Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication
Across:
8 Welfare payment (DO-LE) covers pub (pub) that doesn’t open (p) (“pub” without “p” = -UB-) (DOUBLE) for drink (DOUBLE),
9 Organises (= anagram indicator) the slate (the slate = ATHLETES) for those on the run (ATHLETES),
10 Some characters building a terrace (some characters “building a terrace” = GATE) in opening (GATE),
11 With certain (definite = DEFINIT-E) boxing, one (-I-) victory (-V-) (DEFINITIVE) is conclusive (DEFINITIVE),
12 Lassie (PET-) gets major (most of) role (most of “role” = -ROL) (PETROL) in Cars? (PETROL in cars),
14 Graduate (-BA-) party (-DO-) in public houses (BAR-S) (BARBADOS) for the islanders (BARBADOS),
15 The type of tablets that were once crushed (Moses crushed/smashed the first stones of the TEN COMMANDMENTS) for prescriptions devised by the man upstairs (TEN COMMANDMENTS),
18 Have a talk (CONVERSE) with criminal (CON-) from Limerick (limerick -VERSE) (CONVERSE),
20 Scheme (SYSTEM) for selling your shorts, tops (“selling your shorts” tops = SYS-) and limitless (i + s) items? (“items” without “i + s” = -TEM) (SYSTEM),
22 Garret (Garret) lost the head (g) retiring (= reversal indicator) (“Garret’ without “g” = arret = TERRA) from company (FIRM-) with a (-A) (TERRA FIRMA) plot of land in Venice (TERRA FIRMA comes from the Italian, particularly in Venice),
24 Pop-up restaurant opens (“pop up restaurant” opens = PUR-) with extremely sustainable (extremely “sustainable” = -E) (PURE) stuff that is 100 per cent natural (PURE),
25 Small photograph (VIGNETTE) of Etonian getting first (“Etonian” getting first = -E-) in Criminal (= anagram indicator) Vetting (Vetting = VIGN-TTE) (VIGNETTE),
26 It’s what many people get up to (breakfast CEREAL) in Clare? (CE-) That’s genuine! (-REAL) (CEREAL).
Down:
1 Come across (LOCATE) in Eastern Bloc atelier (LOCATE in “Eastern Bloc atelier”),
2 Qualified (ABLE) to remove art from Alberta (to remove “art” from “Alberta” = lbea = ABLE),
3 One of the swingers (PENDULUM) goes from one extreme to the other (PENDULUM),
4 Boo-boo (“gaffe” = “GAFF”) on the radio (= homophone indicator) by Hook? (hook pole for fishing = GAFF),
5 Has a tendency to complain (WHINER) to women (W-) on Rhine (Rhine = -HINER) train (= anagram indicator) (WHINER),
6 Check (TEST) with a number of the independents (number of Independents = newspapers = PAPERS) (TEST PAPERS) coming from the Department of Education (TEST PAPERS),
7 Miss (LEAVE OUT) what’s close to the gutter (-EAVE- is close to the gutter) taken in by hooligan (lout = L- OUT) (LEAVE OUT),
13 Having to do a job again around Chesterfield (having to do a job again around chesterfield/sofa = RECOVERING) is getting better (RECOVERING),
14 Indifferent (BLASE) to what’s left (-L-) in the army barracks (B-ASE) (BLASE),
16 The general public will understand this (EXOTERIC) old partner (EX-) from erotic (erotic = -OTERIC) novel (= anagram indicator) (EXOTERIC),
17 A measure (DISTANCE) of cadets in (cadets in = DISTANCE) trouble (= anagram indicator),
19 Flustered dropping LSD? (“flustered” dropping “LSD” = futere = REFUTE) Give the lie to that! (REFUTE),
21 Could be (= anagram indicator) aware (aware = EARWA-), mystery man (-X) (EARWAX) is causing trouble for the Hearing (EARWAX),
23 Real estate owned by banks (“real estate owned” by banks = REED) is down by the water’s edge (REED),
24 Alcoholic drink (PORT) left by the sailors (PORT).