I would say that this is probably an ideal Quiptic. Nothing too complicated or obscure but smooth surfaces and an enjoyable solve. I commend in particular the excellent 8dn.
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Across
1 As a self-centred person, I get so confused (6)
EGOIST – an anagram (confused) of I GET SO
5 Good-looking worker gets part (8)
HANDSOME – HAND (worker) SOME (part)
9 One sister, one child — as one (2,6)
IN UNISON – I (one) NUN (sister) I (one) SON (child)
10 In Scandinavia grandpa discovered potent drug (6)
VIAGRA – hidden in ‘scandinaVIA GRAndpa’
11 Female in the flock beginning to replenish jug (4)
EWER – EWE (female in the flock) R[eplenish] (beginning to replenish)
12 Always a lofty newspaper (2,3,5)
AT ALL TIMES – A TALL (a lofty) TIMES (newspaper)
13 Unappetising food, for example, Dorothy’s brought back (6)
STODGE – EG (for example) DOT’S (Dorothy’s) reversed (brought back)
14 Nigel Ray trained a young racehorse (8)
YEARLING – an anagram (trained) of NIGEL RAY
16 National Trust island in collection of maps is long-lost land (8)
ATLANTIS – NT (National Trust) I (island) in ATLAS (collection of maps)
19 Time / to add salt and pepper? (6)
SEASON – double def.
21 Doctor and cashier getting old form of transport (5,5)
SEDAN CHAIR – an anagram (doctor) of AND CASHIER
23 Connections, we hear, for wild cat (4)
LYNX – a homophone (we hear) of ‘links’ (connections)
24 Take weapons from leader of militia after fresh raids (6)
DISARM – an anagram (fresh) of RAIDS M[ilitia] (leader of militia)
25 Talk to WI about measure of power (8)
KILOWATT – an anagram (about) of TALK TO WI
26 Lent may be brought forward (8)
ADVANCED – double def.
27 Article sketched for patron saint (6)
ANDREW – AN (article) DREW (sketched)
Down
2 Blockbuster / blown away (4,4,3,4)
GONE WITH THE WIND – double def.
3 Shunned soldier turning up? No, Communist (7)
IGNORED – GI (soldier) reversed (turning up) NO RED (Communist)
4 Will / that could be old or new? (9)
TESTAMENT – double def.
5 Wanting food outside a country in Europe (7)
HUNGARY –HUNGRY (wanting food) around (outside) A
6 Unprecedented / work of fiction (5)
NOVEL – double def.
7 Salesman’s talk about a new dog (7)
SPANIEL – SPIEL (salesman’s talk) around (about) A N (a new)
8 Queen, making nation irate, met guillotine, finally (5,10)
MARIE ANTOINETTE – an anagram (making) of NATION IRATE MET [guillotin]E (guillotine, finally) – and very much an &lit, see here
15 Area left in one country or another (9)
AUSTRALIA – A (area) L (left) in AUSTRIA (one country)
17 A Tibetan monk with a bishop in a US state (7)
ALABAMA – A LAMA (a Tibetan monk) around (with … in) A B (a bishop)
18 Stealthily pursued, son divulged information (7)
STALKED – S (son) TALKED (divulged information)
20 Everyone was in debt, but that’s permissible (7)
ALLOWED – ALL (everyone) OWED (was in debt)
22 In the centre of San Francisco, Michael Palin’s amusing (5)
COMIC – hidden (in the centre of) in ‘san francisCO MIChael palin’s’ – and it is indeed the middle (in the centre of) five letters
I agree with you, Gaufrid – a fine puzzle for ‘beginners and those in a hurry’. I too liked MARIE ANTOINETTE, but there were a lot of other excellent constructions.
[You have a tiny typo in 23ac, btw – it should be LYNX.]
Thanks K’s D, typo corrected. It was OK in my completed grid so I must put it down to carelessness, or lack of concentration, whilst writing the blog.
Thanks, Gaufrid.
I agree entirely with K’s D – exactly what a Quiptic should be. And 8dn is, indeed a superb example of an &lit.
Many thanks, as ever, to Orlando.
Should, of course, be ‘is, indeed,’.
Yes indeed, a top-notch Quiptic. I agree with others about the excellent of 8dn. The KILOWATT/STALKED crossers were my last two in.
A great Quiptic, just the right level.
Thanks Gaufrid; yes, MARIE ANTOINETTE was a fabulous clue.
As far as I can recall, Orlando gets it right every time.
8d Truly marvellous, perhaps wasted on the lesser sported quiptic. Thanks Gaufrid & Orlando for a quick but enjoyable romp.
I think this is the first Quiptic I’ve managed to solve completely on my own. Fun and interesting, my favourite clues were 20d and 9a.
Utterly sublime – Orlando is a master.
How lovely to see comments like : “I think this is the first Quiptic I’ve managed to solve completely on my own. Fun and interesting..”
Just what Quiptics should be.
And welcome to Crypticland K.Willsen – hope you have a lifetime of happy solves like today’s!
Having found last week’s far too hard, and not found this week’s (775) at all due to the misfiling, how nice to find something like this in the archive! It’s my first completed Quiptic too.
A lovely Quiptic – quick to solve but delightful fun. I’m with everyone else on Marie A – just brilliant. Thanks Orlando and Gaufrid, and greetings from the future!