Phi is occupying the Friday slot during this special Platinum Jubilee weekend, although I see nothing related to this special occasion in this puzzle.
I found this to be a medium-difficulty crossword, although I was held up by three clues, at 1, 11, 21, despite having all the crossing letters in each case. I put the puzzle down for a while and when I returned to it, these remaining solutions slotted into place. Incidentally, I think that I am more familiar with APP.=apparently than AP. (at 2), and it also took a while for the penny to drop at 18.
My favourite clues today were 4, 11, 14, 16 and 22D, all for surface reading. I have noticed that all the down entries contain a double letter, which cannot have happened by chance.
I hope that we all have a few cruciverbal treats in store for us over the course of this bumper bank holiday weekend.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | FAERIE | Home of whiskey a force to be recalled in the world of spirits
EIRE (=home of whiskey, spelt the Irish way) + A + F (=force, as in RAF); “to be recalled” indicates reversal |
| 05 | CASTAWAY | Lonely figure in theatre group, having taken a deviant approach after reflection
CAST (=theatre group, i.e. actors in a play) + A + WAY (YAW=deviant approach, in sailing; “after reflection” indicates reversal) |
| 09 | SPECIMEN | Singular muscle men including one remarkable example
I (=one) in [S (=singular, in grammar) + PEC (=muscle, in chest) + MEN] |
| 10 | ADHERE | Stick instruction on magazine page layout?
Cryptically, “(put) ad here” could be “instruction on magazine page layout” |
| 11 | ANTE | Upfront cash invested in important enterprise
Hidden (“invested in”) in “importANT Enterprise”; an ante is an advance payment, hence “upfront cash” |
| 12 | HEATHROW | Passion and argument about opening of historic transport hub
H<istoric> (“opening of” means first letter only) in [HEAT (=passion) + ROW (=argument)] |
| 14 | TACHOMETER | It measures speed comet interacts with Earth
*(COMET + EARTH); “interacts with” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | ESPY | Borders of Everglades – pretty spot
E<verglade>S P<rett>Y; “borders of” means first and last letters only; to spot is to catch sight of, to espy |
| 18 | MESA | What’s evident in same repeated geographical feature?
Hidden (“what’s evident”) in “saME SAme” (“repeated” means the same word twice) |
| 19 | ORDINATION | Military men seeking the future not against one ministerial appointment
OR (=military men, i.e. other ranks) + DI<vi>NATION (=seeking the future; “not against (=V, for versus) one (=I)” means letters “vi” are dropped); the “ministerial” in the definition refers to a religious minister, not a government minister |
| 21 | GADGETRY | Doctor about to understand, surrounded by colourful collection of devices?
[GET (=to understand, twig) in DR (=doctor)] in GAY (=colourful) |
| 22 | APEX | The best copy produced by Times?
APE (=copy, imitate) + X (=times, i.e. multiplied by); the apex of something is the pinnacle of, the ultimate in |
| 24 | BODEGA | Be a predictor of good area for wine shop
BODE (=be a predictor of) + G (=good) + A (=area) |
| 25 | INEXPERT | One subsequently bringing in person without skill
PER. (=person) in [I (=one) + NEXT (=subsequently)] |
| 26 | NEWSPEAK | What the media provides – maximal language to constrain your thinking
NEWS (=what the media provides) + PEAK (=maximal, as in peak production) |
| 27 | TRENDY | Hear about result attracting lots of attention
END (=result, upshot) in TRY (=hear, in court) |
| Down | ||
| 02 | APPENDAGE | Additional item, apparently last to be carried by servant
AP. (=apparently) + [END (=last, final) in PAGE (=servant)] |
| 03 | RECCE | Survey play area and church
REC (=play area, i.e. recreation ground) + CE (=church, i.e. Church of England) |
| 04 | EMMY | TV award? One’s used to prize, though not first
<j>EMMY (=one used, by burglar, to prize (open), i.e. a crowbar); “not first” means the first letter is dropped |
| 05 | CONNECT | Study lots of computers maintaining constant link
CON (=study, scan) + [C (=constant) in NET (=lots of computers)] |
| 06 | SCATTERING | Guy investing in UK currency losing pounds, being dissipated
CAT (=guy, chap) in STER<l>ING (=UK currency; “losing pounds (=L, as in LSD)” means letter “l” is dropped) |
| 07 | ABHORRENT | Nasty bit of residue on the bar tidied up
*(R<esidue> (“bit of” means first letter only) + ON THE BAR); “tidied up” is anagram indicator |
| 08 | ARROW | Projectile taking top off mound
<b>ARROW (=mound, for burial); “taking top off” means first letter is dropped |
| 13 | IMMODERATE | Angry about male fashion being extravagant
[M (=male) + MODE (=fashion, as in à la mode)] in IRATE (=angry) |
| 15 | HEADDRESS | Capital display made by ambassador with speech
HE (=ambassador, i.e. His Excellency) + ADDRESS (=speech, oration) |
| 17 | PIONEERED | Individual tucking into flan and wine got started
ONE (=individual) in [PIE (=flat) + RED (=wine)] |
| 20 | DERRICK | Strain to support article from Berlin, prominent feature at oil-well
DER (=article from Berlin, i.e. a German word for the) + RICK (=strain, sprain) |
| 21 | GOOSE | Silly person to leave position, yielding power
GO (=leave, depart) + <p>OSE (=position, place; “yielding power (=P, in physics)” means letter “p” is dropped) |
| 22 | APPLE | Pollarded tree bearing soft fruit
P (=soft, i.e. piano, in music) in <m>APLE (=tree; “pollarded” means top, i.e. first letter, is cut off) |
| 23 | BEET | Vegetable whose production is determined by pollinator and temperature
BEE (=pollinator) + T (=temperature, in physics) |
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