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Hi Chris. OK makes perfect sense. In which case I'm done. Enjoyed this a lot. COD I think 4d gets it for me with a mention in despatches for 22d.

Brendan, yes. That's the puzzle.

I knew of the band, who were big during the '80s around NYC when I lived there, but know nothing about their music.
The funny thing was that I quickly spotted the Nina, but had much confusion because I couldn't square it with the U2 song "Two Hearts Beat as One" which I felt just had to be the subject. 🤣

This Serpent puzzle has several outstanding and surprising clues in addition to his customary Nina.

Hi Everyone

Unlike the rest of you, I have been struggling for ages with this crossword. I hate it when you say it is easy!

I'm blaming my tiredness and loss of my best reading glasses - I simply can't find them where I thought I put them last night, and my eyes are very gritty with my replacement ones. It took me ages to get 16d and then I couldn't decide between the two possible answers (from the anagram) until I got 19d.

I've done about half, and yes some were very obvious when the penny finally dropped, but I'm stuck on several. Thanks for the hints here - I shall go away and work on them. Meanwhile can I have some hints.

23d Unlike Chris's daughter, I've no idea what this is. I have K???I?
18d I have ??I???C?
12ac I have ??I???E?S, I think I know the last four letters for the promontory.

I'll be back after my glass of wine.

Found my glasses, expect progress.

Hi Roof,

Sorry to hear about your glasses, I know I'd be totally lost without mine - if this was a 70's sitcom they'd probably be hanging around your neck:-)

23d - 3 letter "I'm not sure" goes inside/'is dressed in' 3 letter "clothing" - this 16 is from a children's television programme but is universally known.

18d - 3 letter "kid" goes around single letter "current" then 4 letter "support" - definition is "cool"

12a - 5 letter "kind of water" (a commercial brand) reversed/'around' then 4 letter "promontory" - definition is 16

All your letters are correct

Sorry Roof,

23d - definition is "famous 16 figure"

Hi Roof I’m with you on this one not finding it very easy, we seem to managed about same amount and I have just got12a thanks to Brendan. Struggling with 9a at moment is it an anagram?

dhope
yes. 2nd word fairly obvious!

Yes 9ac is a truncated anagram. Definition is a pest. Although it is a commom pest, I didn't know this name for it. It was my first one in.

Brendan, I had got 18d and 12 ac - the latter by accident. I hadn't spotted the water. I'm still struggling with 23d (clearly a TV programme I missed) and 26ac, despite Brendan's hint. I have still to get 4d (Rocky's favourite) the reference to rugby doesn't help, 4d and 24d. What do cold bananas mean?

Furthermore, I'm not sure of my answer to 6d, 8d, 25d or 13d and even 15d. Some of the clues are a mystery to me. Can someone elucidate please.

9 is a direct translation of the scientific name, but isn't the name we most usually use.
23, 26, 4, and 24 are all 16 characters.
in 4 the rugby goal is literal rather than metaphorical.
bananas is an anagram indicator, though it is subtractive - i.e. several letters in the "fodder" aren't in fact included - only one from the firts word, in fact.
6d I've seen similar elsewhere recently the "gong" is an award
8d see jono earlier
25 def. first two words, then follow the instructions
13d see earlier
I found 15d the trickiest to parse. It's a 5 letter word for "way" (as in path) around an anagram. The def. is the last 4 words.