Independent 12,352/Kairos

Kairos is a long-standing but now occasional setter for the Independent. A pleasure to see his name crop up on my watch, because I’ve always enjoyed his puzzles.

Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1 Theatrical maiden wearing hat
CAMP
An insertion of M in CAP. The insertion indicator is ‘wearing’.

3 Program run to attract trainee
APPRENTICE
A charade of APP, R and ENTICE.

9 Victor gets award for Northumbrian castle
WINDSOR
Kairos is inviting you to replace the NE in WINNER with DSO for the Distinguished Service Order. Well if SE can be clued as ‘Kent’, SW as ‘Cornwall’, then why not NE for ‘Northumbrian’? It’s the most north-easterly county in England, and breathtakingly beautiful to boot.

11 Went over with a Yankee editor
PERUSED
A charade of PER for ‘a’, US and ED. ‘The pears are £1.50 a/per kilo.’

12 What director of Taxi may do in backwoods’ location
LOG CABIN
The director of a taxi firm might well LOG CAB IN.

13 On board facilities for leaders
HEADS
A dd. The HEAD is a term for a toilet on board a ship.

15 Presumably star in ballet and opera?
PERFORMING ARTS
A reverse anagram thingy. Using PERFORMING as an anagrind and with ‘arts’ as the anagrist, you’d end up with STAR.

17 Lots may be wrapped up in these culinary treats
FORTUNE COOKIES
I think I would describe this as a cd.

21 Type of investment account for Ishmael’s half-brother
ISAAC
A charade of ISA and AC.

22 Community of former independent island returns
SOCIETAL
A reversal of LATE, I and COS.

24 Leader of Russian fliers feels remorse
REGRETS
A charade of R and EGRETS.

25 Some bleak outcomes emerge
LEAK OUT
Hidden in bLEAK OUTcomes.

26 Players‘ money belts
BRASS BANDS
A charade of BRASS and BANDS.

27 Boss backing out of room
STUD
STUD[Y]

Down

1 Leader beginning to wear underskirts and bloomers
COWSLIPS
A charade of CO for Commanding Officer, W for the initial letter of ‘wear’ and SLIPS.

2 Naked orangeman dancing for Michael O’Neill?
MANAGER
([O]RANGEMA[N])* with ‘dancing’ as the anagrind. Michael O’Neill is currently manager of the Northern Ireland men’s football team and was presumably chosen because of the association of Orangemen with NI.

4 Train carrying post around assembly
PARLIAMENT
An insertion of MAIL reversed in PARENT. The insertion indicator is ‘carrying’.

5 Fascinated emerging from contraption
RAPT
Hidden in contRAPTion.

6 State of tipsy tailor on ranch
NORTH CAROLINA
(TAILOR ON RANCH)* with ‘tipsy’ as the anagrind.

7 Second insurance worker touring Thailand
INSTANT
An insertion of T for ‘Thailand’ in INS and ANT. The insertion indicator is ‘touring’.

8 The Spanish duke’s established to be the most senior
ELDEST
A charade of EL for one of the words for ‘the’ in Spanish, D and EST.

10 Sneakiest cost involved to obtain travel passes
SEASON TICKETS
(SNEAKIEST COST)* with ‘involved’ as the anagrind.

14 A local group overseeing education is illiterate
UNSCHOOLED
A charade of UN for one of the words in French for ‘a’, SCHOOL (as in a group of, say, sharks or porpoises) and ED.

16 India’s very happy to leave England cut off
ISOLATED
A charade of I for the NATO/phonetic alphabet ‘India’, SO and [E]LATED.

18 Longing to forget partners’ source of pain
OTALGIA
[N]O[S]TALGIA. The ‘partners’ are of the bridge variety.

19 Fashionable communist collects one piece of music
INTROIT
An insertion of I in IN TROT. The insertion indicator is ‘collects’. A piece of music sung at the beginning of a service.

20 Note medic starts to investigate blood in vein
MIDRIB
A charade of MI for the third note of the sol-fa, DR and IB for the initial letters of ‘investigate’ and ‘blood’. A vein in a leaf rather than an animal.

23 Regularly bans visas for approximately 60% of the world’s population
ASIA
The even letters of bAnS vIsAs.

Many thanks to Kairos for the first puzzle of the Indy week.