Guardian 24,473 – Paul

dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram

Another delightful assigment as I get to blog Paul, who is never boring nor easy, although I must say, this one was not as difficult as his normal.

Across
1 COINCIDE Cha of coin ( a penny perhaps) Cide (sounds like side or team)
5 APOLLO A poll (vote) o (zero) Sun god per Greek mythology
9 OVATIONS Cha of OVA (eggs) TIONS *(sit on) The standing and the sitting made this clue that much out of the ordinary
12 SECRETARIES Another clue that makes Paul such an amusing compiler. Secret + Aries (zodiac sign)
15 ACRID Ins of R in ACID (tart)
17 POOL TABLE Pool (mere) Table (list) The cha may be mundane but the definition was superb … one’s pocketed and Paul carried on using this “one’s …” device for other clues as well
18 COCKROACH Simple cha cock (lift, see Chambers cock1vt)
19 EXTRA A very misleading dd

20 DOUBLED BACK Doubled (huge cups?) back (champion) Somehow I think this clue is a tad flawed … doubled is either a verb or an adjective. If the solution had been “doubles back” then “returned” would be incompatible … my only misgiving about this puzzle. Addendum :Thanks to ACP, I am now wiser to the fact that Paul was referring to Double D bra size (huge cups). I must still be dreaming about Pamela Anderson, who I often see without cups 🙂

24 ENDIVE There is a typo in the on-line version Kll should be Kill
Cha of End (kill) I’ve (Paul’s)
25 DAZZLING dd
26 LIABLE (p) liable / subject to capital gains tax
27 HYPNOSIS Short simple and sweet cd

Down
1 CROSSPATCH The “one’s …” device mentioned in 17A is used with great effect here
2 INACCURACY Another very good “one’s …” clue – curacy being a clergyman’s office
3 CHILE play on Chile, the country sounding the same as chilly which the Sahara Desert certainly isn’t (except maybe at night)
4 DENTAL PLAGUE Ins of *(ten) in DAL (rev lad) + plaque (tablet)
6 PRAISE THE LORD *(Tory leadership minus Y)
8 ODDS Ins of DD (Doctor of Divinity or theologian) in OS (outsize or fat)
11 TIMOTHY LEARY Ins of I’M O (setter’s love) THY (solver’s) L (left) in TEARY (sad) for Timothy Francis Leary (1920–1996), an American writer, psychologist, futurist, and advocate of psychedelic drug research and use
13 OBITUARIES An excellent cd and it even sounds like the last rites 🙂
14 REPACKAGES *(cake grapes)
16 DAREDEVIL Ins of RE (about) in DAD (parent) Evil (immorality)
21 DOZEN I simply love this cha of doze (sleep) N (noon)
22,10 REAL MADRID real mad (how an American would say if he’s very angry) rid (deliver)
23 IDEA I DEA (d) Remember those old cartoon where a light bulb over one’s head meant a brilliant brainwave or idea