Weekend Quick Cryptic 98 - Solution

Although The Times has bowed to pressure and started providing a Saturday Quick Cryptic crossword, my fellow TimesforTheTimes contributors Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce Quick Cryptic crosswords to fill the gap left by the Sunday Times not having one. The plan is for us to take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's turn. 

You can find a link to this week's crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here. 

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Some hints and tips:

• In 4A the book is in the bible.
• In 18A for "brings in" think "earns".
• In 2D the "songster" is a bird.
• In 5D the footballers are a London team.

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

Definitions  underlined in bold italics , ( Abc )* indicating anagram of Abc,  {deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Phone city in Alabama (6)
MOBILE – Double definition
4 Book somebody at first hides in trees (6)
PSALMS – Book of the bible. S{omebody} [at first] in PALMS (trees).
9 Noise stops - when these cease howling? (7)
DINGOES – DIN  (noise) GOES (stops). It’s unusual to see the definition not at either end of the clue.
10 Say "it's complete" (5)
UTTER – Double definition.
11 Dilapidated building found in Peru interior (4)
RUIN - Hidden in PeRU INterior.
12 They allege miracles can be arranged (8)
CLAIMERS – (miracles)* [can be arranged].
14 Woman reflects silently after soldier comes back - they know nothing (11)
IGNORAMUSES – GI (soldier) reversed -> IG, NORA (woman) MUSES (reflects silently).
18 Guard brings in fishing equipment (8)
KEEPNETS – KEEP (guard) NETS (brings in; earns after tax).
20 Papal edict is nonsense (4)
BULL – Double definition.
22 Bellini's heroine is almost what you'd expect (5)
NORMA – All but last letter of NORMA{l} (what you’d expect).
23 Securing boat shaky groom hides in (7)
MOORING – IN inside (groom)* [shaky].
24 Dignified - but Ed eats messily (6)
SEDATE – (Ed eats)* [messily].
25 Heartless nutters come round to create disorder (6)
UNREST – (nut{t}ers)* removing the middle letter [come round]
 
Down
1 Up to date though not quite perfect fighting force (6)
MODERN – All but last letter of MODE{l} (perfect) RN (Royal Navy; fighting force).
2 Colourful decoration for songster (7)
BUNTING – Double definition the second a cryptic hint indicating a bird.
3 Only replanned city in France (4)
LYON – (Only)* [replanned].
5 Footballers accept promissory note that's fake (8)
SPURIOUS – IOU (promissory note) in SPURS (footballers).
6 Quantity of liquid found in decanter tilted upwards (5)
LITRE – Reverse hidden in decantER TILted
7 Anxiety of sisters I left in confusion (6)
STRESS – (s{i}sters)* without the I [in confusion].
8 Primeval article disposed of. Me? I sat around (2,3,2,4)
AS OLD AS TIME – A (article) SOLD (disposed of), (me I sat)* [around].
13 Miserable Irish actors (8)
DOWNCAST – DOWN (Irish county) CAST (actors).
15 Vile Sue unfortunately hard to find (7)
ELUSIVE – (Vile Sue)* [unfortunately].
16 Malodorous animals initially seek after cannabis (6)
SKUNKS – SKUNK (cannabis) and first letter of Seek.
17 Mild insult (6)
SLIGHT – Double definition.
19 Dear friend occasionally sinned (5)
ERRED – Alternate letters, [occasionally) of dEaR fRiEnD.
21 Peter Sellers? Pull the other one! (4)
GOON – GO ON (pull the other one).