This puzzle had a fair mix of easy and hard clues. I'm still working on getting them all parsed. I found with this puzzle I was quick to spot the definition and get the answer but had no idea how the cryptic end of the clue worked. Even typing out the questions, a few clues I felt I was reading for the first time. That's weird - I spent a couple hours on this puzzle and then don't even remember some of the clues?
1A - George Cole's crazy about upstart sugar (7)
"Sugar" is our definition. "George" = G as we often take the first letter from proper nouns, "Cole's crazy" is partial fodder+anagrind and "upstart" is a one word instruction to take the "start of up" = U, "cole's goes about U" and they're all put together like this: G(L(U)COSE)
5A - Rudd almost back with last word for heartwood (7)
"Heartwood" is the definition. "Rudd almost, back" means we don't want all of the word "Rudd" just RUD and "back" means to reverse it to DUR, "last word" = AMEN for DURAMEN. That's a new word for me.
9A - Unusually pacy Rod like Central American rodents (9)
My mind first leaped to Chupacabra, which was close but not really. My mind saw something there. "Unusually pacy" is anagrind and partial fodder, "Rod" = BAR, "like" = AS becomes CAPYBARAS. See, my brain was almost there.
10A - Magistrate swallows beer in scene of 1692 executions (5)
Not fair, I grew up near here and used to skip university to go hang out in their shops. I knew it from the definition "Scene of 1692 executions" and I can see "beer" = ALE but I don't know why "magistrate" = SM.
11A - Torres confused about duck cock (7)
"Cock" is our definition and "Torres confused, about a duck" Torres is partial fodder, "confused" is the anagrind and "duck" = O. Fodder goes around the O to give RO(O)STER.
12A - Trying to ring old Roman emperor before us (7)
"Trying" is our definition. "Ring" = O, "Roman emperor" = NERO, "before US" put together like this: O(NERO)US.
13A - See! Soluble every second in Olympic city (5)
We are looking for an "Olympic city" and zone in on the words "every second" as an odd/evens clue. "SeE sOlUbLe" for SEOUL.
14A - Bust in sire? Ruined cytoplasm particles (9)
"Cytoplasm particles" is what we're looking for. "Bust" = BOSOM, "sire ruined" is partial fodder and anagrind, put together like this: RI(BOSOM)SE.
16A - Concerned with brain membranes in game Lenin lost (9)
" Concerned with brain membranes," is our long definition not leaving much else to work with. "game Lenin lost" is fodder + anagrind to give us MENINGEAL.
18A - Companion, with skill, produces navigation aid (5)
Ok, I got this wrong. I had the cross letters and made a guess. I was right that "Navigation aid" was the definition. I'd put in COAST thinking early mapping, follow the coastlines. Answer is CHART, how does "companion"= CH, "with skill" = ART? I asked the Cryptic Crossword Society on Facebook and they tell me CH/Companion means Companion of Honour. I don't feel so bad about not knowing that.
20A - In exercise, paces around grassy plains (7)
"Grassy plains" is the definition. "Exercise" = PE, "paces" = STEPS put together like this: STEP(PE)S.
22A - Then dip out, being thorough (2-5)
"Being thorough" is the definition "Then dip out" is fodder+anagrind to get IN DEPTH.
23A - Model leaving Tony Prior's boss (5)
"Prior's boss" is our definition. "Model" = T from the original model T Ford. "leaving Tony" is ABBOTT -T as the T is "leaving" to give us ABBOT, the leader of a priory.
24A - Hart in good shape, ever poetic, to make excess gain (9)
"To make excess gain" is the definition "Hart" = PRO but I don't know why, "in good shape" = FIT, and "ever poetic" = EER as that's how "ever" is often written in poems. Answer is PROFITEER. So why does Hart = PRO? I know hart as a DEER and was trying to figure out how to work that but the D wasn't happening.
25A - Pass footballer and wither gradually from outside (7)
I got this one last and from its definition "wither gradually from outside" was DIEBACK and I see "pass" = DIE but not "footballer" = BACK unless it's a position?
26A - Lech one off in rank (7)
"Rank" is the definition and "Lech one off" is fodder+ anagrind to give us: ECHELON.
1D - Leave captain on university faculty some small racing vehicles (2-5)
"Small racing vehicles" is the definition and I got this on a guess with the enumeration. "Leave" = GO, "Captain" = C and "university faculty" = ARTS to give: GO CARTS.
2D - A French class of word, last one in wire, cannot be readily enunciated (15)
I got this purely from definition "Cannot be readily enunciated" but let's tackle this: "A French" = UN, "class" = PRO (sport rank), "word" = NOUN, "last onE" = E to be put "in wire" = CABLE like this: UN+PRO+NOUN+C(E)ABLE.
3D - Ralph Sarich's engine little spoken about (7)
I googled Ralph Sarich to see if he was real and if he had an engine; he was and he did. "Little" = BIT, "spoken about" = ORAL to be split around BIT like this: OR(BIT)AL. I'm getting better at these container clues.
4D - Go wrong otherwise at liberty to be completely correct (5,4)
"To be completely correct" is our definition. "Go wrong" = ERR, "otherwise" = OR and "liberty" = FREE for ERROR FREE.
5D - Dance hall in Washington area, love (5)
"Dance hall" is the definition and "Washington area, love" where the USA capital is Washington DC - DC stands for District of Columbia could be DIS CO, but I thought the "love" = O, so is it just DIS+C+O for the answer DISCO?
6D - Hasty queen's breakfast food? (7)
Sweet clue, I liked this. We are looking for a "Breakfast food" and "hasty" = RASH and "queen's" = ERS for RASHERS.
7D - Fraser about? Parliamentarian Alexander Graham after speed-addicted Englishman (7,8)
We want the "speed-addicted Englishman," and I had all the cross letters for the NE corner so the name MALCOLM fell into place easily so I'm guessing "Fraser about" = MALCOLM Fraser. "Parliamentarian" = MP and "Alexander Graham" = BELL The answer is MALCOLM CAMPBELL so I don't know where the CA comes from.
8D - Avenging agent seems in trouble (7)
"Avenging agent" is the definition, "seems in trouble" is fodder+anagrind to give us NEMESIS.
15D - Able to wreck Sunda Island in Maryland port? (9)
We want a "Maryland Port," and "able to wreck" is partial fodder and anagrind, "Sunda Island in" = TIMOR to put in ABLE to give us BAL(TIMOR)E
16D - Top player in Mire is hot stuff (7)
I needed a hint to get this as I'd struggled thinking LAVA, FIRE, and other hot things. "16D Mire letters 1, 2, 7. Top player letters 3, 4, 5, 6." from @rhapsody_bri This is a container clue and I struggle with those. "Top player" = STAR, to be place "in" a word for "Mire" = MUD to give us MU(STAR)D. Well that's a matter of opinion, I don't find mustard all that hot. Ok, maybe the Colemans one is a bit spicy. In New England they mix Colemans mustard with apple sauce, vinegar, soy, ginger and apricot jam or pineapple bits and call it Duck Sauce for dunking your springs rolls into.
17D - Doctor Hahn apt to produce coal tar solvent (7)
"Coal tar solvent" is the definition and "Doctor Hahn apt" is anagrind+fodder to give us NAPHTHA.
18D - After business beautiful girl takes fellow in for some piscine tucker (7)
"Piscine tucker" is our definition, "business" = CO, "Beautiful girl" = DISH and "Fellow" = F to be put together like this" CO(D(F)ISH)
19D - Brown out here in Middle Eastern capital (7)
We want a "Middle Eastern capital" and "Brown" = TAN, "out here" is anagrind+fodder put together like this: T(EHER)AN.
21D - Paderewski Pestered to return some flower in PNG (5)
This is a hidden word clue. "Flower" should always raise a red flag as it's either a flower or a river. We want a river in PNG. "PaderewsKI PEStered to return" we want a river hidden in reverse: SEPIK. A bit of google was needed here.
Done! Mostly! Some holes in my knowledge on a few bits but on the whole I'm pleased with this effort. I don't know if I'll ever be fluent in Heraldry or Medals but really - when is that useful except to solve puzzles or have a job in genealogy and antiques?
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