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Hi, Rusty!
Well, surprisingly, I comparatively "romped" through today's puzzle.......apart, that is, from the four I couldn't do !
I got off to a good start with 1a: " rhubarb" and 1d: "rheumy".
I especially liked 10a; "iliac", 11a: moved and 13d: "out of kilter".
Yes, I got "bean counter" from the parsing, but had to look up the words to check that they meant "accountant"!
I cannot parse 14a?
I have "bring up the rear" meaning "lag", but no idea how to account for it?
And the ones I cannot do are two sets of interlocking clues......
6d: A?I?? and 12a: C?O??-?A?S
And then the second set
25a:: C?T?A?T?? and 20d: ?E???T
I don't think any amount of "mulling over" is going to help me get any forrader!
What am I not seeing?

Good afternoon, Elle!
Just saw the famous Ilkley Moor!
Did not realise it was so steep!
Megan Guarnier won the race there!
14a "raise" repeatedly is "bring up/rear"
With "t" for time, and "he" inserted.
Giving "lag".
6d is " a pish".
12a is "clot hears/ cloth ears", my favourite today!
25a the heretic is "Cathar", have you heard of them?
With "tic", a habitual response.
"Cathartic" is purging, I think.
20d is "tercet"
"Top secret" with "ops" for operations going, gives "tercet", which I presume is a type of verse.
Not checked it though.

elle- I understand there are several Oxfords in America. I was pretty disgusted when I arrived in Auckland to discover across the river a place called Birkenhead. Where I grew up (the UK one) - not then and not now fit for a pig to live in!

Hi, Rusty!
I can, of course , despite being a Lancashire Lass, sing "On Ilkley Moor bah't 'at" all the way through!
There are various recordings of the Yorkshire "anthem" on YouTube, but I wasn't very impressed by the accents.
I shall look again later and see if I can find a credible accented version.
Thank you for explaining those clues.
I would have pondered until the cows came home and still got nowhere!
A good puzzle though...I enjoyed it!
I am about to take out the dog.....too nice an afternoon to remain indoors!



Ros, if you look up on Wikipedia for a list of English place names around the World , it is quite incredible how very many there are!

Hello, Elle!
What does "bah't 'at" mean?
It was a steep climb up to the finish on Ilkley Moor!
No singing for Megan Guarnier on the climb!
She was super!
Glad you liked today's puzzle!
Was a good one.

Hi rusty
Although I am a Moonraker (Wiltshire born) my pre-17th century ancestors lived in Yorkshire (Hampshwaite, about 16 miles north of Ilkley,) also Darley and Birstwith. So I was brought up knowing all the words to Ilkley Moor bah't 'at (On Ilkley Moor without a hat !) so catching theeself a death of cold and then the worms will eat ye up !
Just indoors as the sun is so hot doing weeding..... cup of tea. needed...

..watching live coverage on channel 24 - such beautiful scenery

Hello, Jazzgirl!
Thankee kindly for the info!
Yes, the Yorkshire scenery is very impressive!
A lovely part of the world.
I just did not realise that Ilkley Moor was so steep.
A great climb for bike racing.
It is not hot here today, on the cool side!

I felt quite dizzy seeing those mad people (and a dog ) on the very edges of the high rocks

Hello again, Jazzgirl!
The actual climb to the moor is called the "Cow and Calf", apparently called that after a rock formation on the moor.
Always learning!