Having solved the puzzle and written up the parsing, now for the difficult bit, finding something to say in the preamble.
As usual the puzzle is nigh on flawless, so no quibbles to comment on. Nothing especially difficult that needs further explanation. No theme or Nina, as is the norm. So I will just have to say thanks to Everyman for (yet another) pleasant solve before breakfast.
Across
1 Fraudster, initially careless, forgetting small limp (6)
FLOPPY – F[raudster] (fraudster, initially) [s]LOPPY (careless, forgetting small)
4 Had a fight / cancelled (8)
SCRAPPED – double def.
9 Entertain like a monarch with energy (6)
REGALE – REGAL (like a monarch) E (energy)
10 Suggestion from union newly filled with purpose (8)
INNUENDO – an anagram (newly) of UNION around (filled with) END (purpose)
12 Business with land involving severe anxiety (13)
CONSTERNATION – CO (business) NATION (land) around (involving) STERN (severe)
14 Friends, coming round, put up with knockabout comedy (9)
SLAPSTICK – PALS (friends) reversed (coming round) STICK (put up with)
16 Measure uniform in good time (5)
GAUGE – U (uniform) in G (good) AGE (time)
17 Projecting parts, large, mostly overweight (5)
LOBES – L (large) OBES[e] (mostly overweight)
19 Pests, not very restricted by barrier, start to grow (9)
GERMINATE – [v]ERMIN (pests, not very) in (restricted by) GATE (barrier)
21 Recreation of scene with sad value a bit before verse by soldier? (7,6)
TABLEAU VIVANT – an anagram (sad) of VALUE A BIT followed by V (verse) ANT (soldier)
24 Sailor with cargo finally left, carrying meat most importantly (5,3)
ABOVE ALL – AB (sailor) [carg]O (cargo finally) L (left) around (carrying) VEAL (meat)
25 Much occupying one when about to make expedition (6)
SAFARI – FAR (much) in (occupying) I (one) AS (when) reversed (about)
26 Man with cheers interrupting broadcast isn’t lacking confidence (8)
HESITANT – HE (man) plus TA (cheers) in (interrupting) an anagram (broadcast) of ISN’T
27 Plan that is for small-minded person (6)
MEANIE – MEAN (plan) IE (that is)
Down
1 Predicted luggage emptied in part of ship (10)
FORECASTLE – FORECAST (predicted) L[uggag]E (luggage emptied)
2 Newspaper belonging to senior gangster (5)
ORGAN – contained in (belonging to) ‘seniOR GANgster’
3 Illustrations about one system of exercises (7)
PILATES – PLATES (illustrations) around (about) I (one)
5 Crusty representation of Saturn on cake (12)
CANTANKEROUS – an anagram of (representation of) SATURN ON CAKE
6 A fool, admitting offence, causing laughter (7)
AMUSING – A MUG (a fool) around (admitting) SIN (offence)
7 Write slight, unfinished article, making point? (9)
PENINSULA – PEN (write) INSUL[t] (slight, unfinished) A (article)
8 Give up work to follow northward road (4)
DROP – OP (work) after (to follow) RD (road) reversed (northward)
11 Five in one group joined by capital songwriter (6,6)
IRVING BERLIN – V (five) in I (one) RING (group) plus BERLIN (capital)
13 Anger after referring to saucy old range (10)
REPERTOIRE – IRE (anger) after RE (referring to) PERT (saucy) O (old)
15 Brass, a lot, playing Fleetwood Mac tune (9)
ALBATROSS – an anagram (playing) of BRASS A LOT
18 Branch of study for citizen (7)
SUBJECT – double def.
20 Copy? Some acclaim it at exhibition (7)
IMITATE – contained in (some) ‘acclaIM IT AT Exhibition’
22 Cool under cooker once more (5)
AGAIN – IN (cool) after (under) AGA (cooker)
23 Frustrate lawyer with silence (4)
DASH – DA (lawyer) SH (silence)
My favourites were TABLEAU VIVANT & FLOPPY.
I could not parse 25a SAFARI.
Thanks Gaufrid & Everyman
Thank you Everyman and Gaufrid.
As for Michelle, TABLEAU VIVANT and FLOPPY were among my favourites, along with SLAPSTICK, FORECASTLE and PENINSULA – and I also failed to parse SAFARI!
Thanks Everyman and Gaufrid. I also had trouble with SAFARI, with “far” = “much” being a bit of a stretch for me. But it seems ok, as in “Donald is far/much worse than George”
A little trouble in the SE corner, where 21ac and 13d down took a little unpicking, but overall still on the easy side for Everyman. As enjoyable as always.
I was another with pursed lips over ‘far’ but Shirl’s example is hard to argue against.
Floppy, Dash and Again all appealed to me. 24A was a bit of a meaningless ramble, and the Fleetwood Mac anagram was slightly forced.
Minor niggles only for another pleasant just-under-an-hour of a Saturday morning here in Auckland, where I do declare we finally have signs of Spring.
Many thanks Gaufrid and Everyman.
In the clue ‘Recreation of scene with sad value a bit before verse by soldier’ the word ‘sad’ floored me. A TABLEAU VIVANT is anything but sad !
Rob.
Sad is a sad anagrind imho. Anagrinds should be words indicating some sort of mayhem, interference, reshuffle or similar. Sad is hardly that, but it has become accepted.
I don’t normally give up until at least Sunday but I threw in the towel early for this one. I didn’t get SAFARI or REPERTOIRE and couldn’t complete TABLEAU VIVANT. Got as far as TABLEAU VIV _ _ _. This despite having studied French for 5 years in high school! 🙁
REPERTOIRE was a nice clue and in hindsight perhaps if I’d waited till tomorrow I may have cracked it. 😉 Thanks to all who contributed. Till next weekend.
Yes got there today but took much longer than usual. . Had to check Tableau Vivant as I hadn’t heard of it Like others, I couldn’t parse safari but knew it was correct. Was pleased with myself that I worked out repertoire. Good clue.
Thanks everyone.
An enjoyable everyman with all the clues nicely unlocking each other