Excellent puzzle, solving time 27 mins. A mini-theme perhaps with symmetrically placed 4 down and 13 down similar.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 COWL (th)ICK thick hiding half of that = thick less th
5 BE (L) AR US Excellent clue
9 POLITESSE E (last letter in marriage) in (stop lies)*
10 RA (P) ID Heart of company = middle letter
11 OC CUR co<
12 AU (men)DACIOUS
14 A BOUT DE SOUFFLE nmsindy feared this as very weak on films, then found he not only knew it but had seen it. Directed by Godard (1960) about = describing de = odd bits (letters) of diet.
17 NINETEENTH HOLE golf, pun on shots (drinks and golfing shot). Traditional name for a pub resorted to after the eighteen holes of a golf match.
21 A QU (AR) ELLE(d) RA<
23 That ACHE
24 ON I(r)ON
25 F RIGHTFUL
26 SC(HOL)AR
27 T (IDEa) – RIP
DOWN
1 CAP TO R Tricky
2 WOLF CUB (buc flow)<
3 INTERRUPT (purer tint)*
4 KISS-AND-TELL (led sin talks)*
5 B YE(t) cricket
6 LYRIC Hidden, with an excellent surface.
7 REPROOF Double definition (this is not correct: see Gaufrid’s comment below – comment 4 – thanks to him for explaining it)
8 S (IDES) TEP pets<
13 DISH THis E DIRT (tried)*
15 UNHA (CH)TED unhated!
16 INF AMOU(r)S
18 N (OUR IS)H
19 L (U C) IFER My favourite clue
20 S (ELL) UP definition: dispose of all
22 RE(N)AL
25 FUR(y) PETA = People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Yes, agreed NMS. I don’t find Phi to be my favourite among the Indy panellists, but today he extends into theme territory very well. Nice puzzle, and mercilessly correct in grammar (which should be taken as a mild criticism!).
NINETEENTH HOLE: not so much a pub resorted to after the 18 holes of a golf match as the bar of the golf club.
Enjoyed this. Got one wrong (FIR{e} not FUR{y} for 25dn, hadn’t heard of PETA) and didn’t understand 12dn until I came here. Still don’t see 7dn: why is ‘reproof’ (or perhaps ‘re-proof’) a definition of ‘copy’?
With no skill whatsoever in golf or any other sport, have never got to the NINETEENTH HOLE so I’m sure you’re right about that, John.
Collins has REPROOF as to provide a new proof in printing as one goes thro the stages – I think that’s OK as ‘copy’
Wil & nmsindy
7d the definition is rebuke. The wordplay is REPRO (copy) OF.
Re 14ac: for those (like me!) not very well up on films, the English title was “Breathless”. Reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathless_(1960_film)