.
Lorraine: Thank you Everyman, jolly easy for me this week. This must have been my quickest solve so far.
Nick: Happy Birthday Lorraine (for last Friday).
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Legend to solution comments:
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | ||
| 1. | CASSETTE | SET in CASTE |
| 5. | LAPTOP | LAP + TOP |
| 10. | APART | A + PART |
| 11. | EAST TIMOR | (STEM A RIOT)* |
| 12. | ANIMAL CRACKERS | ANIMAL + CRACKERS |
| 14. | PARSNIP | cut=PAR(e) which is cut (i.e. last letter removed), and the third cut=SNIP This exact same clue was in puzzle 3273! |
| 15. | POINTER | cd |
| 17. | INERTIA | IN + (IRATE)* |
| 19. | HOTLINE | (IN HOTEL)* |
| 21. | LISTEN TO REASON | LISTEN + O in TREASON |
| 24. | ANNIE HALL | ANNIE + HALL |
| 25. | SCAMP | SCAMP(i) |
| 26. | KEEP TO | KEEP + TO (to = closed, as per pull a door to) |
| 27. | EDITRESS | E + (STRIDES)* |
| Down | ||
| 1. | CHAT | C + HAT |
| 2. | SPANNER | S + PANN(i)ER |
| 3. | ESTAMINET | (TASTE MINE)* |
| 4. | THE ELEPHANT MAN | (METHANE PLANT HE)* |
| 6. | ATTIC | Hidden: lATTICework |
| 7. | TEMPEST | MET< + PEST |
| 8. | PARIS GREEN | PARIS + GREEN |
| 9. | A SHROPSHIRE LAD | (SHARP + A SOLDIER)* around H |
| 13. | UPHILL TASK | UP + (TALL SIKH)* |
| 16. | IN TRANSIT | (RANTS)* in IN IT |
| 18. | ESSENCE | ESSEN + CE |
| 20. | ISOLATE | I + SO LATE |
| 22. | EVENT | EVEN + T |
| 23. | OPUS | PO(e)< + US |
Pretty easy this one. As you say, PARSNIP was a gift- shouldn’t the crossword editor have spotted that one?
Shropshire Lad: not a novel. Otherwise, good fun.