Solving time 14:05, so I found it much easier than the previous week's one, although a lot of people commented on how tricky this one was (and the leaderboard tends to back them up). Good puzzle.
| Across | |
| 1 | UNCLE - UNCLEAN (spotted), minus A + N(ote). Def: relative. |
| 4 | ALBACORE - (A cable)* around OR (yellow). Def: tuna. |
| 8 | BLOW HOT AND COLD - BLOW (a powerful stroke) + HOT AND COLD (taps). Def: be inconsistent. |
| 10 | EASTBOUND - (to a sunbed)*. Def: not chasing the sun (as the sun goes from east to west). |
| 11 | OZONE - sound like "owes own". Def: something refreshing. |
| 12 | LAPUTA - LA (city) + PUT (to place) + A (last letter of "sea"). Def: Island king could move - the flying island in Gulliver's Travels. |
| 14 | CRABMEAT - CREAT(e) (fuss endlessly) around ABM (antiballistic missile). Def: hermit's flesh? |
| 17 | PORTRAIT - I (one) inside RAT (desert), east of PORT (harbour). Def: oil perhaps. |
| 18 | CRUSOE - C (high speed - symbol for the speed of light) + RUSE (device) around O (nothing). Def: lonely islander. |
| 20 | NAAFI - cryptic definition. The acronym stands for Navy, Army and Air Force Institute. |
| 22 | SOAP OPERA - SO (it follows) + A POP (each) + ERA (time). Def: a TV programme. |
| 24 | COUNTERSIGNING - COUNTER (bar) + SIGNING (new recruit). |
| 25 | SNOWED IN - hidden inside "blizzards - now Edinburgh's". Def: this? |
| 26 | SCARF - FRACAS (scrap) reversed but with only one A. Def: stole. |
| Down | |
| 1 | UMBRELLA PINE - (MP, unreliable)*. Def: supplier of timber. Another name for the stone pine according to Chambers. I'd never heard of it. |
| 2 | CHOPS - HOPS (proceeds with one leg) below C(aught). Def: trap, i.e. mouth. Last one in for me, and it took me a minute to see it at the end. |
| 3 | EXHIBITOR - EXIT (leaving) around H I B (first letters of Hanging In Bathroom) + O.R. (other ranks = men). Def: shower. |
| 4 | ARTHUR - EARTH (world) minus the first letter (leader's departed), + R.U. (Rugby Union = game) reversed. Def: king. |
| 5 | BENIDORM - BEN (high rise for the Scots) + I (one) + DORM (room for the rest). Def: resort. |
| 6 | CACAO - CA (circa = not exactly) twice + O(utsiders). Def: seeds. |
| 7 | ROLLOVERS - ROLL OVER (readily surrender) + S(mall). Def: extensions to prize fund. |
| 9 | GET THE HANG OF - GET (receive) + [HE (man), H(usband) inside TANGO (dance)] + F(ollowing). Def: master. |
| 13 | PORTADOWN - PORT (pilot's left) + [W, N (directions) after ADO (trouble)]. Def: Irish town. |
| 15 | BURROUGHS - RUB (polish) reversed + ROUGHS (preliminary sketches). Def: American writer. Edgar Rice or William, take your pick. |
| 16 | AIRSPEED - (praise)* + ED (one who might manage Times). Def: Jumbo with such rapidity? |
| 19 | KANSAN - KAN(e) (Citizen famously filmed, briefly) + SAN (hospital). Def: American statesman. |
| 21 | I KNOW - sounds like "aye", "no" (referendum options). Def: Here's an idea. |
| 23 | EVITA - ETA (estimated time of arrival = predicted showing time) around VI (six). Def: film. |