No 14123, Friday 15 Mar 2024, Crescent

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ACROSS

8   Stately old ladies flutter in parties (8) DOWAGERS {DO{WAGER}S}

9   New nurse at first usually in doubt (6) UNSURE {NURSE}*<=>{Us...y} (Addendum {NURSE+Us...y}* - See comments)

10 Tit for tat is fashionable, bird's back on tattoos (2,4) IN KIND {IN}{birD}<=>{INK} Not sure of anno

11 Strict control of press worker (4,4) IRON HAND {IRON}{HAND}

12 A Catholic clergyman must be faithful (8) ACCURATE {A}{C}{CURATE}

14 Smart and keen guards at the rear (6) CRAFTY {CR{AFT}Y}

15 Crazy scene and theme in comic (6,3,6) DENNIS THE MENACE*

18 Rip off belly from tropical seafood (6) SCAMPI {SCAM}{troPIcal}

20 One bound by rule constantly trains in this? (8) RAILWAYS {R}{A{1}LWAYS}

22 Article received in legacy, fantastic medieval weapon (8) LANCEGAY {L{AN}CEGAY*}

24 Lay, short one ending in fourteen lines? (6) SONNET {S{ONe}{iN}ET} (Addendum - {S{ONe}{f...eN}ET} &lit - See comments)

25 More shocking depressing tales about corrupt legislature (6) UGLIER LEGIslatURe*

26 Take advances (8) PROCEEDS [DD]

DOWN

1   Company beginning to grow and stir up spirit (6) COGNAC {CO}{Grow}{CAN<=}

2   Kitty withdrawn, one chance withdrawn (8) TACITURN {CAT<=}{1}{TURN}

3   Coral reef adding new mass at sea (4,4,7) DEAD MANS FINGERS  {REEF+ADDING+N+MASS}

4   In motion spilling a drop of red wine (4) ASTI ASTIr

5   Not working, as how a broker without earnings may be? (3,2,10) OUT OF COMMISSION [DD]

6   Hats off to mum's condition complicating aspiration (6) ASTHMA {HATS}*{MA}

7   Crazy football club covers entire ground (8) FRENETIC {F{ENTIRE*}C}

13 Cycling at that place in compound (5) ETHER (+e)ETHER(-e)

16 Trade dialogue (8) EXCHANGE [DD]

17 Present, not past, primarily to consider - it's not surprising (2,6) NO WONDER {NOW}{pONDER}

19 Help out family considerably less hard up (4,2) MUCK IN {KIN}<=>{MUCh}

21 Returns slide, bad year ahead (6) YIELDS {SLIDE}*<=>{Y}

23 Jabbers, for example, about power cuts (4) YAPS {S{P}AY<=}

Reference List

Parties = DOS, Tattoo = INK, Catholic = C, Rule = R, Stir = CAN, New = N, Football club = FC, Hard = H, Year = Y, Power = P