A very straightforward puzzle from Philistine, but with some nice touches.
Across
1 Attend tailor, me? Unlikely (14)
TATTERDEMALION
(ATTEND TAILOR ME)* &lit. A tatterdemalion is hardly likely to attend a tailor’s shop.
9 In high spirits once over German worker (9)
EXUBERANT
EX + ÜBER + ANT
10 Prime cuts of beef — rare and, very occasionally, well done (5)
BRAVO
Initial letters
11 To whom the mouse and the lion pose a problem (5)
AESOP
(POSE A)*. The definition is a bit unclear but one gets the idea.
12 In wrong gear? That’s right, officer (9)
BRIGADIER
RIG in BAD + IE + R
13 A case of home position (8)
INSTANCE
IN + STANCE
14 Brief ascent with short cut to reach the top (6)
CLIMAX
CLIM(b) + AX(e)
17 Tawdry trim with no end of ostentation (6)
GARISH
GAR(n)ISH
19 Spread (eg butter) endlessly round a loaf of bread (8)
BAGUETTE
A in (EG BUTTE(r))*
22 Rank by comparison of writer’s novel (9)
FROWSTIER
(OF WRITERS)*
24 Aim when holy and delicate for a key change (5)
GRAIL
FRAIL with G for F
25 No lover has a broken heart (5)
HATER
(HEART)*
26 Covering party in spilt red wine (9)
EIDERDOWN
DO in (RED WINE)*
27 Business that’s promising to lose weight with sturdy exercise (6,8)
GROWTH INDUSTRY
GROW THIN + (STURDY)*
Down
1,23 Spooner’s embarrassing honest folk in play (3,6,2,3,5)
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Or, as the overworked rev. might have it, the Shaming of the True.
2 Examples of “stating the bleeding obvious” suit Mrs Faulty (7)
TRUISMS
(SUIT MRS)*. The surface is slightly marred by the fact that Mrs Fawlty didn’t spell her name like that.
3 Models are not liable to have bottom wiped by Swedish bloke (9)
EXEMPLARS
EXEMP(t) + LARS, a name in Sweden and elsewhere.
4 Ward problem (8)
DRAWBACK
A reverse clue, (DRAW)< being WARD
5 Framework said to follow April Fools? (6)
MATRIX
“May tricks”
6 Sign up to take part in bar billiards (5)
LIBRA
Reversed in (b)AR BIL(liards)
7 Mansion built for personal pleasure (7)
ONANISM
(MANSION)*. I don’t suppose they’d let this subject matter through at the Times. Onan, you will remember, ‘spilled his seed on the ground’ to avoid having a child by the widow of his brother, er … Er. This failure to do his duty by his sister-in-law was not cricket, so the Lord upped and slew him.
8 Solver’s old half-length cycle round ambassador (4,10)
YOUR EXCELLENCY
YOUR + EX + (LEN(gth) CYCLE)*
15 Look up fish at university in France, a mythical creature (4-5)
LOUP-GAROU
LO + UP + GAR + OU (Open University). The French name for the werewolf.
16 Hard rain’s gonna fall for 23 (8)
HARRIDAN
(HARD RAIN)*. The curiously worded anagram indicator alludes to Bob Dylan’s song.
18 Morning caller’s rest, woolly jumper on top (7)
ROOSTER
ROO (jumper) on (REST)*
20 What’s warm? (4,3)
THAW OUT
Another reverse clue: (THAW)* = WHAT
21 Advanced knot securing loose end (2-4)
HI-TECH
E in HITCH
23 See 1
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