The Hindu Crossword No. 2597 Solutions

Across
1 Tree found by common — not yew, by the sound of it (6) POPLAR (common=POPULAR, yew, by the sound of it=U(homonym of yew)=>common — not yew, by the sound of it = POPULAR-U)
4 Quickly cut thick slice of meat (4-4) CHOP-CHOP (cut=CHOP, thick slice of meat=CHOP)
10 Clan leader one English newspaper featured in series (9) CHIEFTAIN (one=I, English=E, newspaper=FT(Financial Times), series=CHAIN=>one English newspaper featured in series = CH(I+E+FT)AIN)
11 Regular returned holding right cheek (5) NERVE (Regular=EVEN=>Regular returned =NEVE, right=R=>Regular returned holding right = NE(R)VE)
12 Go-getter abroad, eastern salesman wearing this French material (9,5) GEORGETTE CREPE (ana. GO-GETTER + E+REP+CE)
14 Evident in extra time (5) OVERT (extra=OVER, time=T => OVER+T)
15 Efficient secret agent (9) OPERATIVE (Double Defn.)
17 Copper lacking moral principles joined with Capone? (4,5) BASE METAL (lacking more
19 Most important one caught, a subject of conversation (5) TOPIC (Most important=TOP, one=I, caught=C => TOP+I+C)
20 Mean map used by alien from Venus, perhaps (8,6) INFERIOR PLANET (Mean=INFERIOR, map=PLAN, alien=ET=>Mean map used by alien = INFERIOR PLAN+ET)
23 Level before start of this competition (5) EVENT (Level=EVEN, start of this=1st letter of This=T => EVEN+T)
24 People in general seen round shady place in New York street (3,6) THE _O_E_Y
25 Humble dramatist's young children (5,3) SMALL FRY (Humble=SMALL, dramatist=FRY)
26 Church worker attacked holding cross (6) SEXTON (attacked=SET ON, cross=X=>attacked holding cross = SE(X)TON)

Down
1 Page on execution finds agreement (4) PACT (Page=P, execution=ACT => P+ACT)
2 Totally absurd charge brought by minor (9) PRICELESS (charge=PRICE, minor=LESS => PRICE+LESS)
3 A bike race round trees, originally (2,5) AT FIRST (A=A, bike race=TT, trees=FIRS => AT(FIRS)T)
5 Her pupil's tenth sloppy game (4,3,7) HUNT THE SLIPPER (ana. HER+PUPILS+TENTH)
6 Look for expert with a universal remedy (7) PANACEA (Look=PAN, expert=ACE, a=A => PAN+ACE+A)
7 Army store, or so it's said (5) HORDE (store=HOARD=>store, or so it's said = homonym of HOARD)
8 Leader of party? Mention first choice (10) PREFERENCE (Leader of party=1st letter of party=P, Mention=REFERENCE => P+REFERENCE)
9 Who, to boot, cared for sick? (8,6) BAREFOOT DOCTOR (ana. TO+BOOT+CARED+FOR)
13 Shoot tough old birds? They help one to live (10) POTBOILERS (??)
16 Carry out appliance (9) IMPLEMENT (Double Defn.)
18 Altar? I'm nervous of marriage (7) MARITAL (Altar? I'm nervous = ana. ALTAR+IM)
19 Run out stopping kid getting flower (3,4) TEA ROSE (Run out=RO, kid=TEASE=>Run out stopping kid = TEA (RO)SE)
21 Girl's name, favourite, read out (5) FREDA (favourite=F, read out=ana. READ=REDA => F+REDA)
22 Colour of yard in prison (4) CYAN (yard=Y, prison=CAN=>yard in prison = C(Y)AN)