ACROSS
1 A range of binoculars? (5,2,6)
FIELD OF VISION – Appears to be a cryptic definition
8 Two metals forming hook (4)
Two metals – Tin – Sn and Silver – Ag – SNAG means hook.
9 Couple to keep port clear? It has strings attached (10)
Couple- MATE
Port – RIO
Clear – NET
MARIONETTE, a kind of puppet which will have strings attached.
10 Object, on reflection, when woman’s injected white compound (8)
Object – AIM, on reflection becomes – MIA
woman – AGNES
A white compound – MAGNESIA
11 Get some wine, or lose it (3,3)
13 Very neat, original music outlet dismissing tango (10)
Anagram of MUSIC OUTLET after dismissing T for TANGO
Answer METICULOUS for Very neat.
16 Faculty’s revolutionary strategy half abandoned (4)
Turn strategy back to front – YGETARTS and abandoning the (first) half of it
Answer – Faculty ( maybe in a university) – ARTS
17 Companion for dam built at last in south of France (4)
The last letter of built in the French word for south – T in SUD
Companion for dam as in a horse breeding farm – STUD
18 Initiation here by holding wild parties? About time! (10)
Anagram of BY PARTIES and T – BAPTISTERY – a place where Initiations are held
20 It finishes on landing, in different ways (6)
A cryptic definition – a FLIGHT would be completed with a landing of the aircraft and a FLIGHT of stairs would also end in a Landing.
22 Get outside by drilling nonstop (8)
Nonstop – ETERNAL
By – X (multiplication sign)
Outside – EXTERNAL
24 Extra habit, not cape, a learner put on (10)
Habit – ADDICTION, without C for CAP
A Learner – AL
Extra – ADDITIONAL
26 Perhaps Sally’s East End stamping ground? (4)
Not entirely sure how this one works, but I put in AUNT for Aunt Sally – I know the answer is correct, but I am just not able to parse it.
27 Call cameraman out of house, one in Bletchley Park? (13)
Cameraman -PHOTOGRAPHER – out of House
Call – CRY
CRYPTOGRAPHER would probably be a person found in Bletchley Park
DOWN
1 Sponsor a mad cardinal (11)
Sponsor – FUND
A mad – A MENTAL
Cardinal – FUNDAMENTAL
2 Drive, say, almost disappeared (3,2)
Say – E.G.
Almost disappeared – GON (E )
Drive – EGG ON
3 Dud PMQs disputed in assembly of Dubai (4,5)
Anagram of PMQS and DUBAI
Dud – DAMP SQUIB
4 Mess made by gunmen in US bank? Not half! (7)
US Bank – (Wells) FARGO (Only half)
Gunmen – RA
Mess – FARRAGO
5 Most of what’s in golf bag is decreasing? (5)
IRONS are a few clubs found in a golf bag, IRONS could also mean de – creasing (clothes)
6 Clumsy modern European stage worker (9)
Modern – IN
European – E
Stage – LEG
Worker – ANT
Clumsy – INELEGANT
7 Lousy egg container upended (3)
Container – TIN, upended or reversed. Means NIT or an egg of a louse.
12 Internet era transformed famous part of Olivier (11)
Anagram of Internet era – ENTERTAINER from one of the roles of Lawrence Olivier
14 Shame to trigger cut in car racing (9)
To trigger – is IGNITE and that is cut
Car racing – INDY
Shame – INDIGNITY
15 Trace son about to obtain fashionable work (9)
Son – S
Fashionable – IN
Work TILL
About – CA (circa)
Trace – SCINTILLA
19 Mark’s part of following into writing that’s put out one November (7)
This took me a while to arrive at, one has actually forgotten the state of the world not so long ago. The demise of the German currency MARK happened in my lifetime – and a part of the Mark was the PFENNIG.
Writing – PENNING, take out one N for November
Following – F
21 Blight? It isn’t heard of in parts of the country (5)
Blight – TAINT – which is one way of saying “It isn’t” in spoken slang
23 Come to pass (5)
A double definition – REACH
25 Maybe vet fish hauled up (3)
Fish – COD, which if reversed or hauled up gives DOC which is what a Vet is for animals.
cryptathon 