An apt and enjoyable start to the week, thanks to Rufus. Nice surfaces. As usual, definitions are underlined in the clues. Hidden connections are in 3 of the picture sets.
Across
1 Writer shares out novel development (9)
AUTHORESS : Anagram of(novel development) SHARES OUT
6 Flight path incomplete (4)
ROUT : Path,route minus its last letter,incomplete
Defn: An overwhelming defeat accompanied by flight,dispersal of the defeated
8 Successfully manage an abduction? (5,3)
CARRY OFF : Double defn: 1st: Successfully manage, say,?, an abduction; and 2nd: Abduct someone without consent, usually by force.
9 A man’s entitled to them, but they’re not left to son (6)
RIGHTS : RIGHT(not left) plus(to) S(son)
10 Bring the match alive with shot at goal (6)
STRIKE : Double defn: 1st: What you do to light,bring alive, a matchstick
11 Frighten with errors and bloomers (8)
COWSLIPS : COW(intimidate,frighten) plus SLIPS(mistakes,errors)
Defn: Plant with white and yellow flowers,bloomers, not to be confused with its relation, the oxlip, another crossword staple.
12 Detectives in US agency retired, remaining sharp (6)
ACIDIC : CID(Criminal Investigation Department, filled with detectives) contained in(in) reversal of(retired) CIA(the US Central Intelligence Agency)
15 Put on heavy music symbolic of Ireland (8)
SHAMROCK : SHAM(fake,put on) plus(on) ROCK(heavy music)
Defn: Symbol of Ireland, together with leprechauns and Guinness?
16 The kindly feeling of its beneficiaries? (8)
GOODWILL : Cryptic defn: The beneficiaries of a GOOD WILL, descriptive of one with no nasty surprises, such as a “beneficiary” being left $1, will show a lot of GOODWILL all round.
19 This by itself is only a gradual process (6)
LITTLE : Cryptic defn: This, the word LITTLE plus by plus itself, the word LITTLE, ie. “little by little” denotes a gradual process. Edit.note: to make my intended meaning clearer in view of comment#1.
21 Shadow boxing, a contest between fighters? (8)
DOGFIGHT : DOG(to follow,tail,shadow) FIGHT(one form of which is boxing)
Defn: An aerial combat,contest between fighter planes. Hesitated a bit because of “fight” in both clue and answer.
22 Feast on one’s bed in the dormitory? (6)
SPREAD : Double defn: 1st: Food and drink,a feast spread large on the dining table; and 2nd: The linen cloth spread over one’s bed, also known as a bedspread. Edit.note: Ditto as 19A
24 Italian banger unfortunately going the wrong way joining the motorway (6)
SALAMI : Reversal of(going the wrong way) ALAS(unfortunately) plus(joining) MI(=M1, first major motorway in England, running north-south)
Defn: Italian sausage,banger, not to be confused with banger = old car. Nice surface.
25 Substantial list includes gin cocktail (8)
TANGIBLE : TABLE(list) containing(includes) anagram of(cocktail) GIN.
26 A venerable name in our illustrious past (4)
BEDE : Cryptic defn: 7/8C monk, Saint BEDE, our,English historian,a chronicler of the illustrious past, also known as the Venerable BEDE
27 Stomach is churning — but he enjoys it! (9)
MASOCHIST : Anagram of(churning) STOMACH IS.
Defn: He who enjoys pain inflicted on himself, eg. when his stomach is churning, and whatever else there is! Yet another nice surface with intertwining definition and wordplay.
Down
1 Fit girl given bodybuilding exercises (5)
ADAPT : ADA(girl’s name) plus(given) PT(physical training,bodybuilding exercises perhaps)
Defn: Verb, to fit into the environment or circumstances, as in “Adapt or die”
2 Delayed sailor with dire consequences (7)
TARRIED : TAR(sailor,tarpaulin) plus(with) anagram of(consequences) DIRE.
Defn: Past tense of tarry,linger,delay.
3 One’s put on weight – it’s something in the air (5)
OZONE : OZ(abbrev. for ounce,unit of weight in the Imperial system) placed before(put on) ONE
Defn: An allotrope of the element oxygen with 3 instead of the common 2 atoms in a molecule, great for protecting earthly life against cosmic rays.
4 Impressions left by the dead (7)
EFFECTS : Double defn: 1st: The resulting effects,impressions, usually mental or emotional, on you when something, well, affects you. An example could be the consequential effect of someone’s death,left by the dead; and 2nd: The personal effects of some person, left by him/her when he/she is dead, the subject of a 16A maybe.
5 Idiot – to get tight and then dance (9)
SCREWBALL : SCREW(verb, to tighten, using, say, a screwdriver; unsure about compatibility with the adjective “tight” in this case) plus(and then) BALL(an event with dancing and feasting mainly)
6 Soldier‘s uniform? (7)
REGULAR : Double defn: 1st: A fulltime soldier
7 Restoration play in cut that’s not normal (9)
UNTYPICAL : Anagram of(restoration) PLAY IN CUT.
13 Drink most commonly sold in bars (9)
CHOCOLATE : Double defn: 1st: The (liquid) drink made from cocoa; and 2nd: the solid form commonly sold in the shape of bars, not to be confused with bars that serve drinks. Nice surface. It could be a single cryptic defn. depending on how different one considers the liquid from the solid form.
14 Put hold on the picture – it’s a wrap! (9)
CLINGFILM : CLING(verb to hold on to,stick to) placed before(put…on, in a down clue) FILM(moving pictures,movie)
Defn: Modern plastic product used mainly in the kitchen, but outside it as well, as an airtight wrap, not to be confused with the movie director’s jargon, to be satisfied with what’s been filmed, and thus no more re-takes of a scene. Nice surface.
17 Lose wind when seeking muddy shoal in Cheshire estuary (7)
DEFLATE : FLAT(sand bank in shallow water,muddy shoal, commonly found in eg. an estuary) contained in(seeking…in) DEE(the estuary in Cheshire where the river Dee flows into the sea). Another nice surface.
18 T.S. Eliot play shows understatement (7)
LITOTES : Anagram of(play) T.S.ELIOT.
Defn: An understatement playing down on affirmation. Would I not be wrong in saying that the English are generally not bad at using understatements?
20 There’s merit in unhappy endings (7)
TERMINI : Anagram of(unhappy) MERIT IN.
22 Describing a boom in the travel industry once (5)
SONIC : Cryptic defn: The boom that one gets when an airplane breaks the sound barrier, once heard in the aviation travel industry when the Concorde flew passengers at supersonic speed.
23 Share out a tax rise (5)
ALLOT : A plus reversal of(rise) TOLL(tax,levy)
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