Observer Everyman

Across

1. The Right Stuff and Top Gun aged badly (3-2-3-2)

6. What to say to a horse while holding on anxiously, primarily? (4)

9. Period during which you might have an unpleasant shock? (3,4,3)

10. For starters, alcoholic sparkling tincture, Italian (4)

11. Singer confused bride with shrug in church (5,2,5)

15. Tragic Greek figure, skinny, next to the German (7)

16. Drugs dipped in caviar for Brat Pack actor (3,4)

17. Once again, accepts contract’s terms and quits (7)

19. ‘Pescatarian option’? Ham is doubly out of order! (7)

20. Interrogate corrupt cronies about Congress in the morning (5-7)

23. Poet, retiring lone wolf at heart (4)

24. Real idiots misconstrued views of the Observer, etc (10)

25. Middle section taken from Muslim holy book: it’s a Buddhist riddle (4)

26. Sympathisers omitting greeting disturbed intelligence chiefs (10)

Down

1. Travel over most of large desert (4)

2. Cut a dash, to some extent – voilà! (2-2)

3. Breakfast items stolen, for example case of grapefruits (7,4)

4. Less socially adept, demanding more energy, not right (7)

5. King George and Queen Elizabeth: that’s even more majestic (7)

7. That man’s little musical group, iconic, not half theatrical (10)

8. Crime that I arranged, being calculating (10)

12. Naïve types accepting president’s to get rid of weapons (5-2-4)

13. In the manner of Royal Marine, punch time- keeper (5,5)

14. Spies entrap idiot, minor poet regularly following stars (10)

18. ‘River Dee rising,’ son first exaggerated (5,2)

19. During autopsy, MP to manipulate evidence (7)

21. Blue European nobleman? (4)

22. Stinging insects, with tip of wings clipped, remain poisonous creatures (4)