A straightforward offering from Sleuth
Nothing much to say about this puzzle – generally good surfaces and tight cluing, with only one niggle (see 16dn).
Thanks, Sleuth.
| Across | ||
| 1 | HUSBAND | Partner beginning to hate The Eagles? (7) |
| H(ate) + U.S. BAND | ||
| 5 | BEHAVE | Pair of auxiliaries act correctly (6) |
| BE + HAVE (“auxilary” verbs) | ||
| 8 | AUTOPILOT | Ideal place almost in a group for flight aid (9) |
| UTOPI(a) in A LOT | ||
| 9 | DROOP | Sad duke recalled in decline (5) |
| <=POOR D | ||
| 11 | TIPSY | Untidy place steadily emptying is affected by drink (5) |
| TIP (“untidy place”) +S(teadil)Y | ||
| 12 | CALIBRATE | Mark positions of a sign in ground etc (9) |
| A LIBRA (“sign”) in *(etc) | ||
| 13 | VENALITY | Corruption? There’s vital yen for reform (8) |
| *(vital yen) | ||
| 15 | DURESS | Constraint for all to see in outfit (6) |
| U (“for all to see”) in DRESS | ||
| 17 | SICKIE | Period for dealing with disorder? (6) |
| Cryptic definition? | ||
| 19 | HARD CASH | Brandish card when in mess – or ready money (4,4) |
| *(card) in HASH (“mess”) | ||
| 22 | TURBULENT | High-powered car, mostly refined and fast, producing commotion (9) |
| TURB(o) + U (“refined”) + LENT | ||
| 23 | THIEF | Criminal connection trapped hard fellow (5) |
| TIE (“connection”)+ F (“fellow”) “trapped” H(ard) | ||
| 24 | RINSE | Wash nightwear in separated clothing (5) |
| Hidden in “nightweaR IN SEparated” | ||
| 25 | MILLSTONE | Philosopher’s style becoming a bugbear (9) |
| (John Stuart) MILL’S TONE | ||
| 26 | CRAYON | Carbon material? It’s used for drawing (6) |
| C(arbon) + RAYON (“material”) | ||
| 27 | EARBASH | Scold a Republican infiltrating English party (7) |
| A R(epublican) “infiltrating” E(nglish) BASH (“party”) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HEALTH VISITOR | A TV Irish hotel replaced for nurse (6,7) |
| *(a tv irish hotel) | ||
| 2 | SET UPON | Organisation with number mounting attack (3,4) |
| SET UP (“organisation”) + <=No. | ||
| 3 | APPLY | Put to use couple of pages and line in a back of diary (5) |
| PP (“couple of pages”) + L (“line”) in A (diar)Y | ||
| 4 | DELICATE | Discriminating place for foreign food and provision (not half) (8) |
| DELI (“place for foreign food”) + CATE(ring) | ||
| 5 | BOTTLE | Preserve courage (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | HIDEBOUND | Bigoted devotee defending limited plan by bishop (9) |
| HOUND (“devotee”) “defending” IDE(a) + B | ||
| 7 | VIOLATE | Abuse in Spanish city not good after hours (7) |
| VI(g)O + LATE (“after hours”) | ||
| 10 | PRESS THE FLESH | Journalists with article on revolutionary writer start to hope to solicit support? (5,3,5) |
| PRESS (“journalists”) + THE (“article”) + <=SELF (“writer” of this clue) + H(ope)
Politicians often “press the flesh” (ie shake a lot of hands) when out on the campaign trail. |
||
| 14 | LEISURELY | Garland for certain befitting a holiday? (9) |
| LEI (“garland”) + SURELY | ||
| 16 | PASTILLE | Sweet temp’s work ending in office (8) |
| PA’s TILL +(offic)E
A PA and a temp are not the same though. |
||
| 18 | CORONER | Legal figure with circle entering predicament (7) |
| O(“circle”) “entering” CORNER | ||
| 20 | ARIZONA | US state region largely featuring in part of opera (7) |
| ZON(e) in ARIA | ||
| 21 | SERMON | Address given weekly in advertiser monotonously (6) |
| Hidden in “advertiSER MONotonously” | ||
| 23 | TASER | Stunning device underwent new testing on reflection (5) |
| <=RESAT | ||
*anagram
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