The Guardian Cryptic by Rufus for July 28th

I gave this Rufus a fair go. The last one I'd tried was very hard. This one seemed a bit more forgiving. I liked the cleverness of some of the clues. To be clever in so few words - that really is an art. 26A Baby bird? (5) wonderful when the lightbulb goes on. I got that same awe with 25A even though I'd had to cheat. The clue is so well done I don't mind it having beaten me.

As I scribbled, there are several bird clues but I don't think this was a bird themed puzzle.

7A - It adds zest to meals for sailor on board (5,4)
"It adds zest to meals" is the definition. "Sailor" = SALT, "board" = TABLE (had that clued recently so it was fresh in my mind) reverse them around for TABLE SALT.

8A - A word of warning to golfers in the past (5)
I knew the word golfers shout to warn others is FORE and we want a word for "in the past" yet I cheated because I couldn't think of AFORE.

9A - Found her a problem, - totally obscure (7-2)
"Totally obscure" is the definition. "Found her a problem" is fodder + anagrind. mix up "found her a" to reveal UNHEARD-OF.

10A - Going down, he may be saved by the bell (5)
I admit my first thoughts were boxing - wasn't that the intention of the clue? We wanted to think diving bell for DIVER.

12A - One of seven suffering from cold? (6)
This was a gift clue. "One of seven" meaning we need something that comes in sevens and the one that springs to mind could be the Seven Dwarves (Dwarfs?) and the one most likely to have a cold is SNEEZY.

13A - Reckon I'm splitting what's left (8)
"Reckon" is the definition and if we consider"what's left" and think about inheritance we get ESTATE and then "I'm splitting" means we want to insert IM into ESTATE to give EST(IM)ATE.

14A - The arms go around the cheeky little pet! (7)
"Cheeky little pet" is our definition and "The arms go around" is fodder + anagrind. Mix up "The arms" to get a HAMSTER.

17A - See red hair? (7)
This clue is wonderful. I wish I had been clever enough to get it because it deserves to be solved. I believe this is an &lit clue which means "and literally so" So something that means to "see red" and is also a "red hair"? BRISTLE.

20A - Passionate love bird (8)
With cross letters and going on with the bird theme - if it is a theme. "Passionate" = FLAMING and "love" = O for FLAMINGO

22A - Groups of people changing planes (6)
Straightforward anagram clue: "Groups of people" = definition "changing" = anagrind and "planes" = fodder. Mix up the fodder to get PANELS.

24A - By the sound of it, gather a crowd (5)
I did not get this one. I'm guessing it's a homophone clue and it may be "gather" = HOARD which "sound"s like HORDE, a synonym for "crowd"

25A - They are articulate in personal columns (9)
What a gorgeous clue! I wish I had gotten this to show it the appreciation it's due. We are forgiven for thinking newspapers as that was the intention. We want to think far more personal - VERTEBRAE. Isn't that delicious.

26A - Baby bird? (5)
Don't go down the rabbit hole of listing names of various baby birds. See the question mark - it's telling you that you must think cryptically, laterally, out of the box. Bird bringing baby? STORK. Two words, so much subtext. It's brilliant fun!

27A - Remembering various stories can lead to novel (9)
A well written clue doesn't reveal its type. I did not realise this was an anagram clue until just now. I had cheated for this and thought it was more like a straight clue - until I spied the fodder "can lead to" because I had not figured "novel" as an anagrind. Mix up the fodder to get ANECDOTAL . So slick.

1D - Clergyman taking a point to heart may be fired (6)
I did search through a list of "Clergymen" until a word popped out that seemed plausible. "Clergyman" = CANON and "a point to heart" means insert a compass point into the middle of CANON to make a word for something that "may be fired" = CANNON

2D - Retired train-bearers? (8)
Once I got over the idea of bridesmaids - you know, they carry the bride's train? Anyway once I got over that idea I thought about actual trains and the answer popped in my head: SLEEPERS. Only about to buy some for my raised garden beds.

3D - Bird circles its quarry (6)
We want a "Bird" and "circles" = O and "quarry" = PREY which lead me to OSPREY. Where does the S come from? is it because "circles" is plural we add OS?

4D - Carriage upside down on road crossing (7)
Did not get. Definition is "road crossing" answer is FLYOVER. Not sure how it's solved, sorry.

5D - State in a loud and resolute way (6)
I can only see this a straight clue, not a cryptic one. I'd needed cross letters but got AFFIRM. How do we read this cryptically?

6D - Eastern trail one meandered (8)
Definition is "Eastern" "trail one meandered" is fodder + anagrind. Mix up "trail one" to get ORIENTAL.

11D - Move with a little spooning (4)
I wonder if this should have a question mark. You have to think laterally. Just take off the ing from "spooning" and maybe it's clearer? Answer is STIR.

15D - What it takes to make the world of confectionary? (3-5)
What does it take? It takes ALL SORTS. All Sorts being a common liquorice confectionary.

16D - The main type of eagle (4)
I do not get this one. We want a type of "eagle" but how the ERNE is a "main type" I'm not sure.

18D - Suitable work for a lay reader (8)
I may be missing a parable or common idiom here and I had to cheat. Answer is SONGBOOK.

19D - Not a particular person (7)
It could be anyone, but it's not, it's SOMEONE.

21D - Way fleet is brought up to date? (6)
I took a guess with cross letters but I'm not sure how this clue works. MODERN, meaning to be "brought up to date" I could see. Also "Way" = MODE but "fleet" eludes me. Are nurses in fleets?

22D - Revolt when school place is switched (6)
I could tell we needed to shift around letters. I even figured the SCH was important. I've never heard of PUTSCH and am unsure how the UT fits in here. I thought maybe it was Yiddish and looked up Schput - not yiddish, but it is a Pennsylvania Dutch word for teasing or bullshitting. Not that that sheds any light here but was interesting.

23D - A small variety of beasts of burden (6)
I jokingly got the right answer. We shout LLAMAS a lot around here because we watch a lot of Horrible Histories. "A small variety" is fodder + anagrind, mix up "a small" to get LLAMAS for the "beasts of burden" Hey, better the Llama song than Rod Stewart, right?

There! Done! Yay, got through a Rufus puzzle. That's quite exciting, for puzzle type people. No, it really is. Sing your small victories even if no one else cares. Sometimes it's ok to a praising party of one.

I didn't get time for the Age's RM puzzle. Tuesday is looking slim for puzzle solving time too. I've been swamped today and have done a slap/dash edit here so apologies for typos and sloppiness.