Not an easy solve – most satisfying
Across
1 WELL-WISHER dd
6 DATA stuff in computer A TAD< (a bit back)
9 OOPS-A-DAISY sorry OO (love x 2) PS (note) A DAISY (girl)
10 SCOT dd (old tax – Scottish parliament is devolved)
12 CHAMBERMAIDS servants (ADAM BESMIRCH)*
15 TOLERATED accepted LOT< (bunch back) E(English) RATED (told off)
17 ABEAM from side to side on ship A BEAM (smile)
18 BINGO game of chance NIB< (writer about) GO (game of skill)
19 MARE’S NEST much vaunted discovery MARE’S (horse’s) NEST (for birds)
20 EAT ONES WORDS retract (WOTS REASONED)*
24 AUNT relation A UNIT (part minus I – one)
25BATTLEDORE game A TT (tourist trophy) LED (was first) all in BORE (dull)
26 EACH per head [t]EACH[er]
27 TENNIS BALL dd
Down
1 WOOD dd Henry & deal is wood
2 LOPE slow pace OP (work) in L[eisur]E
3 WEATHER-BOUND restricted by elements in [fe[W EAT HER[e]
4 SWARM throng R (river) in SWAM (competed in race)
5 EAST ENDER capital fellow END (goal) in EASTER (festival)
7 ARCHIMEDES a Greek ARCH (devilish) ME (this writer) in IDES (of March)
8 ANTI-SEMITE racist (IN EAST)* MITE (little creature)
11 AMBASSADRESS diplomat A MB (doctor) ASS (idiot) DRESS (bandage)
13 STABLEMATE partner (SAME BATTLE)*
14 PLANKTONIC like sea food PLANK (policy in politics) TONIC (medicine)
16 TIMESCALE &lit TIME (the enemy) SCALE (range)
21 OFTEN a lot [s]OFTEN (ease)
22 CODA tailpiece COD (fish) A
23 CELL room CE (church) LL (lines)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
This was an unusually tough Bradman — thanks, setter. And thanks to you, Jed, but I still don’t get 27ac. How is that a double definition?
Thanks, Jed.
For me 27ac is a cryptic definition (which reflects perhaps Hornbeam’s thought on this clue too).
I think 25ac should be parsed as A+LED around TT which then should go inside BORE.
Once more a nice puzzle by one of the best setters around.
That said, this one was tougher than usual. Agree.