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At the risk of unintentionally damning with faint praise, I’d describe this as a pretty run-of-the-mill challenge today. A couple of clues stood out for me (e.g. 14A) and 25A was the only unfamiliar answer that required post-solving confirmation.
Across
1 TERRIERS – ref the TA
5 QU,O,RUM
9 I,MP,ETIGO – (I got)*
10 TAILOR – I’d have imagined that most people would instinctively spell one who tails (follows) as tailer. However, this doesn’t seem like a major transgression to me.
12 NUT,M,E.G. – an example of that lesser-spotted device, the homophonic definition: “colonel, we hear” = kernel.
14 CLOTHES PEG – (Log these PC)*. Coherently misleading surface, and a beautifully warped definition.
18 CON,VERSE,L[-ad]Y
22 BUCKLE – double def’n
23 E(CLIP)TIC – (cite)rev
24 OD,IOUS
25, CICERO,NE – a touch recondite for me, but the wordplay was sufficiently accessible and fair to make it solvable.
27 MESS(A,G)ES
Down
1 TRICK,Y – on the contrary!
3 IN,TROS – (sort)*
4 REGARD,LESS
6 UNAMUSED – as in VR’s infamous put-down “We are not amused”.
8 MOR(T,GAG)E – could probably quibble over the syntax here, but I’m feeling laissez-faire today.
15 SCABIOUS – scabies, with OU for e[xperience]>
16 IN,ACT,IV,E
17 BELL,PU,SH
19 BICEPS – “Buy”
8a The wordplay in this one should have led to the answer ‘morteagag’, ‘moragaget’ or even ‘agmoretag’ (though the ‘a’ could be omitted so that the length is right) so I am not feeling quite as lenient as you with regard to the syntax.
I am also not happy with 17d which has a verbal definition ‘press the button’ leading to an answer that is a noun.
Regarding 10a, I think the intent is that “follower” is “tail” (as in, the detectives put a tail on the suspect) so that “follower or” is “tailor.”
Thanks guys.
Geoff – I’m usually as curmudgeonly and intolerant as the next pedant, so can only attribute my indulgent mood to (i) a sun-soaked Friday and (ii) trying to publish as early in the day as possible (hence the comment-lite format today). Your concerns are perfectly valid though.
I’m sure I’ll revert to type as soon enough.
Agentzero’s analysis is also spot on (with a name like that, perhaps you’re in the business of tailing people?!).