Lorraine: This week it took me a while to get started!. Having 9 anagrams certainly helped me though, I love anagrams because you know without doubt that you have got the correct solution.
Nick: I had to help out Lorraine a little bit this week, as although Lorraine had completed the crossword, we are still unsure of how 2 clues work – namely 18dn (some sort of homophone pun?) – edited, see below thanks to Rishi; and 22dn with the definition (take it = REACT)? Thanks to Everyman for the explanation of this.
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | |||
| 1. | CHANCELLOR | CHANCE + ROLL< | |
| 6. | AMIS | AMIS(s) | |
| 9. | ATOLL | A + TOLL | |
| 10. | CAFETERIA | (ACE FARE IT)* | |
| 12. | DESPAIR | (AS PRIDE)* | |
| 13. | CUE CARD | CUE (homophone of queue) + CARD | |
| 14. | NINE MENS MORRIS | (NIM NO MERRINESS)* | |
| 17. | INSIDER TRADING | INSIDE + (DART< in RING) | |
| 21. | CARAVAN | CAR + VAN around A | |
| 23. | GOLIATH | (TAIL in HOG)< | |
| 24. | TRANSPORT | DD | |
| 25. | ELGAR | (REGAL)* | |
| 26. | RATE | RAT + E | |
| 27. | CREAM SODAS | CREAM + (D in SO AS) | |
| Down | |||
| 1. | CLAUDE | LAUD in CE | |
| 2. | ACOUSTICS | (SO CAUSTIC)* | |
| 3. | COLLARED DOVES | COLLARED + (ViDEOS)* | |
| 4. | LUCERNE | DD | |
| 5. | OFFICES | C in (FIFE SO)* | |
| 7. | MARIA | M + ARIA | |
| 8. | SLAPDASH | SLAP + DASH | |
| 11. | THE GONDOLIERS | (SONG LIED TO HER)* | |
| 15. | RUN RAGGED | RUN RAG + G + ED | |
| 16. | PISCATOR | (APRICOTS)* | |
| 18. | RANCOUR | RANK (homophone) + OUR ? homophone of RANKER | |
| 19. | REGATTA | (GREAT AT)* | |
| 20. | CHORUS | C + HORUS | |
| 22. | REACT | ACT after R + E | |
18d: RANCOUR (bitterness) is homophone of ‘ranker’ (private).
Chambers def. for ‘ranker’ is “a person who serves or has served as a private soldier; an officer who has risen from the ranks.”
As for 22d:
Turn after river close to village – take it (5)
Let me try:
Turn – def.
after – position ind.
river – R
close to village – – E
take it – meaning “take {the} turn”, ‘turn’ yielding ACT.
22d
REACT = take it, as in how did he react?/how did he take it?, so R for river + (villag)e + act for turn