The Sunday Crossword No 3286, Sunday 24 Dec 2023

ACROSS

1   Angler hopes for this amount of information, we're told (4) BITE (~byte)

3   Club alight: might ash be found there? (8) WOODLAND {WOOD}{LAND}

9   Last bits of Christmas cake, privately, by the coast (7) SEASIDE {c...aS}{cakE}{ASIDE}

11 Run and shove, pocketing one pound on the way back (7) PUBLISH {PU{1 LB<=}SH}

12 Sly cats at work, they cause things to change (9) CATALYSTS*

13 Ruled, showing signs of age (5) LINED [DD]

14 Book pricier option in hotel (1,4,4,1,4) A ROOM WITH A VIEW [DD]

16 Pure, holy band is playing Gershwin piece (8,2,4) RHAPSODY IN BLUE*

20 Removed middle section of electrical flex from speaker (5) CORED (~cord)

22 Soldiers given orders to go around duck (9) COMMANDOS {COMMAND{O}S}

23 Couple eating last of cracker that is plain (7) PRAIRIE {P{c...eR}AIR}{IE}

24 Starters of rice in stock, oregano to taste, onion ...? (7) RISOTTO Acrostic &lit

25 In large part, admitting two poor grades with unassuming manner (8) MODESTLY {MO{D}{E}STLY}

26 Gradually move back, say, adder regularly sidestepped (4) EDGE {EG}{aDdEr}<=

DOWN

1   'ABCs' is, put another way ...? (6) BASICS &lit

2   Display exuberant paintings etc, stuck up in eatery (9) TRATTORIA {AIR}{OTT}{ART}<=

4   Part of layover's awfully managed (7) OVERSAW [T]

5   Put down dopiest oddball (7) DEPOSIT*

6   Salad bar's boss, awfully unabashed (2,4,2,5) AS BOLD AS BRASS*

7   Condescend to remove first of specs from blueprint (5) DEIGN DEsIGN

8   Tail winds had owls shedding from both wings (6) SHADOW {HAD+OWlS}*

10 Everyman will take into account editor's 'Badly thought out' (3-10) ILL-CONSIDERED {I'LL}{CONSIDER}{ED}

15 One devout woman, old-fashioned, overwhelmed (9) INUNDATED {1}{NUN}{DATED}

16 Chef's instructions: pieces of endive and chicory ... filling ... ready to eat (6) RECIPE {R{En...e}{Ch...y}IPE}

17 They detail stevedores (7) DOCKERS [DD]

18 Endless, timeless – and godless! (7) IMMORAL IMMORtAL

19 Residue and mineral deposit collected on the land (6) ASHORE {ASH}{ORE}

21 Procure fresh weaponry and back Frenchman (5) REARM {REAR}{M}

Reference List

Exuberant = OTT(Over the top), Time = T, Frenchman = M