Independent 10,121 by Phi

It’s Phi-day again!
We found this one to be at the easier end of the Phi spectrum, although we had to check a few synonyms to confirm some of the parsings.

We were helped by recognising the lepidopteran theme fairly early on, which speeded up the completion of the bottom half of the grid.

Thematic entries are highlighted in the grid below – we don’t think we’ve missed any, but we’re not experts in the field!

Across

1 Very small snaps or comical pics (13)
MICROSCOPICAL
An anagram of OR COMICAL PICS – anagrind is ‘snaps’

8 A French Duke unexpectedly freed in a starved condition (8)
UNDERFED
UN (French for ‘one’) D (duke) + an anagram of FREED – anagrind is ‘unexpectedly’

9 Keen fellows put in muscle (6)
LAMENT
MEN (fellows) in LAT (muscle – short form of latissimus dorsi)

10 Supporter favouring Prince (4)
PROP
PRO (‘favouring’) P (prince)

11 Blurred pixel TV system is readily understood (10)
EXPLICABLE
An anagram of PIXEL (anagrind is ‘blurred’) + CABLE (TV system)

13 A little ease after a storm in Russian waters (5,3)
WHITE SEA
WHIT (a little) + an anagram of EASE – anagrind is ‘after a storm’

14 Island also home to hunter’s target (6)
TOBAGO
TOO (also) round or ‘a home to’ BAG (‘hunter’s target’)

16 Difficult to get rid of last stupid bug (6)
HARASS
HARd (difficult) without or ‘getting rid of’ the last letter + ASS (stupid)

19 Innovative in exam, consuming one drink (8)
ORIGINAL
ORAL (exam) round or ‘consuming’ I (one) GIN (drink)

22 Graduate meeting grandmother’s family – a hazardous step here? (6,4)
BANANA SKIN
BA (graduate) NANA’S (grandmother’s) KIN (family)

24 Identical look thrown out by famous dancer (4)
SAME
SAloME (famous dancer) with ‘lo’ (look) omitted or ‘thrown out’

25 Elected members favoured coming back with agreement (2,4)
IN STEP
IN (elected) + PETS (‘members favoured’) reversed or ‘coming back’

26 Worry about a good deal in sexual activity (8)
HARLOTRY
HARRY (worry) round LOT (a good deal)

27 Broadcast the stories associated with LOL cat (13)
TORTOISESHELL
An anagram of THE STORIES and LOL – anagrind is ‘broadcast’

Down

1 Millions on bridge to see King? (7)
MONARCH
M (millions) ON ARCH (bridge)

2 Queen, English, sat in patrol-car, endlessly shocked (9)
CLEOPATRA
E (English) in an anagram of PATROL CAr without the last letter or ‘endlessly’ – anagrind is ‘shocked’

3 Compensates for poor court performance? (7)
OFFSETS
A tennis reference – if a player performed poorly on court, he or she could have suffered OFF SETS

4 Fake Conservative party on the rise (3)
COD
C (Conservative) + DO (party) reversed or ‘on the rise’

5 Biblical writer dismissing a second fortune-teller (7)
PALMIST
PsALMIST (‘biblical writer’ – of psalms) without or ‘dismissing’ ‘s’ (second)

6 Medium in unconscious state for the shortest interval (5)
COMMA
M (medium) in COMA (unconscious state)

7 Fielder to want support (4,3)
LONG LEG
LONG (want) LEG (support)

12 Dandy having some veg served with chicken? (7)
PEACOCK
PEA (‘some veg’) COCK (chicken)

15 UK national penning original document: Energy from Sulphur (9)
BRIMSTONE
BRITON (UK national) round or ‘penning’ MS (manuscript – ‘original document’) + E (energy)

17 Not supporting benefits in lifting tax cut (7)
AGAINST
GAINS (benefits) in TAx without the last letter or ‘cut’ and reversed or ‘lifted’

18 My fault being upset about coarse detergent (7)
SHAMPOO
OOPS (‘my fault’) reversed or ‘upset’ round HAM (coarse)

20 Guts of mechanism in pubs on either side of a road (7)
INNARDS
INNS (pubs) round or ‘on either side of’ A RD (road)

21 Russian car retaining edge, turning up as foremost in fleet (7)
ADMIRAL
LADA (Russian car) round or ‘retaining RIM (edge) all reversed or ‘turning up’

23 Focus of religious activity almost entirely black (5)
ALTAR
ALl (entirely) without the last letter or ‘almost’ + TAR (black)

26 Man’s expression of disapproval cut short (3)
HIS
HISs (expression of disapproval) without the last letter or ‘cut short’