I found this very much on the easy side, solving time 13 mins. As always with Phi, well-constructed, clear, clues with little scope for doubt.
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 IDENTITY THEFT ‘?’ after cyberspace here, because ‘identity theft’ is not necessarily cybercrime. I DENT IT (THEY)* FT
9 OCARINA O CAR IN A
10 MARTINI ART in MINI A c19 rifle that I first learned about from puzzles.
11 BLOW OVER B (book) and OW in LOVER
12 ALKALI K (potassium) A (article) in ALL I (iodine)
13 IVAN I VAN
14 PREBENDARY BEND in (PRAYER)* My favourite clue today.
18 Alberto GIACOMETTI GI A COMET (IT) reversed. Was pleased to work this out from the wordplay and then verify he’s a Swiss sculptor (1901-1966).
19 EBRO Hidden
21 HYMNAL first and last letters (ie limits) of the last three words in the clue.
23 GENE POOL GEN (LOOPEd) reversed. Seamless join at breeding/information
25 MISSIVE MISS I’VE
26 SHINING D (daughter) leaving SHINDIG with what’s left being put around N (start, ie first letter, of night)
27 SUSSEX SPANIEL (SUSSEd) (EXPLAINS)*
DOWN
1 INAMORATA A TAR OMANI all reversed
2 EDITOR My last answer RIDE (trip) reversed over TO
3 TO A DEGREE Double definition
4 TOMB Refers to c19 book by Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown’s Schooldays TOM Brown (ie not half)
5 TERYLENE “Terry lean”
6 ERICA B’s EROICA symphony less O
7 TRINITY COLLEGE (ceiling lottery)* Long-established university in the centre of Dublin, a major tourist attraction esp for the Book of Kells.
8 DOUBTING THOMAS (but not his dogma)* Thomas from New Testament who had to put his fingers in the wounds after the Resurrection before he believed.
15 BATTERSEA BAT TERSE A
16 AMBROSIAL M (drop of malt ie first letter) in AB (sailor) (SAILOR)*
17 BONA FIDE A FIDo in BONE
20 GEMINI GEM IN I
22 MOSES from Old Testament next answer MESS with O added
24 MESS Hidden
Sound and enjoyable crossword from Phi as always. Got very few on my first read-through, but the clear clueing meant that with perseverance I filled the grid in the end. Nice to see a couple of science-based clues, and I liked 27ac as well.
Maybe just to point out for lurkers that VAN in IVAN is short for vanguard, ie leading position. I didn’t know that, but as keeps being pointed out, it’s in Collins …
Good start to the long weekend, thank you Phi, and nms for the blog.
This was one of my quickest solves for some time, but it was still very enjoyable. 14 across was an excellent clue.
Me too. 14 across very commendable, and an enjoyable lunctime solve!
Would have been easier had I taken my reading glasses… Editor last clue as well, nice misdirect via manuscript, thought for ages I’d made a mistake elsewhere.
Completed half in 20 mins.Struggled after that but got all but 27a (never heard of this breed but guessed spaniel)23a 21a and 22d.Now having looked at the answers as usual I think why didn’t I get them.However I am improving!
Moose, you must persevere! Mind you, nmsindy completing this in 13 minutes is a) missing the point of what’s supposed to be a leisure activity, not a race and b) showing off!
Re comment at #6, I agree it’s not a race and I never approach puzzles that way. In noting solving times, I was following the practice of the initial blogging site Times for the Times. From feedback, I’ve found these figures are of interest to those reading the blogs. It would be fair to point out also that practice at solving puzzles daily over decades would have contributed to solving a reasonably straightforward puzzle, like this one, reasonably quickly. My average solving time would be far more than this.