Independent on Sunday 1808 Filbert

• Thank you to Filbert.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across
1. Charles spotting game for kids is easily cracked (6)
CRISPY : CR(abbrev. for Charles Rex, King Charles) + [I SPY](spotting game for kids – “… with my little eye …”).

4. Little beauty that woman found in beastly baby (6)
CHERUB : HER(pronoun for “that woman”) contained in(found in) CUB(beastly baby/young of say, a bear or wolf).
Defn: …/a beautiful child.

8. One might display products in two ways (6,4)
CORNER SHOP : Cryptic defn: …, ie. where two streets meet.

10. Celt moving east to west in storm (4)
GAEL : E(abbrev. for “east”) moved to to the front in(moving … to west in, in an across clue) GALE(a very strong wind/a storm).

11. Prestissimo laps around here? (5)
IMOLA : Hidden in(… around) “Prestissimo laps”.
Defn: Town where the Imola Circuit for motor racing is located. And you might say that the cars lap the circuit very quickly or, to borrow a musical term, prestissimo.

12. Palace attendants in olde worlde horror film? (6)
YEOMEN : [The OMEN](a supernatural horror film) with “The” replaced by YE(archaic/the olde worlde term for “the”).

14. Sea arch (4)
MAIN : Double defn: 1st: Literary term for the …; and2nd: …/principal, as in “archenemy”.

15. Expect caper, confusing it with pea (10)
ANTICIPATE : ANTIC(a caper/a stunt) + anagram of(confusing) [IT plus(with) PEA].

17. Rocket engineer keeps pacing around Orpington, perhaps (10)
STEPHENSON : [STEPS ON](keeps pacing/carries on walking) containing(around) HEN(a chicken, an example of which/perhaps is the Orpington, a British breed).
Defn: The civil engineer who designed the early steam locomotives, including the “Rocket”.

19. Text concise report on effectiveness of deodorant (4)
BOOK : [BO(abbrev. for “body odour”) OK(okay/fine)](a concise report on the effectiveness/successful result of using deodorant to prevent or conceal b.o.).

20. Trump, lying American (6)
FLATUS : FLAT(lying/prone) + US(abbrev. for “Unites States”/things American).
Defn: …/to expel intestinal gas through the anus/to fart.
Answer: Gas generated in the stomach or bowels and expelled when farting. The corresponding verb would be “flatulate”.
There appears to be a discrepancy between definition and solution.  (Unless … Trump is interpreted as a proper noun.)

22. Bard’s work playing in theatre (5)
ODEON : ODE(a poem/an example of a bard’s/poet’s work) + ON(working/operating).

24. Evil doctor going forwards and backwards in time (4)
NOON : [ NO(the fictional evil Dr. No in Ian Fleming’s book of the same name) + ON ] written(going) forwards and backwards.

25. Cheese clubs are excited by Philadelphia (10)
CAERPHILLY : C(abbrev. for the suit of clubs in a deck of playing cards) + anagram of(… excited) ARE plus(by) PHILLY(nickname for “Philadelphia”).

26. Stop giving away old heart medication (6)
STATIN : “station”(a stop on a, say, bus or train route) minus(giving away) “o”(abbrev. for “old”).
Defn: Drug that reduces cholesterol level in blood, used as ….

27. Like American’s money for half an Everest expedition? (6)
ASCENT : AS(like/similar to) + CENT(American money).
Defn: The upward half of an expedition to climb Mt. Everest.

Down
1. Feed dog (4)
CHOW : Double defn: 1st: As a noun, food for animals, or as a verb, an Americanism for “to eat”; and 2nd:

2. Illustration on the outside with name, swinging regularly? (3,4)
INN SIGN : IN(with/wearing, as in “a fellow with a blue jacket”) + N(abbrev. for “name”) + 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th letters of(… regularly) “swinging”.

A traditional and a not so:

 

3. Hole having each pro worried (9)
PERFORATE : PER(each, as in “$ per day”) + FOR(pro/in favour of) + ATE(worried/disturbed).
Defn: …, as a verb.

5. Animated miner quietly parking in Welsh town for festival (5)
HAPPY : [ P(abbrev. for “piano”, musical direction to play softly/quietly) + P(abbrev. for “parking”) ] contained in(in) HAY(or Hay-on-Wye, Wales which is the location of the annual literary Hay Festival).
Defn: One of the dwarfs, who worked in a mine, in the animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

6. Roger slipped out of bed to consider a fresh approach (7)
REGROUP : Anagram of(… slipped) ROGER + UP(out of bed/not lying in it).

7. Extra large cat receives shocking treatment in scrap for seat (2-8)
BY-ELECTION : [ BYE(an extra/a run in cricket scored without the batter hitting the ball) + LION(a large wild cat) ] containing(receives) ECT(abbrev. for “electroconvulsive therapy, a treatment by giving electric shocks to the brain).
Defn: …/a fight in the polls for a seat/a position in office.

9. Large flag inside hotel the colour of mud (11)
HEARTHSTONE : H(abbrev. for “hotel”) + [EARTH’S TONE](the colour of mud/mixed earth and water).
Defn: Large flat stone/flag inside a house, as part of the fireplace.

13. Gasp at French eccentric’s baggy trousers (10)
PANTALOONS : PANT(to gasp/to catch one’s breath) + À(French for “at”) + LOON(an eccentric/a silly person)‘S.

16. Criminal exercises persuasive charm over offences in court (9)
CONTEMPTS : CON(short for “convict’, a convicted criminal) + TEMPTS(exercises persuasive charm over/sweet-talks). Answer: … of court, when one (or more) person or party knowingly and wilfully disregards or disobeys Court Orders.

18. Favourite place to study a flower (7)
PETUNIA : PET(a favourite/someone or something given special treatment) + UNI(short for “university”, a place for tertiary education/study) + A.

19. Unlimited fines given after German carmaker mixed hydrocarbons (7)
BENZINE : 1st and last letters deleted from(Unlimited) “fines” placed after(given after) BENZ(short for Mercedes-Benz, the German carmaker).
Defn: … obtained from crude petroleum.

21. Very cold hail in Olympic city one winter (5)
SOCHI : SO(very/to a great extent or degree) + C(abbrev. for “cold”) + HI!(hail/a greeting).
Defn: Russian city that was host to the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Paralympics.

23. Story of power and fate (4)
PLOT : P(symbol for “power” in physics) + LOT(one’s fate/one’s destiny in life).