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Puzzle by Stinker

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This puzzle from Stinker bends the "rules" slightly but is all the better for that in that it is very original and great fun to solve. It will appeal especially to those who enjoy the puzzles off the more experimental Guardian setters. Particularly noteworthy is that Stinker has written clues that generally read very well in the literal sense without sacrificing fairness – always encouraging in a new compiler. I particularly liked 12 and 15 across but the best by far for me is 24 across.

Graeme.jpg

ACROSS
1 Tom gags changing hook bait (7)
4 Jumble sale bin for Sapphist? (7)
8 Point to Greek letter then hit with hammer's head for carving in stone (7)
10 Unfortunately can't put in amount for holy place (7)
11 Stakes providing enclosure for antelopes (5)
12 I dish maps out to locate centre of vessel (9)
13 Deep rift against second increase, as it were (8)
15 Choppy South Eastern sea calms down (5)
16 He takes steps to be number one in Public Relations (5)
18 Howard's gaining nothing upsetting travelling troupe (8)
21 Coastline is rugged in parts (9)
22 Stepping regularly aboard that vessel (5)
23 (Zero times Zero, to the power of three) Formula for making gravy (3,4)
24 Hesitate to pee in divine cider (7)
25 Fits around back of fridge but won't stay still (7)
26 Some insects are residents (7)
 
DOWN
1 Get AA in to mend for distraught woman (6)
2 Shine in Eng. Lit. term paper (7)
3 Albert's after an operation for stones (5)
4 Is blameless re misspelt novel (3,10)
5 Entertainers rest uneasily after tunes (9)
6 Has feelings for Eskimos drinking tea, say (7)
7 Stone me! Sister shelters arch-enemy (7)
9 Psychiatrists shared her sink sporadically (13)
14 Chew gum if ever necessary to get rid of tapeworm? (9)
16 Leave mooring and get lost! (4,3)
17 One with unfaithful wife is bitter about luck, first off (7)
19 Lars is beheaded in Arab country, he's always rowing (7)
20 Strays get tangled with butterfly (6)
22 A pinny really, only nicer. Initially it provides cover in the kitchen (5)

Solution to Puzzle by Stinker