As usual from Redshank, a very enjoyable and inventive puzzle. A few new and half-forgotten words here for me. Plus, it’s a pangram (something I usually manage to overlook; I only spotted this one because I’ve just set a pangram of my own and was highly alphabet-attuned as a result).
ACROSS
1. JOHN BULL John [can, toilet] + bull(y) [intimidate]
5. STABLE S [small] + table [board]
9. HEAD LICE Ea [each] within anagram of child + E [European]
10. Q-SHIPS Q [quartermaster] + h [hard] within sips [drinks]
12. DATES Double definition
13. NIGGARDLY Reversal of drag [pull] within anagram of lying
14. SIMPLE MP [Member of Parliament, politician] within anagram of lies
16. SHRINKS Double definition (trick cyclists is a slang term for psychiatrists)
18. OYSTERS Y [algebraic unknown] within anagram of stores
20. SEXIST XIs [elevens, teams] within set [group]
22. YORKSHIRE Anagram of hosiery R [Rex, king] K [king]; the former county of Yorkshire was divided into Ridings
23. VICAR VI [sixth] + reversal of RAC [rector’s assistant? This has stumped me, I’m afraid]
24. HANGAR NG [no good] within haar [fog]
25. STAPLERS Anagram of plasters
26. PLEDGE Pl [place] + edge [border]
27. DEFRAYED DEFRA [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] + YiElD
DOWN
1. JIHADI J(ordan) + had [owned] within II [11]
2. HEALTH INSURANCE Heal [cure] + thin [anorexic] + anagram of sure can
3. BALLS All [total] within BS [Building Society (see 7dn)]
4. LACUNAE Reversal of an within anagram of a clue
6. TESTATRIX Test [try] + A [adult] + trix [sounds like ‘tricks’, jokes]
7. BUILDING SOCIETY Anagram of city in US obliged
8. ESSAYIST Es [French for is or its archaic equivalent art – this seems unnecessarily devilish, so I may be wrong] + say [for example] + ist [German for is]
11. EGGS Double-cum-cryptic definition
15. PRESS GANG SS [ship] within eg [for example, say] within prang [accident]
17. BODY SHOP Hidden within everyBODY’S HOPing
19. SWIZ SWI [SW1, the postcode for south-west London] + z [algrabraic unknown]
20. SPECTRE Anagram of the creeps minus he
21. ERASED Eras [long periods] + Ed [Ed Balls (see 3dn), the British politician]
23. VIPER Initial letters of Venomous If Prodded + ER [Elizabeth Regina, ruler]
Thanks, Ringo, for a great blog of a great puzzle. 23ac is VI [sixth] CA [about] R [Rector] – definition: ‘rector’s assistant’.
Many thanks, Redshank – I really enjoyed this!
Ah, thank-you Eileen. Shows up my ecclesiastical ignorance: I thought that a vicar was equivalent to a rector, not a mere underling.
Head lice are very annoying. There are shampoos that effectively kills these annoying little critters on the head. :’`*”
Yours truly http://www.healthmedicinelab.com/strep-throat-rash/