ACROSS
1 “I should buy a hybrid, I should buy a hybrid,” for example? (14)
8 Edgy present, perhaps (5)
9 Follower of head mystic, torn (8)
11 Neutralize Roman poet clutching slip with ease, initially (8)
12 Old city held by very bright, specialized cell (6)
14 Hearing Belafonte is difficult (5)
15 “Manifestations of Chicken”: sign in Pennsylvania (9)
17 Slippery one could ultimately come in to play a guitar or percussion instrument (5,4)
19 “Speedy Snoop Dogg” for Calvin Broadus, e.g. (5)
20 Grandfather, among others, discussed cat’s features (6)
22 Gymnastics feat “Southern Cross” is choreographed (8)
24 Raccoon’s twist-and-squeeze anecdote told (8)
25 Outlandish ideas expressed to the audience (5)
26 Canceled date? It’s a letdown (14)
DOWN
1 Science attacks, following baseball team’s award (12)
2 Citrus incense packed in a can with a bit of emulsifier (9)
3 Completely trust our group in fast-food restaurant, starting with dessert (5,2)
4 Gang leader fled junkie—a spectacle (5,5)
5 A nymph in the chorus (4)
6 16 trooped all over (7)
7 Landlord enters—grow nervous (5)
10 Peruvian ancestry? Brilliant (12)
13 Noodles around, playing R.E.M. (six strings) (10)
16 Volatile former pâtissier originally chopped olives (9)
18 Here’s the dish: Martin finally invested in L.A. Story (7)
19 Take it from the top with what’s left: illustrations (7)
21 Fighter, swinging both ways, is out (5)
23 Whitman’s barbaric cry, raised very softly (4)
ACROSS 1 29 8 26 down 8 29 1 pun
3 “wins or not” 9 anag. 10 TAB + OO 11 [s]IC[k] + EMAN (name rev.)
12 SLAP + DASH (pals rev.) 14 NORT + HS + TAR (Tron rev.) 17 palindrome 19 hidden 20 anag. 22 GAME(P)LAN 23 PAR + SEE 26 hidden 27 2 defs. 28 2 defs.
DOWN 1 anag. 2 [w]ADDLE 3 WARP + ATH[o]S 4 odd letters 5 SME[g] + LLA + RAT (rev.) 6 RET(Y)PE (Peter anag.) 7 2 defs. 13 2 defs. 14 ROLE + MODEL 16 anag. 18 VITA + MIND 21 “a plum” 24 S + TIFF 25 rev.
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF). Check out The Nation’s Current Issue page each week for the latest puzzle.