So without further ado…
Definitions are underlined, anagrams indicated like (TIHS)*, anagram indicators are in italics.
Across | |
1 | Supporting charges in attack |
FORWARDS - FOR (pro, supporting), WARDS (charges, as in wards of court). Football players, presumably. | |
5 | Endangered animals face ruin without end |
PANDAS - PAN (face), DAS |
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9 | After explosion, note ears ring long and loud |
RESONATE - (NOTE EARS)*. | |
10 | You could go for a walk on this plain |
COMMON - DD. I do go for a walk on one of these several times a week. In fact I often go for a walk on two of them because Barnes and Putney commons are next to one another and in fact I don’t really know where the boundary is. | |
12 | Game's tasty without starter on bit of rocket |
RUMMY - R |
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13 | Ship that’s passed cape makes major turn |
HEADLINER - HEAD (cape), LINER (ship). Cunning definition. There was a rogue question mark in the online version of this clue. | |
14 | Somehow nice and confined behind closed doors |
IN CONFIDENCE - (NICE CONFINED)*. | |
18 | Criminal a hero rebukes? |
HOUSEBREAKER - (A HERO REBUKES)*. I would classify this as an &Lit since the whole thing is wordplay, and you can also consider it all to be the definition, even if everything apart from the word ‘criminal’ is unnecessary. | |
21 | Homesick cast and I long to have parts elsewhere! |
NOSTALGIC - (CAST I LONG)*. I think of nostalgia as a longing for the past rather than home but this meaning is there in Collins. | |
23 | Duck at the source of river’s finally quacked |
DOUSE - |
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24 | Get a picture of one escort cuddling English leader |
IDEATE - I, D(E |
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25 | Flipping chaos involved in island build |
ASSEMBLE - reversal of ELB(MESS)A. | |
26 | Divide up grand to be given back in old coins |
GERAHS - reversal of SHARE, G. I confess I looked this up before submitting but it’s definitely what I would have put in under competition conditions so I’m giving it to myself. | |
27 | Explain hint of sedition in Tory faithful |
CONSTRUE - CON(S |
Down | |
1 | Coat men put over head to endure storm |
FURORE - FUR, OR, E |
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2 | One thinking up final part of scene for Carry On |
RESUME - reversal of MUSER, |
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3 | Getting out of hand, can anyone bother? |
ANNOYANCE - (CAN ANYONE)*. | |
4 | Bottle of juice |
DUTCH COURAGE - a cryptic definition: bottle is courage of course and juice is apparently a word for alcoholic drink. | |
6 | Island everyone goes round first, not last |
ATOLL - A(TO |
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7 | Party sweet stuffed with bits of aniseed and nuts on top |
DOMINANT - DO, MIN(A |
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8 | Soldiers stationed at front by access points? |
SENTRIES - S |
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11 | City abroad Corsican fans trashed |
SAN FRANCISCO - (CORSICAN FANS)*. | |
15 | Daughter cut down on study at uni without fear |
DREADLESS - D, READ (study at uni), LESS (cut down). | |
16 | Conservative that's suspended is turning red, perhaps |
CHANGING - C, HANGING. | |
17 | Upset doctor kidnaps posh pilot … fake news? |
BUM STEER - reversal of MB (doctor) containing U (posh), STEER (pilot). | |
19 | Boozer after a half of Dunkel and port |
DUNBAR - DUN |
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20 | Hard to endure split, having touch of enmity |
SEVERE - SEVER, E |
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22 | A tickly sensation that starts hurting |
AITCH - A, ITCH. Because H is the first letter of 'hurting'. |