Everyman invariably provides a gentle start to a Sunday morning and this was no exception. Many good surfaces and plenty of anagrams and charades which led to a speedy solve. One unfamiliar, for me, word this week (14ac) but easily entered from the wordplay before consulting Chambers for confirmation.
Across
1 Comic jokes about heading for Paris, a capital city (6)
SKOPJE – anagram (comic) of JOKES around (about) P[aris] (heading for Paris) for the capital of Macedonia
4 Behave flamboyantly in musical (8)
SHOWBOAT – double def., one being the 1927 musical by Kern and Hammerstein
9 Dull day back at yard (6)
DREARY – D (day) REAR (back) Y (yard)
10 Forefather? No trace, unfortunately, around the south (8)
ANCESTOR – anagram (unfortunately) of NO TRACE around S (south)
11 Cold? Olivier prepared a vitamin supplement (3-5,3)
COD-LIVER OIL – anagram (prepared) of COLD OLIVIER for the medicinal oil extracted from the fresh liver of the common cod or related fish
14 Demure maiden I married (3)
MIM – M (maiden) I M (married) for a Scottish and dialect word meaning demure or prim
15 Old-fashioned, for a newspaper (6,3,5)
BEHIND THE TIMES – BEHIND (for) THE TIMES (a newspaper)
17 Authority quickly shown after suspension of early business meeting? (5,9)
POWER BREAKFAST – POWER (authority) BREAK (suspension) FAST (quickly)
21 Fish in the Elbe (3)
EEL – hidden in ‘thE Elbe’
22 A new US state formed? That could be extremely good (5,2,1,3)
SWEET AS A NUT – anagram (formed) of A NEW US STATE
23 Find out about record surplus (8)
DISCOVER – DISC (record) OVER (surplus)
25 Trouble with crew (6)
WEIGHT – W (with) EIGHT (crew)
26 Set off from college in time (8)
DETONATE – ETON (college) in DATE (time)
27 Underwear from shopping complex on board ship (6)
SMALLS – MALL (shopping complex) in SS (on board ship)
Down
1 Win over extremely sensible leader (6)
SEDUCE – S[ensibl]E (extremely sensible) DUCE (leader), the title assumed by the Italian dictator Mussolini
2 Finished straight behind (7)
OVERDUE – OVER (finished) DUE (straight)
3 Ornamental pots and wide-mouthed container with reeds in, I suspect (11)
JARDINIERES – JAR (wide-mouthed container) anagram (suspect) of REEDS IN I
5 Worker working with courage, honestly (4,2,5)
HAND ON HEART – HAND (worker) ON (working) HEART (courage)
6 Had on? Runs off in misery (3)
WOE – WO[r]E (Had on? Runs off)
7 Prefer mother to bring one in the very best (7)
OPTIMUM – OPT (prefer) MUM (mother) around I (to bring one in)
8 Dessert – it is a rum concoction (8)
TIRAMISU – anagram (concoction) of IT IS A RUM to give an Italian dessert made with pieces of sponge soaked in coffee and marsala, layered with mascarpone and chocolate
12 Soldiers in on desert manoeuvres, getting green light (11)
ENDORSEMENT – MEN (soldiers) in anagram (manoeuvres) of ON DESERT
13 Released pent-up emotions, then forgave silly mates (3,3,5)
LET OFF STEAM – LET OFF (forgave) anagram (silly) of MATES
16 Marvellous spindle carved by daughter (8)
SPLENDID – anagram (carved) of SPINDLE D (daughter)
18 Shaft prepared, strongly built (4-3)
WELL SET – WELL (shaft) SET (prepared)
19 Country girl seen weaving ahead (7)
SENEGAL – anagram (weaving) of SEEN GAL (girl) for the West African republic
20 Briefly declare American position (6)
STATUS – STAT[e] (briefly declare) US (American)
24 Admit dress is topless (3)
OWN – [g]OWN (dress is topless)
Thank you, Gaufrid.
I have never seen “showboat” used as a verb, in the sense of “to show off”, as it is here, and it isn’t in my dictionary (OED).
Hi crosser
“… and it isn’t in my dictionary (OED)”
That is surprising as the COED has “boastfully display one’s abilities or accomplishments” and there is also confirmation in Chambers “to behave in an ostentatious manner: to show off” and Collins “to perform or behave in a showy and flamboyant way”.
For a visual example of showboating , think of Chris Ashton’s swallow dives to score a try holding the ball in one hand. One day he’ll drop it when it matters and there will other descriptions flying about.
A rare all correct solve in a shortish time for me. Mim was also unknown.
Because I got SKOPJE immediately this was a pleasant top-to-bottom solve. I knew SHOWBOAT as a verb so didn’t have to think twice about it. I also didn’t know MIM but the wordplay couldn’t have been clearer.
Coincidentally I was just reading the manager’s report on my grandson’s U-13 football match, which they won very easily (15-2!), and he said “I was pleased to see no showboating or disrespect for our opponents.”
There might have been some indication that MIM was a dialect or Scottish word, as Everyman usually does, but I guess it was obvious enough without it.
Thanks Everyman for an enjoyable solve.
Thanks Gaufrid; I had to check MIM also. I particularly liked SKOPJE, SEDUCE, HAND ON HEART and SENEGAL.
Thanks, Gaufrid. Fine puzzle as usual from Everyman. I think SHOWBOAT is probably best known in sporting contexts, particularly, as RichWA says, football.
I don’t get Trouble = WEIGHT. Unless it’s in the context of ‘a weight off your mind’?
Showboat I knew was a musical but I had never heard of the term as a show off. However, my Shorter Oxford Dictionary has it right there. I didn’t get 1a nor 3d which I should have. I have a reasonable French vocabulary. I’ve never heard the term ‘sweet as a NUT’.3d was a good one. I’m getting better at this puzzle. Still have to get 100% though.