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The up and down nature in the quality of recent puzzles has me wondering if the Everyman really has just one setter or a series of different ones.

This puzzle, though enjoyable, was not in the same league as last week's stellar effort.

It also has a homophone clue that requires the solver to imagine it's spoken with a lisp! Quite surprising in these PC times.

As for level of difficulty, I'd say this sits firmly at the easy end of the scale.

No clue in particular jumped out at me so I haven't got a COD.

Thank you Everyman.

22d ?e?? and 26a ?a?e?s ?a?? to do but yeah apart from the PC
that was one corny clue

crossers right?

Hi Clarkgwent,

Yes, all your crossers are correct.

OK panic's over usual "as soon as I asked I saw 'em" type thing

No problem Clark, I'm always doing that. The answer to the "lisp" clue sounds more like it's being said by that cartoon rabbit that "thought I thaw a puddy cat":-)

...sorry, Tweety Bird:-)

Some of the clues seemed very ropy this week, esp 17A and 25A, which relies on a tenuous synonym in addition to the aforementioned un-PC mockery (I wonder if the setter was a playground bully?). Also, can anyone explain the need for 'with eyes half closed' in 22D? To my mind, it seems to be completely superfluous (and therefore misleading) ... assuming I've got the right answer.

I rather liked 17a. 24a another favourite.

11a is pretty obscure. "Moderate" in 26a is a bit of a leap.

I can't parse 7d. Any pointers?

7d: letters 2 to 7 are I + witches. These are inside the three letter synonym for end going up.

Hi Chrise
Re 17D - 3-letter synonym for goal reversed and placed around usual synonym for witches plus I.
Re 17A, my issue with it is that a major part of the clue appears, unaltered, in the answer.