The Sunday Crossword No 3339, Sunday 05 Jan 2025

ACROSS

1   Employment à la Ubers – or horse-drawn carriages? (3,7) GIG ECONOMY [C&DD]

6   House detective, part employed (4) USED [T]

9   Sufferer sedated, calm (10) OUTPATIENT {OUT}{PATIENT}

10 A sucker rejected some bubbly (4) CAVA {A}{VAC}<=

12 Grim, noon, dog barking: you can’t say this now! (4,7) GOOD MORNING* 

15 Exciting under canvas by the sound of it (7) INTENSE (~in tents)

16 To? (4,3) MANXCAT {TOm}

17 Twin, having consumed gin, recalled puzzles (7) ENIGMAS {SAM{GIN}E}<=

19 Harlequin inexhaustibly portraying some characters: that’s the tonic (7) QUININE [T]

20 Comic interlude – but does it describe a darkness? (5,6) LIGHT RELIEF [C&DD]

23 1/28 oz good butter (4) GRAM {G}{RAM}

24 One drawing things out – using this? (10) PROTRACTOR [C&DD]

25 Cushions in apartments (4) PADS [DD]

26 Naughty child is on the loo (but only half) somewhere in Slovakia (10) BRATISLAVA {BRAT}{IS}{LAVAtory}

DOWN

1   Drop golf ball that’s been lifted high (4) GLOB {G}{LOB}

2   Jerk, English in French holiday home (4) GITE {GIT}{E}

3   Where youngsters’ habits may be unpleasant? (8,4) CHANGING MATS [CD]

4   Mostly unwelcome sound: O, Everyman is most unwelcome! (7) NOISOME {NOISe}{O}{ME}

5   Least brief amount of time? I’m … I’m not sure (7) MINIMUM {MIN}{IM}{UM}

7   Horse that provides sustenance in the main (10) SEABISCUIT {BISCUIT}<=>{SEA}

8   More like preliminary version, read aloud and increasingly windy? (10) DRAUGHTIER (~draftier)

11 Learning, fast, to arrange relatives’ accommodations (7,5) GRANNIE FLATS* 

13 Grand! I have beer – and dog returning to offer support (4,1,3,2) GIVE ALEG UP {G}{I'VE}{ALE}{PUG<=}

14 Spooner’s to provide support for violinists etc (6,4) STRING BAND (~bring stand to string band)

18 Shepherd who played up front for England? (7) SHEARER [DD]

19 Queen in time to introduce Alien V (7) QUINTET {QU}{IN}{T}{ET}

21 Volcano where the stake’s raised (4) ETNA<=

22 Primarily, oceanic ravenous creature: aargh! (4) ORCA Acrostic &lit

Reference List

Good = G, Golf = G, English = E, Grand = G, Queen QU, Time = T, Alien = ET