What can I say!? For me an almost perfect crossword with excellent surfaces for virtually all the clues, a pleasing degree of variety and a good balance between ‘starter’ clues and the more difficult ones. There are too many good clues for me to list them all here but I will mention 6a which, though it was easy to solve, reads so smoothly and 3d for the use of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Though it took a little longer than usual, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience solving this puzzle.
Across
1 PASS MUSTER *(SPURS TEAMS)
6 OPAL O (circle) P[agan] A[ncient] L[ore]
9 CHATTERBOX C (about) HATTER (mad fellow) BOX (telly)
10 STEM dd
12 PREDILECTION *(TR[a]INED POLICE)
15 UNPAYABLE UNP[l]AYABLE
17 ACRES *([con]SECRA[ted])
18 PIXEL [se]X in PIE (confused type) L[iverpool]
19 OUT WITH IT OUTWIT (get the better of) HIT (winner)
20 CORESPONDENT COR[r]ESPONDENT
24 OUSE homophone of ‘ooze’
25 DIE WALKURE DIE (long) WALK (prom) [s]URE (certainly, starting late) – ‘The Valkyrie’, the second of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner.
26 SANE hidden in ‘cutS AN Editor’s’
27 STARRY-EYED STAR (celebrity) [d]RY-EYED (visibly not unhappy without daughter)
Down
1 PACE dd
2 SPAM SPA (resort) M[ail]
3 MOTORCYCLIST *(STRICTLY COM[e] O) – ‘Asian’ = East = E
4 SHRED R (river) in SHED (slough) – nicely misleading capitalisation
5 EMOLLIENT E (drug) MO (doctor) NEIL (man) reversed in LT (officer)
7 PATRIARCHY *(TYPICA[l] HARR[y])
8 LUMINOSITY L (student) U[nion] MINOrITY (small group) with S in place of [Ge]R[man])
11 OCCASIONALLY *(ONLY A SOCIAL C[limber])
13 AUSPICIOUS sUSPICIOUS (dodgy) with the initial letter changed
14 EPOXY RESIN POXY (rotten) in ERE (before) SIN (crime)
16 BIOLOGIST BIO (life story) LOG (record) IST (first)
21 DOWER W (wife) in DOER (one taking action)
22 LUCY LUC[k]Y
23 LEWD LEW (Grade) D (maybe a poor one ie ‘grade’)
Yes, this was excellent, a little hard by FT standards as you say. My own favourites were 19 ac and 11 dn.
Hear, hear! I think I’ve developed a (cryptic) “man crush” on Alberich.
As you say, spoiled for choice with regard to humdinging clues. My picks for the podium would be 11D, 15A and (as a long suffering-supporter) 1A.
I rarely comment here (spend most of my time on Times for The Times – go on; hate me) but I have to say I’m a huge fan of Alberich and this crossword ably demonstrates why. Entertaining, innovative, even occasionally risque; a deeply satisfying solve.
Smiffy: I’ve got Alberich’s email address. Want me to get in touch, ask if he’s single? ;o)
Hi Anax, good to see you here.I regularly enjoy your musings over at T4TT. Do feel free to pipe up more often in here (even if it’s only to highlight a hidden “One Across Rock” gem.
Thanks for the matchmaking offer. I did develop a website of homage to Alberich (setterlust.com). Unfortunately it appears to have been highjacked by an enthusiast group of an altogether different persuasion…