Well, we didn’t have to wait long this year for me to need to stand in at the last moment. Perhaps, like me recently, PeeDee has lost track of which day of the week it is.
As with all of my last minute posts, here is an analysis of the clues with no further commentary.
Across
1 A flipping rubbish home device (7)
ADAPTOR – A followed by ROT (rubbish) PAD (home) reversed (flipping)
5 Movie company look for producer of note (7)
PICCOLO – PIC (movie) CO (company) LO (look)
9 God saves heathens in vain attacks at the front (5)
SHIVA – first letters of (at the front) S[aves] H[eathens] I[n] V[ain] A[ttacks]
10 Price for a star to make an appearance in party? (9)
CELEBRATE – CELEB RATE (price for a star)
11 Tourists travelling over a thousand borders (9)
OUTSKIRTS – an anagram (travelling) of TOURISTS around (over) K (a thousand)
12 I caught nurse beginning to insult old people (5)
ICENI – I C (caught) EN (nurse) I[nsult] (beginning to insult)
13 Old-fashioned / saw (5)
DATED – double def.
15 Nice lamb cooked without a sign of unevenness? (9)
IMBALANCE – an anagram (cooked) of NICE LAMB around (without) A
18 Small horse straddled by short flapper’s kid (9)
TWEENAGER – WEE (small) NAG (horse) in (straddled by) TER[n] (short flapper)
19 Given the correct pitch, United breaks weaken back (5)
TUNED – U (united) in (breaks) DENT (weaken) reversed (back)
21 Really want party to go after Conservative leader (5)
CRAVE – RAVE (party) after C[onsevative] (Conservative leader)
23 One about to be involved in searches for posers? (9)
QUESTIONS – I (one) ON (about) in (to be involved in) QUESTS (searches)
25 They watch John opening unopened horse chestnuts (9)
ONLOOKERS – LOO (John) in (opening) [c]ONKERS (unopened horse chestnuts)
26 Boxer starts to break ineffective defence (5)
ALIBI – ALI (boxer) plus the initial letters of (starts to) B[reak] I[neffective]
27 Expect drugs to have warnings on the front (7)
FORESEE – FORES (warnings) in front of EE (drugs)
28 Little drinks brought round for each pair of kids? (7)
NIPPERS – NIPS (little drinks) around (brought round) PER (for each)
Down
1 Run off with sailor’s conservative daughter (7)
ABSCOND – AB’S (sailor’s) CON (conservative) D (daughter)
2 A teacher upset drink over the French philosophy tutor (9)
ARISTOTLE – A SIR (teacher) reversed (upset) TOT (drink) LE (the French)
3 Line of song (5)
TRACK – double def.
4 Concerning call about villain coming back again (9)
RECURRING – RE (concerning) RING (call) around (about) CUR (villain)
5 Heaps of lager that European tucks into (5)
PILES – PILS (lager) around (that … tucks into) E (European)
6 Car and taxi allowed to go around Brazilian city (9)
CABRIOLET – CAB (taxi) LET (allowed) around RIO (Brazilian city)
7 Lecture singer’s given in Old English (5)
ORATE – RAT (singer) in OE (Old English)
8 A single issue brought up on a single occasion (3-4)
ONE-TIME – ONE (a single) EMIT (issue) reversed (brought up)
14 Criminal one guards could be thus? (9)
DANGEROUS – an anagram (criminal) of ONE GUARDS with an extended def.
16 It’s a job serving drinks to drunks sometimes (9)
BARPERSON – {not so} cryptic def.
17 Static noise primarily on phone? (9)
NONMOBILE – N[oise] (noise primarily) ON MOBILE (phone)
18 Reprimand / Mark so others will see it’s been done? (4,3)
TICK OFF – double def.
20 Drop girl from East Anglian town via the phone (7)
DISMISS – sounds like (via the phone) Diss (East Anglian town) MISS (girl)
22 More competent president right to bring in Liberal (5)
ABLER – ABE (president) R (right) around (to bring in) L (Liberal)
23 Line that pool player might use in conversation (5)
QUEUE – sounds like (in conversation) ‘cue’ (that pool player might use)
24 President’s not high-class, pinching a bum? (5)
TRAMP – TR[u]MP (president’s not high-class) around (pinching) A
Thanks to Slormgorm and Gaufrid. Enjoyable. I needed help parsing TWEENAGER (I missed the ter(n)-flapper connection), did not know conkers=horse chestnuts, and had doubts about BARPERSON.
Thanks very much for stepping in Gaufrid. Just as you predicted I have only just realized it is a Wednesday today. All days of the week look the same at the moment.
A formulaic one for me. COD PICCOLO.
Thanks Slormgorm and Gaufrid
This was a crossword that took longer than it needed, mainly due to other distractions. Did like 24d. No real issues along the way and finished down the bottom with BARPERSON (where I was looking for more to it), NIPPERS and TWEENAGER the last ones in.