The Sunday Crossword No 3237, Sunday 15 Jan 2023

HAPPY PONGAL

ACROSS

1   Tiny shrill sound perhaps ... Young birds (not large) in trees (7,7) WEEPING WILLOWS {WEE}{PING}{WILL}{OWlS}

9   Everyman, note, tucked into very old booze (4) VINO {V}{I}{N}{O}

10 Hollywood big shots actively kept a chart (3,3,4) THE RAT PACK*

11 Somewhat damp, ref abandons building (6) PREFAB [T]

12 At last, interest and care shown adopting Pole (2,3,3) IN THE END {INT}{HEE{N}D}

13 Surely sad? Sad, surely (9) ASSUREDLY*

15 Primarily, Antony's spouse's pets, sadly! (4) ASPS Acrostic Semi&lit

16 Ultimately stuck to bath oil that's in make-up bag (4) KOHL Tail Acrostic

17 Mending and sorting washed socks? (9) REPAIRING {RE-PAIRING}

21 Word from above: disheartened Jewish scholar leaves (8) KOHLRABI {KOHL}{RAbBI}

22 In nobleman's house, outspoken style (6) MANNER (~manor)

24 Tenth hiker represented in sculpture (3,7) THE THINKER*

25 Ably and supply (4) WELL [DD]

26 In war, new soldiers displayed malaise (5-9) WORLD-WEARINESS*

DOWN

2   Dodgy régimes may produce these? (7) EMIGRES* &lit

3   Strength of spirit in demonstration (5) PROOF [DD]

4   Outstanding number at head of data collection (7) NOTABLE {NO}{TABLE}

5   Who'll shortly send you to sleep? (3,6,6) WEE WILLIE WINKIE [GK]

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown,
Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,
Are the children in their bed, for it's past ten o'clock?

6   Nestled among azalea, N.T. officer's shed? (4-2) LEAN-TO [T]

7   Bully proposers horribly (9) OPPRESSOR*

8   Approves another helping (7) SECONDS [DD]

14 Cushion on horseback, cowboy's accessory (9) UPHOLSTER {UP}{HOLSTER}

16 Specialised skill? Get to work in the allotment immediately, says Spooner (4-3) KNOW-HOW (~ hoe now to know how)

18 One loves seeing Star Wars villain, helmet removed, capturing space station (7) ADMIRER {vAD{MIR}ER}

19 Post-Christmas débris is irritating (7) NEEDLES [DD]

20 Wide-ranging, strove to secure a run (6) VARIED {V{A}{R}IED}

23 Absence of plonk nearly certain to end in failure (2-3) NO-WIN {NO}{WINe}

Reference List

Large = L, Everyman = I, Note = N, Very = V, Old = O, Pole = N, Run = R, Plonk = WINE