The Guardian Cryptic by Rufus #26,329

1. *Edit: I've had some help with the working of the answers overnight from a wonderfully supportive Twitter friend @CrypticQix who has given me some solution pointers. I've added them to the solutions with an "Edit" mark. I love that the cryptic community is so helpful to newbies!
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3. I had a busy weekend and it's not letting up. I did give The Age's cryptic by RM a try yesterday but I found it quite difficult. I'll give it another go later today. I did have a good try at The Guardian's Rufus and will break that down as best I can today, but be warned: So much red pen.

I've been spending some time in the Cryptic Crosswords Learners Facebook group, getting that going with some others with a yen to teach and it's been great fun. We've looked at Reverse Anagrams which has been very helpful,. It looks like yesterday they were doing some Spooner clues. It's a group for newbie solvers and newbie compilers to have a go at solving clues and making clues. Everything is broken down and explained - which is right in line with my campaign. Most of the members are also part of the Cryptic Crossword Society group as well, so come and have a look at both.

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6. 1A -  No hero of football team at home (7)
7. I admit I took a guess and got lucky. "No hero" is the definition, and "football team" is, I'm guessing again, aston VILLA and "at home" = IN put together to make VILLAIN.

1. 5A -  A right from one US state to another (6)
2. This is a play with words, and something we had done as kids so I got this easily. We want word play of one US state, minus an AR from "A Right from" to make the name of another US state. ARKANSAS - AR = KANSAS.

1. 9A -  Where to keep the money when you've made a profit (2,6)
2. This was my Dad's advice in regards to gambling; start with a $20, if you make money from wagers, put that away and replay with your starter $20. If you lose everything, you quit. So where do we keep profit? IN POCKET. I don't know if this how you're supposed to solve the clue, but it worked for me. What do you mean your Dad didn't teach you how to gamble?

1. 10A -  Compel someone to act as a substitute? (4-2)
2. I guess it's a double definition but I didn't get it. MAKE-DO. Compel someone / act as substitute. *Edit: "10a is a charade; "compel"=MAKE "to act"=DO, with "as a substitute" being the definition "

1. 12A -  Subscribed and accepted financial responsibility (12)
2. I got this with cross letters. "Accepted financial responsibility" is the bit that got me there, as I used to work for a bank: UNDERWRITTEN which is also a synonym of "subscribed" when used as a verb.

1. 15A -  Blunders — gives short change (10)
2. "Blunders" is our definition and "gives short change" is fodder + anagrind to give us OVERSIGHTS.

1. 17A -  Heart-to-heart listener (3)
2. "Listener" is a common cryptic clueing for EAR, but to be sure that's our three letter word "Heart-to-heart" hints for us the middle of the word "hEARt" is also our answer.

1. 19A -  Low state of mind on departure of daughter (3)
2. I really can't help you here, I'm in the dark. I think I need to find a synonym for depression that has something like "daughter" in it to be removed leaving us with MOO. Is it just MOOD - D? How is the definition worked here - what is the definition? I'm mildly offended at the thought daughter = MOO. *Edit: "19a is just MOOD - d (daughter) " I guess I just figure mood to mean state of mind but not always as a low state, I'd been looking for depressive synonyms.

1. 20A -  Man of principle made riches the right way (10)
2. Anagram clue, "Man of principle" is the definition and "made riches the right way" hints that "made riches" is currently the wrong way. Mix them up to get ARCHIMEDES.

1. 22A -  Strong defence, yet speedily broken (5,7)
2. I can see how a "strong" defence" is a BARRIER but the "yet speedily broken" stumped me. SOUND BARRIER. I guess it's just that you have to go very fast to break the barrier, but that's all it takes.

1. 26A -  Eye disease — girl catches it (6)
2. I know IT is going into a word for "girl" or it's a girl's name. Here's a girl's name, IRIS to give us IRITIS for an "eye disease"

1. 27A -  Fish I caught in a basket (8)
2. "Basket" is our definition and by playing a bit of charades we can get "fish" = BASS, I, "caught" = NET for BASSINET. A clue laced with Dad joke charm.

1. 28A -  Ann set out for a city in France (6)
2. We are looking for a "city in France" and "Ann set out" is fodder + anagrind to give NANTES.

1. 29A -  Pope with aspiration, leading to becoming emperor (7)
2. I am clueless. I have no idea how this is worked. Answer is HADRIAN, who was a Roman Emperor. *Edit: "29: "pope" is ADRIAN; "aspiration" refers to H as an "aspirated consonant"; aspiration is really the sound of H. " I shall view the word "aspiration" with new suspicion, thank you.
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1. 1D -  Broadcast live coverage (4)
2. "Coverage" is the definition and "broadcast live" is anagrind + fodder to reveal VEIL. I've not seen broadcast used this way, I'd been looking for homophones.

1. 2D -  Rounds of drinks? (4)
2. Double definition: LAPS.

1. 3D -  Head gets most important lead, showing cunning (8)
2. I'm not very sure here. Definition is "show cunning" and the answer is ARCHNESS, but how the clue is worked eludes me. *Edit: "3D - "head" is NESS (as in headland); "most important" = ARCH; "lead" is a position indicator "

1. 4D -  Exact about a point being relatively close (5)
2. Stumped again! "Relatively" is supposed to hint to something familial. I think it becomes "exact" = NICE "about a point" means split that around a compass point to get someone "relatively close" getting us to NI(E)CE. I don't think nice is a synonym of exact.

1. 6D -  Scored slowly (6)
2. Having the A from 5A in place I knew this wasn't going to be Piano. I could guess it was musically leaning. Quick look at music glossary and I got ADAGIO.

1. 7D -  Knots rope with loops (5,5)
2. Ugh! I wasn't going to get this. I'm not up on how to tie knots. I'm a terrible scout/guide (and I'm a guide leader, oh dear!) SHEET BENDS.

1. 8D -  Belly jeans, for example? (10)
2. This is asking what kind of clue is being made an example in "belly jeans" and cryptic solvers know that's a SPOONERISM of jelly beans.

1. 11D -  Light whip for light control (6)
2. Double definition, I think. A "light whip" that is also a "light's control" is a SWITCH.

1. 13D -  A cut above other ranks? (10)
2. I had to resort to my old love Pride and Prejudice, along with the cross letters to get this clue: COMMISSION. Solving the clue as it is, I'm not sure really. *Edit: "13d "Cut" can also mean a percentage of something "

1. 14D -  Heads rolled in this French affair (10)
2. Had a conversation recently with my daughter who asked me what Les Miserable was all about because she couldn't be bothered watching the movie but was curious all the same. I'd seen the 2012 version recently so it was fresh in my mind. REVOLUTION was the French affair where heads rolled from the guillotine.

1. 16D -  European composer (6)
2. There's so little to go on and it's hard to not read this as a quick clue and go running for lists of composers. We do not want a composer...well I don't know maybe we do and I've just not picked up on it, but the answer is GERMAN. How we get there, again, I do not know. Rufus clues are a mix of tough and easy in this puzzle! *Edit: "16d may refer to Edward German "

1. 18D -  Put into liquidation? (8)
2. If it had just read "put into liquid?" would you get it? I think the "liquidation" was just to make this a little bit harder, to sow doubt because that word just makes us think about selling off assets. IMMERSED.

1. 21D -  Respect number trapped in a sticky situation (6)

"Respect" is our definition and I'm not sure about "number trapped" being AD but I guessed "a sticky situation" was a MIRE from the cross letters to give us ADMIRE.

1. 23D -  Make master, finally a head (5)
2. This is the third clue with "head" in it. I'm beginning to wonder if a theme has been present and I've missed it completely. I can't figure this one out either; answer is REACH. Edit: "23d definition is "Make"; "master finally" is R; "a head" is EACH (as in $40 a head) "

1. 24D -  Not in favour of social worker being put over one (4)
2. "Not in favour of" is our definition. "social worker" = ANT (It could've been BEE but it's not this time) "put over one" = I put to the end, to give ANTI.

1. 25D -  Machine gun nest blown up (4)
2. We want a "machine gun" and "nest blown up" is fodder + anagrind to give us STEN.

It's done! Not very well, but we can't win them all. 

I've fiddled around but not done a thorough edit so forgive me if you find errors. I've also played around with font size...then I didn't like it and put it back. Seemed too big that way. I have today's puzzles printed but not had a moment to look at them. Just full of frazzle! Off to rally my Girl Guides unit, they get to play with fire tonight.