Guardian Quiptic 606 / Pan

Another excellent Quiptic from Pan.  Unfortunately at the time I solved it the answer to 22 down had the middle two letters reversed which then gave an incorrect spelling for 25 across.

All definitions given are from Chambers 11th Edition. Most of the standard abbreviations used in the wordplay are shown with the unused letters in brackets e.g. P(ower).

Across

7a           Celebrity taking money in US retail outlet (9)
STARBUCKS – a charade of a celebrity and some American money gives a retail outlet selling coffee to people with too much money

8a           Petition for power to govern (5)
PLEAD – this verb meaning to petition is a charade of P(ower) and a verb meaning to govern or direct

9a           Frame that changed result? (9)
AFTERMATH – an anagram (changed) of FRAME THAT gives a result

10a         Comfortable copper’s retiring (5)
CUSHY – this word meaning comfortable is a charade of the chemical symbol for copper and an adjective meaning  retiring

12a         Woman entertaining Kazakhstan leader on river (6)
MEKONG – a shortened for of Margaret is placed around K (Kazakhstan leader) and ON to get a river in Southeast Asia

13a         Present bearing one label showing price is what’s handed down (8)
HERITAGE – put a word meaning present around (bearing) I (one) and a label showing the price of an item to get what’s handed down from an earlier generation

14a         Satisfy a parish priest with lack of embarrassment (7)
APPEASE – this word meaning to satisfy is a charade of A (from the clue), the abbreviation for Parish Priest and a word meaning lack of embarrassment or freedom from worries

17a         Yokel sees insect going after vegetables (7)
PEASANT – a country yokel is created by putting an insect after some vegetables

20a         Song from crazy Rhode Island lass (8)
MADRIGAL – this unaccompanied song in several parts in counterpoint is a charade of a word meaning crazy, the zip code for Rhode Island and a lass

22a         Small piece of furniture’s not likely to collapse (6)
STABLE – a charade of S(mall) and a piece of furniture gives an adjective meaning  unlikely to collapse

24a         Garment worn by maiden revealing another (5)
SMOCK – put a garment worn on the foot around (worn by) M(aiden) to get an outer garment of coarse white linen

25a         Sweet drink accompanies sorbet (9)
LIQUORICE – this sweet is a charade of alcohol and sorbet

26a         Cheat prison officer (5)
SCREW – a double definition – to cheat and a slang word for a prison officer

27a         Personality playing Archer with cat? (9)
CHARACTER – this personality or nature is an anagram (playing) of ARCHER and CAT

Down

1d           Smother saint leading dissolute life (6)
STIFLE – a word meaning to smother comes from the usual abbreviation for saint followed by an anagram (dissolute) of LIFE

2d           Initially tried to regret nothing with sweetheart (4,4)
TRUE LOVE – a charade of T (initially Tried), a verb meaning to regret and a score of nothing in tennis gives a sweetheart

3d           Weapon cocked to apprehend tense setter growing aromatic seed (6)
NUTMEG – a weapon is reversed (cocked / raised as this is a down clue) and then T(ense) and the first person singular objective pronoun are inserted (to apprehend) to get this aromatic seed

4d           King and the others given drug in empty subway, becoming vague (7)
SKETCHY – put K(ing), an abbreviation that means “and the other people” and H(eroin) inside S(ubwa)Y without its internal letters (empty) to get a word meaning vague

5d           Florida relative shows how to show off (6)
FLAUNT – a charade of the Zip code for FL(orida) and a female relative gives a verb meaning to show off

6d           Greedy person tucking into starter before noon gets germ (8)
PATHOGEN – put a word meaning a greedy person inside a starter to a meal, then add N(oon) to get a germ

11d         Ash, say, from saltpetre explosion (4)
TREE – ash is an example of this, and it is hidden inside the last two words of the clue

15d         Drug supplier’s quick to conceal abuse (8)
PHARMACY – this supplier of (legal) drugs comes from a word meaning quick placed around (to conceal) a noun meaning abuse or damage

16d         Wind up a long story (4)
SAGA – reverse (up, as this is a down clue) a word meaning wind or empty talk and add A from the clue to get a long story

18d         Plant fake diamond (8)
SHAMROCK – to get this plant combine a word meaning fake and a slang word for a diamond

19d         Cunning exhibited by heartless school rowing crew (7)
SLEIGHT – this word meaning cunning or trickery is a charade of the outside letters (heartless) of S(choo)L and a crew in the Boat Race

21d         Noisy merrymaking with fiddle (6)
RACKET – a double definition – noisy merrymaking and a fiddle or scam

22d         Heading of saucy part of book by country gentleman (6)
SQUIRE – a charade of S (heading of Saucy) and a part of a book gives a country gentleman

23d         Nubile cherubs captivating lustful fellow (6)
LECHER – hidden inside (captivating) the first two words of the clue is a lustful fellow