The Age Cryptic by DA #20,618

A theme! A themed DA strikes fear and dread in many but not me! I fib, but I was ready to dig right in. Here all of the across clues are in theme but lack a definition with only one mystery down clue included in the theme. I scored 3D first then 12A and 9A which set me up for the theme which is Comedians! I'd first thought comedy duos but it was just comics and I was happy to see two women represented, too. As I'd worked the puzzle from top to bottom I waited a while for them to show.

Just remembering all across clues are comedians:

8A - I shortly renamed sexes as extremes (8)

"I" followed by "shortly renamed" = CALLED (-D) with "sexes as extremes" = Male & Female put to the "extremes" of our answer to make Shaun M(I)(CALLE)F. He's a bit of a silver fox, isn't he? I'll watch anything he's in on TV. I love his admiration of the classic comedy greats.

9A - Zeppelin pilot fished from Blue Lakes holding (6)

"Zeppelin pilot" = Z being "fished from blue" = A(-Z)URE where "fished from" is a deletion signpost with "Lakes holding" must mean LL with "holding" as a container to make Stan L(AURE)L. I've not seen "lake" becoming an L before so I'm not sure but it seems most likely.

10A - State celebrity (4)

"State" is a homophone signpost and "celebrity" = IDOL and gets us Eric IDLE.

11A - A right odd turn, getting stuck into pot (4,6)

I had this with cross letters but I'm stumped o the solution. I got as far as "A right" = AR  and "an odd turn" doesn't seem to work as taking out odd letters or as a reversal of something so maybe it's the ILL part? I don't know how we get BILL MURRAY. I asked over at the D.A. Trippers and got help from Ray and Mort. "pot" = BILLY as in a Billy can and I was on track with AR, it was "odd" that was throwing me as it means RUM and I fell on this element last week, too. "Turn" is then the reversal signpost so it's like this: BILL (MUR + RA)Y

12A - Everyone surpassed 31 days (6)

"Everyone" = ALL and "surpassed" means to put ALL after "31 days" = MAY for the dearly missed Rik MAYALL. My heart is still a bit broken, I adore him.

14A - Stylishly accepting news... (8)

"Stylishly" = COOLY which will be "accepting news" = NN I guess for "network news?" to make The Big Yin Billy CO(NN)OLLY. I had the first and last two in place and my husband got the answer for me. He was very chuffed with himself for getting one, even though he didn't know how.

15A - ...bloke recalled sweet FA (7)

"Bloke" = CHAP and "sweet FA" is slang for nothing or NIL being "recalled" or reversed to make Charlie CHAP(LIN).

17A - Unit's regularly insecure... (5,2)

Sneaky DA! Hiding actions in compound words. He does this to us twice  in this puzzle. "UnItS regularly" = UIS going "in" a word for "secure" = LOCK to make LO(UIS) C.K. which is not a (5,2) he's a (5,1,1) and that held up the SE corner for me.

20A - ... at family's happening (8)

"at" = AT, "family's" = KIN'S and "happening" = ON (as in "it's on, this is going to happen!") to make Rowan ATKINSON. I don't know why the ellipses though for these clues.

22, 26A - Top secret ring infiltrated past summit (6,8)

This one was just wicked. I got it from cross letters but I had to play the ABC game to get the first letter W. "Top secret" = WIG with a "ring infiltrating" (I changed the tense) = HOOP to make W(HOOP)I G and then "past" = OLD and "summit" = BERG for WHOOPI GOLDBERG. I'd not considered a "berg" as a summit before so this clue really was a solve it after you solve it kind. Even then it was damned tough and concentrated in the SE corner so it took ages to solve out that section.

23A - Horse races initially delayed, detained by dancers (4,6)

Again, I got this with cross letters and I'm not sure what "horse races" gets us that we may have to drop a first letter indicated by "initially delayed" but I know "detained by dancers" = JIVERS splitting around to be J(OAN R)IVERS. So it must be a "horse" = ?OAN...I think I see it. ROAN and "initially delayed" means to drop the R to the back as OANR. I knew roan was a type of coat colouring in dogs but didn't know it applied to horses as well or was a type of horse. I am not a horse person.

24A - Throwback sheep? That's wrong (4)

It is very wrong, stop throwing sheep! "Throwback sheep" = RAM being reversed to MAR and "that's wrong" = X as the red mark on an incorrect answer to become MARX and you can choose your favourite brother. I like Harpo, I'm a sucker for slapstick.

25A - Case as covered by dregs (6)

This is saying we want the word CASE but we will "cover" the letters AS with a synonym of "dregs" = LEES to become C(LEES)E

1D - Beginning to fasten bad fracture in Robin's basin? (8)

"Robin's basin" is our definition and our "beginning" = BIRTH which will "fasten" around "BAD fracture" to be BIR(D BA)TH.

2D - Speaker opening (4)

This is the mystery theme in the down clues and it's another homophone like 10A with "speaker" being our signpost and and "opener" = DOOR for Bryan DAWE. A complete unknown for me and my accent didn't help me. I had the cross letters and thought maybe Hale and Pace which DA used in one of his older theme puzzles around partners. Thinking of old Roman speeches starting with "Hey'all!" or something.

3D - International doing well to grab FIFA medal in finals (6)

This was my first solved. Jump to the end for the signpost "finals" and notice "doinG welL tO graB FIFA medaL" = GLOBAL for "international".

4D - A couple fellows vanquished reported plague (7)

"Plague" is our definition and "A couple fellows" = A FF with "vanquished reported" = LICKED/LICT for AFFLICT.

5D - Bally lovebird? (8)

Here's the other example of hiding elements in a compound word. "Bally" = FLAMING as "bally" is a mild curse meaning damned and "ring" = O to make FLAMINGO as our "bird" and what a sneaky trick.

6D - Our price to roam Caribbean Island (6,4)

"Caribbean Island" is what we are looking for and "OUR PRICE TO roam" is fodder and anagrind to make PUERTO RICO.

7D - Moan about internet trouble (6)

"Moan" is our definition and "about internet" where "about" is a reversal signpost here and "internet" = WEB/BEW and "trouble" = AIL to become BEWAIL.

13D - Thorpedo first to cash in computer maker's gadgetry (10)

"Gadgetry" is our definition and the "Thorpedo" is for IAN Thorpe the Olympic swimmer, "first to Cash" = C "in computer maker's" = APPLE'S that'll take "in" IAN+C to be APPL(IANC)ES.

16D - Fired up one Fairfax setter with constant wine (8)

"Fired up" is our definition and "one" = I, "Fairfax setter" = NS with "constant" = PI the mathematical constant 3.14... with "wine" = RED to become INSPIRED.

19D - Frantically urged on bear (7)

"Bear" is our definition and it's not the fluffy, snarly kind. "frantically URGED ON" is anagrind and fodder to become UNDERGO. I guess in the manner of bearing hardship or tolerating something?

21D - Pleasure drive also gained travel tips by adventure's end... (6)

"Pleasure drive" is our definition and "also" = TOO with "TraveL tips" = TL and "adveturE's end" = E to make TOO(TL)(E)

22D - ...in judicious (or thematic) fashion? (6)

"in judicious fashion" that could also be on theme by having a comedian's name? WISELY is our answer and think of Ernie Wise of Morecambe and Wise. Is there another famous comic named Wise? I don't know if this is right solution but it's how I got there.

24D - Mafia ultimately bury dick at sea? (4)

I got the answer quick from wordplay but not understanding how. I had thought "Mafia ultimately" = M but then there was nothing for us to do with "bury" and he definition is "dick at sea" so rethinking it  we try "mafia" = MOB and "ultimately burY" = Y to make MOBY.  Just had to swing that "ultimately" to the other side.

That made up the sum of my Friday. We're having a birthday party today for my daughter who turned 11 this week at a laser tag place with a bunch of sugar addled kids. I'm looking to take in a movie this weekend, or soon as well. I really want to see the new Mad Max Fury Road. Hope you enjoy your weekend!