue. | |
| 5 | He escaped maybe 45 minutes before policeman turned up at home (7) |
| HOUDINI - HOU(R) = 45 minutes, 3/4 of hour; DI = policeman, IN reversed. | |
| 6 | Church artist capturing a chap’s fantasy? (7) |
| CHIMERA - CE = church, insert HIM, then RA. Corrected, thanks, | |
| 7 | Keep man in role of monarch without charge (3,3,6) |
| FOR THE ASKING - FORT (keep) HE (man) AS KING (in role of monarch). | |
| 10 | Cipher the setter possibly drinks in ? Forget it! (7,5) |
| NOTHING DOING - NOTHING = cipher, zero; DOG could be a setter, insert IN. | |
| 15 | Reportedly throw out church carpet (9) |
| AXMINSTER - Sounds like AXE MINSTER, carpet named after the town in Devon where it is made. | |
| 17 | Old-fashioned resentment when leader goes for good fish (7) |
| GUDGEON - DUDGEON is an old fashioned word for resentment, usually heard with 'HIGH' in front; amend the D to a G to get a small river fish. | |
| 18 | Rest in park next to bar (7) |
| RECLINE - REC = park, recreation ground, LINE = bar. | |
| 19 | Town crier’s ringer going over island (7) |
| BELLMAN - BELL = ringer, Isle of MAN. | |
| 20 | Engross tail end of form in this writer’s language (7) |
| IMMERSE - Insert M (tail end of form) into I'M (this writer's) ERSE (poetic name for the Irish language). | |
| 22 | Dawn’s lad on telephone at university (3-2) |
| SUN-UP - SUN sounds like SON, UP = at university. | |