Saturday, February 27, 2021 — Male Quartet

Introduction

It would appear that most solvers breezed through today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Falcon's experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - yet to be solved

Symbols and Markup Conventions
"*" - anagram "~" - sounds like "<" - indicates the preceding letters are reversed "( )" - encloses contained letters "_" - replaces letters that have been deleted  "†" - indicates that the word is present in the clue	"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present "solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of the symbols and markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Team leaders // ran games badly (8)

MANAGERS* — anagram of (badly) RAN GAMES

5a	Riding // pig in advertisement (6)

A(BOAR)D — BOAR (pig) contained in (in) AD  (advertisement)

9a	Participant in a class // prank holding back education (7)

STU(DE<)NT — STUNT (prank) containing (holding) {reversal of (back) ED (education)}

10a	Smart about Alien // scenery (7)

S(ET)TING — STING (smart) containing (about) ET (Alien; extraterrestrial^[2])

11a	Strange // lake, by the sound of it (5)

EERIE~ — sounds like (by the sound of it) ERIE (lake)

12a	Sound of hogs // at home interrupting blessing (7)

O(IN)KING — IN (at home) contained in (interrupting) OKING (blessing; OKing [okaying])

14a	Dadaist taking time with last of tuna // fish (5,3)

MAN(T|A) RAY — MAN RAY (Dadaist) containing (taking) {T(ime) + A (last [letter] of tunA)}

Man Ray^[5] (1890–1976) was an American photographer, painter, and film-maker; born Emmanuel Rudnitsky. A leading figure in the Dada and surrealist movements, he is known for his photographs in which images were manipulated and superimposed on one another.

16a	A great violinist // toward the back (6)

A|STERN — A (†) + STERN (great violinist; Russian-born US violinist Isaac Stern^[6])

18a	Small amphibian touching // scientist (6)

NEWT|ON — NEWT (small amphibian) + ON (touching)

Sir Isaac Newton^[5] (1642–1727) was an English mathematician and physicist, considered the greatest single influence on theoretical physics until Einstein.

20a	Main boat drifting around // lake (8)

MANITOBA* — anagram of (drifting around) MAIN BOAT

Lake Manitoba^[7] is the 14th largest lake in Canada and the 33rd largest lake in the world^*. It is located within the Canadian province of Manitoba.

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^* yet tiny compared to nearby Lake Winnipeg

23a	Following // blunder engulfing Nelson Mandela’s party (3,4)

F(AN C)LUB — FLUB (blunder) containing (engulfing) ANC (Nelson Mandela's party: African National Congress^[7])

The African National Congress^[5] (abbreviation ANC) is a South African political party and black nationalist organization. Having been banned by the South African government 1960–90, the ANC was victorious in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994 and its leader Nelson Mandela became the country’s President.

24a	Worker’s first step on a ladder // twisted (5)

W|RUNG — W (Worker's first [letter]) + RUNG (step on a ladder)

26a	Short story by monarch // making a statement? (7)

TAL_|KING — TAL[E] (story) with the first letter removed (short) + (by) KING (monarch)

27a	Cascades peak // having wetter weather (7)

RAINIER — double definition

Mount Rainier^[5] is a volcanic peak in the south-west of Washington State in the US. Rising to a height of 4,395 m (14,410 ft), it is the highest peak in the Cascade Range.

28a	Stoop containing “S” // pattern (6)

DE(S)IGN — DEIGN (stoop) containing (†) S (†)

29a	Paired up outside and // ordered (8)

M(AND)ATED — MATED (paired up) containing (outside) AND (†)

Down

1d	Plot out // Mom’s tenure in depth (10)

MA|S|TERM|IN|D — MA (mom) + S ('s) + TERM (tenure) + IN (†) + D(epth)

2d	Particle // nun tore off (7)

NEUTRON* — anagram of (off) NUN TORE

3d	Avian // essential to filming Rebecca (5)

_GREBE_ — hidden in (essential to) filminG REBEcca

Scratching the Surface
Rebecca[7] is a 1940 American romantic psychological thriller film starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine directed by English film director, producer and screenwriter Alfred Hitchcock. It is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by English author and playwright Daphne du Maurier.

4d	Sensible // liar, not a crackpot (8)

RATIONAL* — anagram of (crackpot) LIAR NOT A

6d	Intruder, // however, can make tracks in the snow (9)

BUT|TIN|SKI — BUT (however) + TIN (can) + SKI (make tracks in the snow)

7d	Excited // in skating lesson (7)

_ATING|LE_ — hidden in (in) skATING LEsson

8d	Likes // where one lives (4)

DIGS — double definition

10d	Vocalize // wrong note (4)

SIN|G — SIN (wrong) + G ([musical] note)

13d	At risk, // stopped bottling up rage (10)

END(ANGER)ED — ENDED (stopped) containing (bottling up) ANGER (rage)

15d	One leaping, // being rich (9)

A|BOUNDING — A (one) + BOUNDING (leaping)

17d	Disturbed crab near // Australian city (8)

CANBERRA* — anagram of (disturbed) CRAB NEAR

Canberra^[5] is the capital of Australia and seat of the federal government, in Australian Capital Territory, an enclave of New South Wales.

19d	Has trouble choosing // brunch options (7)

WAFFLES — double definition

21d	Eye doctor // is in love cult (7)

O|CUL(IS)T — IS (†) contained in (in) {O (love; nil score in tennis) + CULT (†)}

22d	Jam // left in machine part (4)

C(L)OG — L(eft) contained in (in) COG (machine part)

24d	Eccentrically wired?? (5)

WEIRD — anagram of (eccentrically) WIRED

This is an &lit. clue^[7] in which the entire clue is both wordplay and definition. A question mark in a clue is often a flag that there is something strange about the clue. Does the presence of two question marks up the ante from strange to weird?

25d	Dust off // sort of poker (4)

STUD* — anagram of (off) DUST

Epilogue

The rather uninspired title of today's review was prompted by 1a, 14a, 20a and 29a.

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Key to Reference Sources: 

  ^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition

  ^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)

  ^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)

  ^[4]   - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)

  ^[5]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)

  ^[6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Advanced American Dictionary)

  ^[7]   - Wikipedia

  ^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)

  ^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

^[10]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

^[11]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

^[12]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)

^[13]   - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

^[14]   - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

^[15]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )

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Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, February 26, 2021 — DT 29400

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29400
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, June 26, 2020
Setter proXimal (Steve Bartlett)
Link to full review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29400]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by Deep Threat
BD rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Puzzles set by proXimal are usually marked by one of two trademarks — either the presence of all letters of the alphabet with the eXception of X or the appearance of four instances of X. Today, he has chosen to employ the latter.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

Markup Conventions
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	House supporting // part-time player (4-3)

Semi^[5,10] is an informal British^* term for a semi-detached house ⇒ a three-bedroomed semi.

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^* Although both Lexico (new name for Oxford Dictionaries Online) and Collins English Dictionary consider this to be a British term, it is definitely a common term in this part of Canada. However, we would most certainly say ⇒ three-bedroom semi rather than three-bedroomed semi.

5a	Shock criminal pinching the Queen/'s/ neckwear (7)

"the Queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

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^* A cipher^[5] (also cypher) is a monogram^[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.

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9a	Graduate wrapping article, current // fad (5)

"current " = I [symbol used in physics]

In physics, I^[5] is a symbol used to represent electric current in mathematical formulae.

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10a	After dram, note phone // moving irregularly (9)

Dram^[5] is a Scottish term for a small drink of whiskey or other spirits ⇒ a wee dram to ward off the winter chill.

Tot^[5] is a British term for a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky or brandy ⇒ a tot of brandy.

"note " = TE [in tonic sol-fa, the seventh note of a major scale]

From a perusal of entries in American and British dictionaries, I gather that the only recognized spelling of this musical note in the US would be ti^[3,11,12] while British dictionaries split into two camps. Two British dictionaries give the principal spelling as te^[2,4,10] with ti^[2,4,10] as an alternative spelling while two others take the contrary position, giving the spelling as ti^[1,5] with te^[1,5] as an alternative spelling.

Note that the sister publications, The Chambers Dictionary^[1] and Chambers 21st Century Dictionary^[2], are diametrically opposed on the issue and Lexico^[5] (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) has done a complete about face as I have notes in my files from a previous review showing that "Oxford Dictionaries decrees that te is the British spelling with ti being the North American spelling".

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11a	Persist with // boil, almost completely coarse (3,7)

12a	Chemical element // unknown: discounting lead, tin and carbon (4)

"unknown " = Z [algebraic notation]

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown^[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns.

In mathematical formulae, unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.

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"carbon " = C

C^[5] is the symbol for the chemical element carbon.

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14a	Stroke and buff // item of hardware (9,3)

Butterfly nut^[5] is another term for wing nut.

18a	Turning to police, lady // acted nonchalantly (6,2,4)

The Missing Video Clip
For some reason, there always seems to be a problem with the video clips that Deep Threat inserts in his blog posts. Here is the first missing video clip:

21a	Reportedly wished not /to have been/ ignorant (4)

I have marked the clue a bit differently from Deep Threat in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. I see the words "to have been" as a link phrase rather than part of the wordplay. While I can not think of an example using the word "rued" that exactly matches the structure found in the clue, I can come close with She rued having been ignorant which I believe demonstrates that the verb "to be" with its auxiliary verb "to have" is not part of the definition of "rued".

22a	Agree about withdrawal/'s/ intricacy (10)

25a	Carpet // unorthodox at rear in a church (9)

Minster^[5] is a British term for a large or important church, typically one of cathedral status in the north of England that was built as part of a monastery ⇒ York Minster.

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Axminster^[5] (also Axminster carpet) is a kind of machine-woven patterned carpet with a cut pile.

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Origin: Early 19th century named after the town of Axminster in southern England, noted since the 18th century for the production of carpets.

26a	Urgency /of/ hard master having no limits (5)

"hard " = H [grade of pencil lead]

H^[2,5] is an abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

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27a	Who votes for // surrender? (5,2)

The Missing Video Clip
Here is the second video clip missing from Deep Threat's review: I have to admit to never having heard of the French pop music duo Ottawan who had the hit singles "D.I.S.C.O." and "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" in the UK in the early 1980s.

28a	Wretched orphan bearing old // weapon (7)

"old " = O [linguistics]

In linguistics, O^[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i) OFr [Old French]; (ii) OE [Old English].

However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.

Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP^[5] standing for old-age pensioner.

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Down

1d	Indian fare // like nothing mother's served up (6)

In Indian cooking, a samosa^[5] is a triangular savoury pastry fried in ghee or oil, containing spiced vegetables or meat.

2d	Cheeky girls /from/ north overcome by cocktails (6)

3d	American in Yale intoxicated with posh // theatres (10)

Scratching the Surface
Yale University[5] is a university at New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701, it is one of the most prestigious universities in the US.

4d	Content in scout doing // best (5)

As the definition, best is used as a verb.

5d	Absolute // fan of jazz, say, or disco occasionally (9)

6d	Cattle // releasing core part of gas (4)

7d	Issues /from/ leader in revolt falling (8)

8d	Wisdom /of/ Turkish commander in southern metropolis (8)

In Muslim countries, especially under the Ottoman Empire,  aga^[5,10] (or agha^[10]) could denote:

• a title of respect, often used with the title of a senior position
• a military commander or official

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Origin: Mid 16th century: from Turkish ağa ‘master, lord’, from Mongolian aqa.

13d	Completely // understand that woman supporting male singer (10)

Alto^[5] (especially in church music) is the highest adult male singing voice. It is also the lowest female singing voice, in which case it is also known as contralto.

15d	Both sons dismissed this non-stop // balding (4,2,3)

"son " = S [genealogy]

In genealogies, s^[5] is the abbreviation for son(s) ⇒ m 1991; one s one d^*.

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^* married in 1991; one son and one daughter.

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The Missing Video Clip
The third video clip missing from Deep Threat's review is no longer available:

16d	Father erected a porch after fixing // driveway, perhaps (8)

17d	Prince informally introduced to monarch an // odd-jobber (8)

In the UK^*, HM^[5] is the abbreviation for Her or His Majesty('s) ⇒ HM Forces.

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^* not to mention other Commonwealth Realms

Prince Andrew, Duke of York^[7] (Andrew Albert Christian Edward) is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He is currently eighth^* in the line of succession to succeed his mother.

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^* Yes, he does rank ahead of his elder sister Anne in the line of succession; changes adopted in 2011 to eliminate gender bias in the laws of royal succession apply only to those born after 28 October 2011.

19d	Calamity // if climbing rocky coast shaking tons (6)

20d	Monster // disembowelled both weedy, vile sailors (6)

"sailors " = RN [Royal Navy]

The Royal Navy^[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.

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In heraldry, a wyvern^[5] is a winged two-legged dragon with a barbed tail.

23d	Seat // covered in paper chains (5)

24d	Boozers // regularly disposed of winnings (4)

In Britain, boozer^[5] is not only an informal term for a person who drinks large quantities of alcohol but also an informal term for a pub or bar.

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Key to Reference Sources: 

  ^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition

  ^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)

  ^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)

  ^[4]   - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)

  ^[5]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)

  ^[6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Advanced American Dictionary)

  ^[7]   - Wikipedia

  ^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)

  ^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

^[10]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

^[11]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

^[12]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)

^[13]   - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

^[14]   - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

^[15]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )

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Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, February 25, 2021 — DT 29399

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29399
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, June 25, 2020
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to full review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29399]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by Kath
BD rating
Difficulty - ★★★ / ★★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

After several days of needing a bit of electronic help to finish the puzzle, I managed to complete this one unaided — despite it being rated more difficult than those for which I had to resort to seeking help. Perhaps my former assignment reviewing RayT puzzles for Big Dave's Crossword Blog helps me tune in to his wavelength.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

Markup Conventions
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Order inflicted on a // private (12)

8a	Old politician // understood America (7)

Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus^[7] (c. AD 56 – c. 120) was a Roman historian and politician.

9a	Passion /is/ more extreme in EastEnders (7)

EastEnders^[7] is a British soap opera set in the East End of London, an area whose natives (known as Cockneys) speak a distinctive dialect. One characteristic of the Cockney dialect is pronouncing certain instances of "th"^* as "v" (except when it comes at the start of a word). Thus Cockneys pronounce further (fɜːʳðəʳ)^** as fervour (fɜːʳvəʳ)^**.

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^* The instances of "th" in question are those whose pronunciation is represented by the symbol "ð" in the International Phonetic Alphabet^[7].
^** The symbols in parentheses show the spelling of the words in the International Phonetic Alphabet^[7] — "ð" being the symbol representing the sound of "th" in the word "further".

11a	One is agile on top of Cairngorms? (7)

The entire clue provides a descriptive definition in which the wordplay is embedded.

The Cairngorm Mountains^[5] (also the Cairngorms) are a mountain range in northern Scotland.

As an initial letter indicator in the wordplay, top^[10] is used in the sense of beginning ⇒ (i) the top of the hour; (ii) at the top of the programme; (iii) let's run through this piece one more time from the top.

12a	Approaching // north-east, approaching a group (7)

13a	Initially lord is entitled governing enslaved // subject (5)

The term liege^[10] can mean either a liege lord^* or a liegeman^** — in this clue, it is the latter.

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^* Liege lord^[10] is a historical term for a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service.
^** Liegeman^[5] is a historical term for a vassal [holder of land by feudal tenure] who owed feudal service or allegiance to a nobleman.

14a	English appear revolutionary, blocking scheme /for/ workers (9)

16a	Soil /is/ improving containing mineral spring (9)

19a	It's tossed // about, about bowled over (5)

The first instance of "about " = CA [circa]

The preposition circa^[5] (abbreviation c^[5], c.^[5], or ca^[5]), usually used preceding a date or amount, means approximately [or about] ⇒ (i) the church was built circa 1860; (ii) Isabella was born c.1759; (iii) he was born ca 1400.

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"bowled " = B [cricket term]

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation b.^[2,10] or b^[5] denotes bowled (by).

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A caber^[5] is a roughly trimmed tree trunk used in the Scottish Highland sport of tossing the caber. This involves holding the caber upright and running forward to toss it so that it lands on the opposite end.

Close But No Cigar

I'm afraid I must take issue with Kath's parsing of the clue on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. I would say she has mixed up the second 'about' and the 'over' and should have written: "begin with the two letter Latin abbreviation for ‘about’ and follow that with a reversal ([indicated by] the over from the clue) of another abbreviation that means about or concerning ([given by] the second about from the clue) and the ‘crickety’ abbreviation for B[owled]".

21a	Indignation /seeing/ cleaner at home pocketing grand (7)

Char^[5] is an informal British term for charwoman^[5] (or charlady^[5]), a dated British name for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.

G as an abbreviation for grand is one North American usage that the Brits would appear to have embraced (show more ).

While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.

Grand^[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒he gets thirty-five grand a year. While the term "grand" itself would seem to be commonly used in the UK, the informal abbreviation G^[5] meaning grand appears to be regarded as a North American usage ⇒I was up nine Gs on the blackjack tables.

G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:

• Oxford Dictionaries: (North American informal) abbreviation for grand, a thousand dollars)^[5].
• Chambers 21st Century Dictionary: (North American slang) abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars^[2].
• Collins English Dictionary: (mainly US slang) a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds)^[4,10].

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23a	Smoke /getting/ fag out (7)

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, fag[5] is an informal British term for a cigarette.

24a	Hearing // sounds echoing, circling valleys finally (7)

25a	Problem bar got overwhelming // prohibition (7)

26a	Listless // setter in nude, unusually (12)

Down

1d	Drug // company staff keeping current (7)

"current " = I [symbol used in physics]

In physics, I^[5] is a symbol used to represent electric current in mathematical formulae.

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2d	Celebrity, // possibly impotent (7)

3d	Partisan /from/ Gunners it turned out (9)

Scratching the Surface
The Gunners is a nickname for The Arsenal Football Club[7], a professional football club based in Islington, London, England that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).

4d	Small // river rises around France (5)

The Nile^[5] is a river in eastern Africa, [disputably (show more )] the longest river in the world, which rises in east central Africa near Lake Victoria and flows 6,695 km (4,160 miles) generally northwards through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt to empty through a large delta into the Mediterranean.

There are many factors, such as the source, the identification or the definition of the mouth, and the scale of measurement of the river length between source and mouth, that determine the precise meaning of "river length"^[7]. As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. In particular, there has long been disagreement as to whether the Nile or the Amazon is the world's longest river. The Nile has traditionally been considered longer, but in recent years some Brazilian and Peruvian studies have suggested that the Amazon is longer by measuring the river plus the adjacent Pará estuary and the longest connecting tidal canal.

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"France " = F [IVR code]

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for France is F^[5].

French Licence Plate
(The IVR code is on the left below the EU flag emblem)

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5d	Rent trouble /for/ twister (7)

6d	Worry // since immorality brought up by sweetheart (7)

"sweetheart " = E

A common cryptic crossword construct is to use the word "sweetheart" to clue the letter 'E', the middle letter (heart) of the word 'swEet'.

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7d	Rod needs to catch live rising // fish (12)

The stickleback^[5] is a small fish with sharp spines along its back, able to live in both salt and fresh water and found in both Eurasia and North America.

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, rod[5] is used in the sense of an angler ⇒ over a hundred rods turned out for the day, including some famous names.

10d	Record /is/ arresting to criminal, arresting one (12)

15d	Go on // exercise with engineers taking part (9)

"exercise " = PE [physical education]

PE^[5] is an abbreviation^* for physical education.

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^* In my experience, phys ed^[3,11,12,14] is the more common shortened form in North America.

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"engineers " = RE [Royal Engineers]

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

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17d	Finish off final performance /for/ old actress (7)

Gloria Swanson^[5] (1899–1983) was an American actress; born Gloria May Josephine Svensson. She was a major star of silent films such as Sadie Thompson (1928) but is now chiefly known for her performance as the fading movie star in Sunset Boulevard (1950).

18d	Impeach // a government, reportedly (7)

In criminal law, impeach^[10] means to to bring a charge or accusation against (someone^*).

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^* This is an action not applicable solely to US presidents.

19d	Live together /in/ cold house, upset slightly (7)

"house " = HO

Although not found in most of the dictionaries I consulted, ho.^[10] is the abbreviation for house.

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20d	Vague // British tempted to welcome Queen (7)

"Queen " = R [regina]

Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.

Q^[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

Qu.^[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.

In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms^*, Regina^[5] (abbreviation R^[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

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^* A Commonwealth realm^[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.

Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution^[7].

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22d	For now, // nobody accepts the speed of light (5)

In physics, c^[5] is the symbol for the speed of light in a vacuum ⇒ E = mc².

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Nonce^[5], as an adjective, denotes (said of a word or expression) coined for one occasion ⇒ a nonce word.

In Modern (British) Usage

In a number of comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the authors report that they are unfamiliar with this meaning of nonce used in the puzzle but know another. The meaning used in the puzzle dates from the time of Chaucer and is little used today. In its modern incarnation, nonce[5,10] is a derogatory, informal British term (originally prison slang) for a person convicted of a sexual offence, especially against a child.

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Key to Reference Sources: 

  ^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition

  ^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)

  ^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)

  ^[4]   - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)

  ^[5]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)

  ^[6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Advanced American Dictionary)

  ^[7]   - Wikipedia

  ^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)

  ^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

^[10]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

^[11]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

^[12]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)

^[13]   - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

^[14]   - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

^[15]   - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )

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Signing off for today — Falcon