The Sunday Crossword No 3300, Sunday 31 Mar 2024

ACROSS

1   Stuttering, so we mangled these? (6,8) TONGUE TWISTERS* Semi&lit

8   Footwear from scaly reptile (4) CROC [DD]

9   The Spanish tucked into chocolate snack before tango with songwriter (6,4) LIONEL BART {LION{EL}BAR}T}

10 Sixth to recognise fool's gold, somewhere in the Bahamas (6) NASSAU {r...gNi.e}{ASS}{AU}

11 Malicious, up itself play (8) SPITEFUL*

12 Theatrical farce no one gets rid of (though second character cut) (6,3) NOISES OFF {NO}{1}{SeES OFF}

14 In announcement, name location on the web (4) SITE (~cite)

15 Fry – and damage (4) CHIP [DD]

16 Humiliated Head of Communications was anxious (9) CHASTENED {Co...s}{HASTENED}

20 Advise against ructions (in part) (8) INSTRUCT [T]

21 Some out-drank a rake in Turkish city (6) ANKARA [T]

23 Playwright's retrospective to depict old, cold Spanish kingdom (4,6) NOEL COWARD {DRAW}{O}{C}{LEON}<=

24 A wading bird in a bar (4) RAIL [DD]

25 Cut-off trousers and vest are, surprisingly, items of great value (8,6) TREASURE TROVES {TROUSERs+VEST+ARE}*

DOWN

1   What's travelled quickly, leading to stir? (7) TORNADO {TORN}{ADO} Semi&lit

2   Thieves in prisons (5) NICKS [DD]

3   Marks given to Mötley Crüe? (7) UMLAUTS Definition by example

4   Equipment swap? Quite the reverse! (5,2,3,5) TOOLS OF THE TRADE (Reverse of TRADE OF THE TOOLS)

5   Everyman increasingly intoxicated, overheard in warmer part of Europe (6) IBERIA {I}{~beerier)BERIA}

6   Bill reduced slightly, Morse's colleague (Geordie) wanting cheapest plonk (5,4) TABLE WINE {TAB}{LEWIs}{NE}

7   Find new direction for overture, not very flowing (2-5) RE-ROUTE OvERTURE*

13 Still, I can dance a little (9) SCINTILLA*

15 Honesty also seen in court? Not quite (7) CANDOUR {C{AND}OURt}

17 Smear last bit of oil into power tool (7) SLANDER {S{oiL}ANDER}

18 Secretly listens in on (bugs) (7) EARWIGS [DD]

19 Both sides of Atlantic flipping over party puzzle (6) SUDOKU {UK}{US}<= over {DO}

22 Kinaesthetically immaculate Russians' orchestrated variations, primarily? (5) KIROV Acrostic &lit

Reference List

The in Spanish = EL, Tango = T, Old = O, Cold = C, Very = V, Party = DO