March 2025 Puzzle Solutions

Across: 1 Income (rEVENue) minus (lost) regret (r…ue) = EVEN (flat), 4 Last letter (what winds … up) of dietician(S) + indulging oneself (WALLOWING) = SWALLOWING (eating), 9 Sequence of binary characters (STRiNG) changing (switching) on to off (I –> O, in binary code) = STRONG (powerful), 10 Anagram (repaired) CASSETTE = TEST CASE (an experiment), 11 Alternate letters (regularly) of fErRiEs + CARGO anagrammed (all over the place) = RACEGOER (someone attending meetings), 13 Officer in charge (CO) reversed (turning) following (on) former Ugandan leader (IDI) + a Y(ear) afterwards (later) = IDIOCY (foolishness), 14 Liverpool fans (REDS) + anagram (playing) of NEAR + 1st letter (top end) of P(itch) + last letter (close to) of (ko)P = RED SNAPPER (something you might catch), 16 Saddle (SEAT) with front letter moved to back (cycling) = EATS (is irritating), 17 DAVId minus last letter (when snubbed) anagrammed (could be) = DIVA (a prima donna), 18 Tracks ( FOLLOWS) + 1st letters (elements of) U(sual) I(ndie) T(hemes) = FOLLOW SUIT (imitate), 20 WHOLe (unabridged) minus last letter (virtually) with A + (R)are included = WARHOL (rare), 21 CD, 23 Anagram (edit) of A POSTER  with (E)uropean inserted = OPERATES (acts), 24 Reverse (reject) boring course (RUT) in hotel (INN) = IN TURN (one after the other), 26 Whimsical reading of DECOMPOSED (rotten) as how music is deconstructed, 27 Homophone (according to report) of rose (increased in price) = ROES (eggs).

Down: 2 2nd letters (every second) of eVery dAy  sTockholding = VAT (businesses must account for this), 3 Reversal (recalled) of readily (SOON) + the end of SPECTRE = NOOSE (bond), 4 Hidden answer (content to) in reSIGN OR Abdicate = SIGNORA (maybe Meloni, DBE being an Italian woman/PM), 5 CD, 6 Inner letters (when naked) of bLUSh followed by (on) stage (TIER) = LUSTIER (comparatively stout) , 7 Anagram (reconditioned) of WINE CASKS = WACKINESS (idiocy as per 13a), 8 G (initially george) + HUTCHINSON anagrammed (managed) = NO SUCH THING (something very different), 12 Chart divided into sections (PIE) preceded (topped) by A + bloke (MAN) containing (touring) Morecambe (DBE? for ERIC) = AMERICAN PIE (song)  , 15 Homophone (picking up) of A (e) + jumper (ROO) underneath clobber (SMASH) = SMASHEROO (great person), 18 Matting (FELT, being a matted material) on top of (covering) waste facility (TIP) = FELT-TIP (it’s used to colour), 19 DD, 22 A ROTOR revolves and is the same in reverse (however you look at it), 25 A way in France = RUE = to reproach oneself.