Weekend Quick Cryptic 104 - Solution

Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Quick Cryptic crosswords. We take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's  Phil's turn. 

You can find a link to the 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 14A you need the abbreviation for the musical term for very loud to complete the set of letters for the anagram
• In 20A Head... missing means remove the first letter
• You need to know the post code for the City of london for 12D

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
3 Put money on Greek character falling short (3)
BET – BET{a} (Greek character) without the last letter, [falling short].
8 Huge tract of land discovered in Mali by archaeologists (5)
LIBYA – Hidden in MaLI BY Arachaeologists.
9 Gets in the way of picnic baskets (7)
HAMPERS – Double definition.
10 Baseball player that can hold his drink? (7)
PITCHER – Doubled definition, the second a cryptic hint.
11 European vegetable (5)
SWEDE – Double definition.
12 Finishing last gin cocktail (6)
ENDING –  END (last) (gin)* [cocktail]
14 Playing this very loud creates perfect musical intervals (6)
FIFTHS – (this ff)* (abbreviation for fortissimo; very loud) [playing].
15 Genteel assignation in Kent? (6)
SEDATE – SE (South East; Kent in South East England) DATE (assignation).
17 Was in accord - it's a sin (6)
AGREED – A GREED (sin).
20 Head of school missing direction sign (5)
ARROW – {h}ARROW, missing the first letter [head… missing]).
21 Rumbles disturbing sleep (7)
SLUMBER – (rumbles)* [disturbing].
24 Avoided drone crashing after soldier returned. (7)
IGNORED – GI (soldier) [returned] -> IG, (drone)* [crashing].
25 Upper House's sports ground (5)
LORDS – Double definition.
26 See there's nothing odd in Henley (3)
ELY – Only the even letters of hEnLeY.

 
Down
1 Half of footwear a disappointing failure (4)
FLOP – Half of FLIP-FLOP (footwear).
2 Sailor devoured last of food and dropped off (6)
ABATED – AB (Able-Bodied seaman) ATE (devoured) [last of] fooD.
3 Friendly term in Wales for composer (4)
BACH – Double definition.
4 That place belongs to them we're told (5)
THERE – Sounds like THEIR (belongs to them) [we’re told].
5 Satisfyingly enjoyable vandalism (8)
SMASHING – Double definition.
6 Abandon wasteland (6)
DESERT – Double definition.
7 Spread malicious rumours about crazy sad peers (8)
ASPERSED – (sad peers)* [crazy].
12 City still in raptures (8)
ECSTATIC – EC (post code of The City of london) STATIC (still).
13 Keep it to yourself but Toon draw was engineered (3,1,4)
NOT A WORD – (Toon draw)* [was engineered].
16 Brave but heartless loved one (6)
DARING – DAR{l}ING (loved one) without the middle letter [heartless].
18 Back me to meet old vessel and get on board (6)
EMBARK – Me reversed [back] -> EM, BARK (old type of ship; old vessel). A bark is “a ship of small size, square-sterned, without headrails”.
19 A team apart (5)
ASIDE – A SIDE (team).
22 Unappealing - the sort of customer to avoid (4)
UGLY – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
23 Back in Staines I refused to get up (4)
RISE – Revers hidden in StainES I Refused.