The Sunday Crossword No 3165, Sunday 29 Aug 2021

ACROSS

1   Reading – Amsterdam, perhaps – discussed by these? (4,6) BOOK GROUPS Definition by example

6   He's not out of US Cabinet (4) SCAB [T]

9   Horrid child is vain? Not half, the French admitted: that's capital (10) BRATISLAVA {BRAT}{IS}{LA}{VAin}

10 Soundly defeat a character from Greece (4) BETA {(~beat)BET}{A}

12 Punch drunk earlier, journalist giving little away (5-6) TIGHT-FISTED {FIST}<=>{TIGHT} and {ED}

15 Rectangle ... hang on ... maybe bit unclear ... squashed, primarily! (7) RHOMBUS Acrostic Semi&lit

16 Pamphlet tersely conveys messages (7) LETTERS [T]

17 A priest, old-fashioned, got around, moved with the times (7) ADAPTED {A}{DA{P}TED}

19 Greek and a Scandinavian heading west to W Indies location (7) GRENADA {GR}{A+DANE<=}

20 Well-aimed dart, very fine to bag five hundred and one: drink? (6,5) DOUBLE VODKA {DOUBLE}{V}{O{D}K}{A}

23 Curry accompaniment, whichever way you look at it! (4) NAAN <=>

24 Empty room getting statuary displaying monarch (4,6) MARY STUART {RooM+STATUARY}*

25 Orders essentially insane physio (4) SAYS {inSAne}{phYSio}

26 Having gone backward, Spanish car's finally gone forward – fixed! (4-6) DEEP-SEATED {PEED<=}{SEAT}{gonE}{f...rD}

DOWN

1   Two arts degrees, that's sweet (4) BABA {BA}{BA}

2   Romania, a little country (4) OMAN [T]

3   Initiate violence, toilet bag not prepared (2,4,6) GO INTO BATTLE*

4   Requires bilge, so babbles (7) OBLIGES*

5   Important rising star oddly missing football (7) PIVOTAL {VIP<=}{fOoTbAlL}

7   Natter about vacuous froth, wee time wasted! (4,3,3) CHEW THE FAT {CH{FrotH+WEE+T}*AT} &lit

8   Desirous boy first getting small rest and biscuit (6,4) BRANDY SNAP {RANDY}<=>{B} and {S}{NAP}

11 '51: Attlee four times suffering rumours (6-6) TITTLE-TATTLE {LI+ATTLEE+T+T+T+T}* 

13 Dogs Spooner's given M Eastern culinary staples (5,5) GREAT DANES (~ date grains to great danes)

14 In remix, bury a vocal that's list of words ... (10) VOCABULARY*

18 ... crank up Greek character I've seen with intro of drums (7) DEVIATE {ETA}{IVE}{Dr..s}<=

19 Wobbly, pudgy, round – Everyman's diet's beginning – let's go (5-2) GIDDY-UP {G{I}{Diet}DYUP*}

21 'How to catch fish?' 'Attack with dogs' (4) BAIT [DD]

22 Horse, bolt (4) STUD [DD]

Reference List

The in French = LA, Priest = P, Greek = GR, Very = V, Five hundred = D, Boy = B, Small = S, 51 = LI, Time = T