I found this slightly tricky in places because of some parsing that seemed initially to be a little tenuous.
However, all became clear in the end though I’m still not sure that I like the ‘small amount’ to give P in 3dn. On balance, I think I enjoyed this challenge.
Across
1 Jabber about popular athlete (4,6)
SHOT PUTTER – SPUTTER (jabber) around (about) HOT (popular)
7 Tier four opens bars (4)
ROPE – hidden in (bars) ‘fouR OPEns’ – tier as in a thing that ties
9 Intercept a great deal of money coming from the east (4)
STOP – POTS (a great deal of money) reversed (coming from the east)
10 Bird getting drunk marked a low (10)
MEADOWLARK – anagram (getting drunk) of MARKED A LOW
11 Lodger losing a skirt (6)
BORDER – BO[a]RDER (lodger losing a)
12 Deference regularly vexes king, overwhelmed by confusion (8)
MEEKNESS – [v]E[x]E[s] K[i]N[g] (regularly vexes king) in (overwhelmed by) MESS (confusion)
13 Screen put around every drink’s container (3,5)
TEA CHEST – TEST (screen) around EACH (every)
15 Lied about being unemployed (4)
IDLE – anagram (about) of LIED
17 Irish county harvesting a new crop (4)
TRIM – [an]TRIM (Irish county harvesting a new)
19 Way to get power in circuit near terminal (4,4)
LAST GASP – ST (way) GAS (power) in LAP (circuit)
22 Superior to suspend project (8)
OVERHANG – OVER (superior) HANG (suspend)
23 Eastern model draws in publicity showing vivacity (6)
ESPRIT – E (Eastern) SIT (model) around (draws in) PR (publicity)
25 Trespasser, one breaking metal security devices (10)
GOLDILOCKS – I (one) in (breaking) GOLD (metal) LOCKS (security devices)
26 Delay action, having time to replace one engineer (4)
WATT – WAiT (delay action) with T (time) replacing i (one) – James Watt
27 Setter’s wealth (4)
MINE – double def.
28 Fancy behind lad crossing river to get to Pope (10)
HILDEBRAND – anagram (fancy) of BEHIND LAD around (crossing) R (river) – Pope Gregory VII
Down
2 Hospital computer equipment finding where the heart is to make impact (3,4)
HIT HOME – H (hospital) IT (computer equipment) HOME (where the heart is)
3 Unenthusiatic when selection of food’s served up, taking in small amount (5)
TEPID – DIET (selection of food) reversed (served up) around (taking in) P (small amount)
4 Rising inclination in our country and in France for high quality (8)
UPMARKET – reversal (rising) of RAMP (inclination) in UK (our country) ET (and in France)
5 Off to tragic Ma`loula, dealing with serious injuries (15)
TRAUMATOLOGICAL – anagram (off) of TO TRAGIC MA’LOULA
6 Travelled south across hot island (6)
RHODES – RODE (travelled) S (south) around (across) H (hot)
7 Showing less severity in gentler reforms (9)
RELENTING– anagram (reforms) of IN GENTLER
8 Shade over two answers, that’s standard (7)
PARASOL – PAR (standard) A SOL (two answers)
14 University master in taxi gets lip (9)
CAMBRIDGE – M (master) in CAB (taxi) RIDGE (lip)
16 One who’s tested dipsticks on Escort (8)
ASSESSEE – ASSES (dipsticks) SEE (escort)
18 Army division has instrument dropping new food parcels (7)
RAVIOLI – RA (army division) VIOLI[n] (instrument dropping new)
20 Charmed with second-hand Egyptian case (7)
SMITTEN – S (second) MITT (hand) E[gyptia]N (Egyptian case)
21 Worker’s face with expression of contentment (6)
WALLAH – WALL (face {as in mountaineering}) AH (expression of contentment)
24 Prisoner in conflict, upset about authority (5)
POWER – POW (prisoner in conflict) RE (about) reversed (upset)
I assume the P in 3D is a penny (a small amount)?
However, I can’t see how “A SOL” means two answers in 8D.
Hi Aid
The ‘small amount’=penny=P was my assumption as well.
A is an abbreviation for answer and SOL is an abbreviation for solution, so ‘two answers’ gives A SOL.
Thanks Artexlen for a good challenge and Gaufrid for the blog.
7ac: When solving, I was not too happy with “bars” as a containment indicator, but on reflection it works with bar¹ vt to secure (using Chambers 2008).
Welcome back, Artexlen, well explained, Gaufrid. Most enjoyable.
I am , now a fully paid up member of pedants corner, by pointing out that Trim is an Irish town in the county of Meath.Otherwise I found at times quite challenging with some lovely clues.Thanks Gaufrid.
Thanks for the blog, Gaufrid. Thanks also to those that commented.
Thanks Artexlen and Gaufrid
Tight puzzle with some nice clues. Last one in was WALLAH, a new word to me – got misdirected with the W-ALLAH split until the correct WALL-AH dawned. Second last in was SMITTEN and spent a lot of time looking for Egyptian mittens – had to come here to find the correct MITT E.N. break down.
Had to look up that HILDEBRAND was Pope Gregory VII.