Nothing to frighten the horses this morning from Sleuth. One or two elements of the parsing took me a minute to unravel, but I got there in the end. Hats off for 9ac (although I have the faintest of inklings that I’ve seen it before).
ACROSS
1. POT SHOT Reversal of top [v ery good] + anagram of host
5. PASTRY PA [secretary, Personal Assistant] + r [right] within sty [filthy place]
8. ESTIMABLE Anagram of site + B [Britain] within male [chap]
9. INANE Double definition of sorts (‘game’ ends in an e)
11. CUMIN Initial letters of Chef Uses Many Ingredients Normally
12. GELIGNITE Hidden in reversal of meETING I LEGitimised
13. UNCLE SAM Un [French for ‘a’] + c [college] + anagram of meal’s
15. TALENT A + L [learner] within tent [part of camp]
17. AGENDA Gen [information] within a + DA [lawyer, District Attorney]
19. BARTERER Bart [titled figure, baronet] + E [English] + E [Earl] within RR [Right Reverend, the title of a bishop]
22. IN HARNESS Double definition
23. MOGUL MO [Modus operandi, way of working] + gul(f) [bay]
24. NYLON Hidden in maNY LONdoners
25. PORTFOLIO Anagram of top floor I
26. INVEST Double definition: someone wearing only a vest is minimally covered…
27. TRAVAIL V [very] + A [advanced] within trail(er) [advertisement]
DOWN
1. PREOCCUPATION Anagram of routine cop cap
2. TOTEMIC Tot [young child] + MI [M1, road] within EC [postcode for the City of London]
3. HE-MAN Henman [former tennis player Tim] minus (aggressio)n (though technically the clue demands that there be no Ns, which would leave hema)
4. TOBOGGAN O [old] + bog [muddy place] + g [good] within tan [sun]
5. PUEBLO E [European] within pub [local] + lo [look]
6. SKIN GRAFT King [(chess) piece] within sr [sister] + aft [behind]
7. REALISE Is [island] within real [genuine] + e(xports)
10. ELECTORAL ROLL Cryptic definition: voters ‘supply’ an X to register their vote
14. ENDURANCE Duran [half of 80s pop group Duran Duran] within fence minus f [fine]
16. SANSKRIT S [society] within sank [declined] + rit(e) [observance]
18. ECHELON CH [Companion (of Honour)] within reversal of No [small number] + Lee [General Robert E.]
20. REGALIA Reversal of AI [A1, excellent] + lager [drink]
21. DESPOT D(om)e + spot [locate]
23. MAFIA A + f [fellow] within reversal of aim [intention]
Thanks Sleuth for an enjoyable puzzle and Ringo for the blog.
9ac: The device (though not the exact clue) was anticipated here
http://fifteensquared.net/2011/11/10/financial-times-13838-crux/
3dn: I agree that “with no end of aggression” is not a satisfactory indication for removing one of two Ns.
10dn: Quite a nice cryptic definition, and probably my favourite clue. As I have said (possibly too many times) before, these clues can be great fun if you spot the answer, but very frustrating if you do not. This is why they are best kept – as here – for long answers where the checked letters should provide sufficient extra help.
16dn: Note the careful cluing to exclude the alternative spelling SANSCRIT, which is in Chambers 2008, albeit marked “(old)”.