A real challenge which includes some clever double definitions
Across
1 CLASS ACT outstanding performer CLASS (form) ACT (play)
5 HOSTEL lodging house HOST (crowd) EL (the Spanish)
10 LET DOWN lengthen LET (lease) DOWN (in writing)
11 INTERIM temporary IN (home) I (one) in TERM (word)
12 NERVE dd
13 RAISE CAIN protest heatedly RAISE (increase) CA (about) IN[n] (pub)
14 OFF THE RECORD dd
18 CHERRY PICKER dd
21 PIPE DREAM castle in Spain PIP (Philip) E (energy) (READ)* M[andate]
23 WHELP give birth W (with) HELP (assistance)
24 LEARNER student A in LERNER (partner of Fred)
25 ASININE silly A SIN (transgression) IN [office]E
26 OPENER dd
27 EYESIGHT sense YES (agreement) in EIGHT (rowing crew)
Down
1 COLONY settlement : (after first word) COLON [mone]Y
2 ASTERN behind A (adult) STERN (not lenient)
3 SPOKEN FOR romantically attached KEN (boy) F (female) in SPOOR (track)
4 CONCRETE POETRY special art form CONCRETE (hard) POETRY (lines)
6 OUTRE eccentric OUT (expose) R[ud]E
7 TARRAGON herb TARRAGON[a] Spain
8 LEMONADE drink A (article) in LE MONDE (French newspaper)
9 LIMITED COMPANY business LIMITED (small) COMPANY (group)
15 EDELWEISS (Sound of Music) (WEEDS LIES)*
16 ACAPULCO Mexico (COLA A CUP)*
17 KEEPSAKE token KEEP (food) SAKE (drink)
19 PEKING Beijing KIN (family) in PEG (fix)
20 UPBEAT optimistic UP (at college) BEAT (club)
22 DANCE reel N (noon) in DACE (fish)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit dd = double definition
Thanks Falcon for an enjoyable crossword and Jed for the blog.
I can agree with Jed about the clever double definitions at 14ac, 18ac, and 26ac, but 12ac I found seriously unsatisfactory, because the two definitions are really the same meaning of the answer.
1dn: Very nice. Punctuation should not be ignored.
Thanks Jed and Falcon.
I agree that there were some difficult clues here – KEEPSAKE, PIPE DREAM, CONCRETE POETRY and DANCE all required me to think hard.
A very satisfying puzzle.
Many thanks Jed & Falcon for a very enjoyable puzzle.
I got off to a bad start by entering STAND OUT @ 1a but, eventually, I sorted it out.
I’d never heard of CONCRETE POETRY but guessed it correctly.