Apex 2013 solution

 

The puzzle marked the centenary of the first crossword, created by ARTHUR WYNNE for the NEW YORK WORLD of 21 December 1913.

 

14a/15d:  TITLED; tit led; Navigating; DEE; dee(p)

8a/1d:  LUDWIG; lud wig; Exonerated;  VLADIMIR; dim in anag.

11a/2d:  CRINIGEROUS; I in cringe + rous(e); With; FOODIE; foo(l) die

26a/19d:  THULIA; anag. + lia(r); Yarn; ISA; as I (rev.)

25a/4d:  TRANSLUCENT; anag. In n,n in trat; Occupied; NOELLE; no Elle

21a/10d:  NEO-CATHOLIC; anag; Rebuked; FULANI; anag. – P

2a/3d:  NEUME; neu M E; FUN; fun(d)

22d/23d:  TSETSE; sets in T,E; Knowing; AIOLI; ol(d) in a II

16a/12d:  CORNEL; corn el; Want; RENTER; r + anag. inc. n

24a/9d:  LIFEHOLD; F + anag. in lid; Of; LEISURED; sure in anag.

13a/13d:  BEEFS; f in bees; Regarding; BOA; boa(r)

6a/5d:  GROW UP; row in gup; Likely; SPIRIT WORLD; I in trips (rev.) + L in word

17a/7d:  THAMES; h in tames; Daring; PROTHYLE; thy in prole

There was general agreement that ARTHUR WYNNE did not provide a friendly set of letters to clue.  So congratulations to the winners below:

Winning clues

1^st        New York World’s first – and rather “fun” – puzzle? Fellow recalled for such   (Richard Heald)

2^nd       What merry fun I began originally, though denied big fame cruelly    (Mark Goodliffe)

3^rd        Losing head, unwary hunter shot setter  (Michael MacDonald-Cooper)

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