Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication
Across:
8 Honey (LOV-E) rings a (-A-) legend (“leg” end = -G-) (LOVAGE) from the Parsley family (LOVAGE),
9 Chorus (CHOIR-) gets one of the juniors (-BOY) (CHOIRBOY) to sing the praises of the man upstairs (CHOIRBOY),
10 No Tories in epistolary (no “Tories” in “epistolary” = play = PLAY) drama (PLAY),
11 Fresh alternative (FROZEN) to lamb, for one (MEAT) (FROZEN MEAT), in cold storage (FROZEN MEAT),
12 A (A-) referendum (-POLL-) has nothing (-O) (APOLLO) to do with The Sun (Sun god = APOLLO),
14 Type of college life (ACADEMIA) is appealing to 17 down (ACADEMIA is appealing to “academic”),
15 Revenge (A GAME TOO CAN PLAY) for the contest in court, for example (contest in tennis court, for example, is A GAME TOO CAN PLAY),
18 Agent (EMISSARY) raises my (raises my = EMISSARY) problem (= anagram indicator),
20 Land (ARRIVE) leads to a (A-) meandering (= anagram indicator) river (river = -RRIVE) (ARRIVE),
22 What the restaurant’s promoting (specials = SPECIAL-S-) going over Innsbruck border (“Innsbruck” border = -I-) from Oriental (east = -E) (SPECIALISE) train in a particular area (SPECIALISE),
24 Immersed in developing Leningrad (immersed in “developing Leningrad’” = GLEN) valley (GLEN),
25 Type of programme (GAME SHOW) for 24 down (“GAME”) to demonstrate (SHOW) (GAME SHOW),
26 Safe (IMMUNE) for single (I-) Frenchmen (Messieurs = -MM-) on a foreign (a = -UN-) break from the centre (“break” from the centre = -E) (IMMUNE).
Down:
1 Is this what Sisyphus will always do (Greek mythology: Sisyphus forced to eternally roll a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down; so he will always ROLL UP) for a cigarette? (ROLL UP),
2 Don removed from boy band (“Don” removed from “boy band” = byba = BABY) is a bundle of joy (BABY),
3 Sent for a (sent for a = SEAFRONT) jar (= anagram indicator) on the beach (SEAFRONT),
4 Some coffee choices (some “coffee choices” = ECHO) to reproduce (ECHO),
5 Best offer (BO-) for mature wine, for instance (aged = -DEGA), knocked over (= reversal indicator) (BODEGA) by a Rioja producer (BODEGA),
6 One of those at death’s door (GRIM REAPER) is waiting at Departures (GRIM REAPER),
7 Old oil painting (MONA LISA) of Somalian (Somalian = MONA LISA) model (= anagram indicator),
13 One of those supporting the Electric Light Orchestra perhaps (LAMP SOCKET), is wired-in and has powerful connections (LAMP SOCKET),
14 Young lady duly left (“young lady” without “duly” = yonga = AGONY) in great distress (AGONY),
16 Half of 25 across (“game show” = GAME) on bush (plant) clipped (t) (“plant” without “t” = PLAN) (GAME PLAN) – the manager went through it and took it down to the ground (GAME PLAN),
17 Educator (ACADEMIC) produced a (A-) computer-aided design (“computer-aided design” = -CAD-) to train (= anagram indicator) mice (mice = -EMIC) (ACADEMIC),
19 Lack of interest (APATHY) in a (A-) passage (-PATH-) at the end of The Great Gatsby (end of “The Great Gatsby” = -Y) (APATHY),
21 Anne IV (Anne IV = VIENNA) retires (= reversal indicator) to European city (VIENNA),
23 Sample of Pinot Grigio was (sample of “Pinot Grigio was” = IOWA) produced in America (IOWA),
24 Some forthcoming amendment (some “forthcoming amendment” = GAME) could be a distraction (GAME).