cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(–), homophones indicated in “”
ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online, OED = Oxford English Dictionary, etc.
Across
1. Main office provided backing for study of religious law (4)
fiqh – HQ (main office) + IF (provided, both rev.
3. Local played and hummed when carrying pants (10)
niffnaffed – NAFF (pants) in NIFFED (hummed, ie smelled). “Local” meaning, dialect. In this case Northern
9. Sad Britons tipsy regularly, not having a life? (7)
abiosis – alternate letters of sAd BrItOnS tIpSy.
11. Pet cut with needle and coloured glass (7)
favrile – FAV(E) (pet, cut) + RILE (needle). At least I assume it is fav(e) and not fav(ourite) but I suppose either would do. Both the word favrile and favrile glass itself were invented by Tiffany.
12. At once needing animal doctor? He must come round (9)
Helvetium – VET (animal doctor) in HELIUM (He). A very sneaky clue, especially for the unscientific amongst us! Two chemical symbols in one clue. The history of both Helvetium and Astatine (At), the final name of element 85, are most curious and worth looking up. astatine is the scarcest of all naturally ocurring elements, with well under 1g in existence at any one time.
13. New alias protecting leader for far-reaching change in Africa (5)
nakfa – N (new), + F(AR) in AKA (alias). Nakfa are Eritrean currency and are currently worth about 4p each, much more than some African currencies..
14. Twin judges our rouleau waveringly, bringing hand to mouth (2,4,2,4)
au jour le jour – *(J + J + OUR ROULEAU). This clue was a write-in for me, the identical phrase having occurred only three months ago in the October 2015 club monthly. Also with a kind of anagram..
18. Hound, large, goaded with pins of different sizes (6-6)
badger-legged – BADGER (hound) + L(arge) + EGGED (goaded)
21. High, inaccessible place almost entirely right for Northerner’s money (5)
eyrir – EYRI(e) + R(ight)
22. Asphalt in S Pacific island, almost filling hollow upas-tree (9)
uintahite – IN TAHIT(I) in U(pas tre)E. Better known (well, slightly) as Gilsonite, it was what made the Model T Ford any desired colour, so long as it was black..
24. Like neat home: it quickens the heart (7)
digoxin – DIG (like) + OX (neat, ie cattle) + IN (home). Digoxin is a medical form of digitalis and thus potentially highly toxic. It quickens the heart but has the unfortunate side effect of occasionally stopping it altogether.
25. Diplomat no longer in left Pope agitated (7)
plenipo – *(IN + L + POPE). I don’t know why the “no longer” is there. Plenipo is a rare word but is not extinct.. the last quotation the OED has is from 1986. It’s just a shortened form of plenipotentiary.
26. Pen, say, landing author ultimately with a couple of bills (10)
birostrate – (autho)R in BIRO (pen) + STATE (say). László József Bíró, was inventor of the ballpoint pen and an interesting man
27. Old poet’s past taking tips from young, obstinate (4)
ygoe – Y(oun)G + O(bstinat)E. The old poet in question being, unsurprisingly, Spenser.
Down
1. Machine that turns into craze for dull American? (8)
flathead – LATHE (machine that turns) in FAD (craze). Unsure why it has to be an American specifically.. the earliest OED quote is from Leeds and other examples are Australian as well as US.. and one from PG Wodehouse!
2. Possible source for soap writer getting a nod from the Germans (8)
quillaja – QUILL (writer) + A + JA, (German for “yes”). The soap bark tree..
4. The setter’s quiet: I beat it (5)
imshi – I’M (the setter’s) SH (quiet) + I. Army slang from an Arabic word.
5. Old regimental player’s predicament, standing up to line of fire, rashly (4-5)
fife-major – JAM (predicament) rev. in *(OF FIRE).
6. An American woman’s stocking opening excited urge for role-playing diversion? (9,4)
adventure game – VENT (opening) + *(URGE) in A DAME, and American woman.
7. Quick dance movement one day, then something like reggae (6)
friska – FRI(day) + SKA, which is like reggae… the friska is the fast bit of the Hungarian Csárdás
8. Intricate — what follows so lifeless, on reflection (6)
Daedal – LA (which as we know follows SO) + DEAD (lifeless), both rev. From Daedalus, master aritificer and a hero of mine
10. Eccentric sexts peculiar female theorists rarely (13)
speculatrixes – *(SEXTS PECULIAR). Liked the surface!
15. Australian tweeting diary entries with messenger (9)
logrunner – LOG (diary entries) + RUNNER (messenger). First sexting, then tweeting..
16. Horrifying, once sloth smothers Greek zest (8)
agrizing – GR (Greek) in AI (the three-toed sloth) + ZING (zest)
17. Petition of French overturned with a single cut (8)
edgebone – BE (petition) + DE (French for “of”) both rev., + ONE (single). Same as an aitchbone, apparently..
19. Pole our leading lady expert used for vault (6)
serdab – S (pole, ie not the N pole) + ER (HM the Queen) + DAB (expert, often a dab hand)
20. Coaster departs, message received (6)
droger – D(eparts) + ROGER, radio argot for “message received.” It reminded me of this. They surely don’t make them like that any more!
23. One maybe worked in Durham coalfield’s information unit (5)
nepit – NE PIT, which may have been near Durham… also known as a nat or a nit, according to one of the more opaque Wikipedia entries
I thought 12A an excellent clue which prompted me to re-read the history. At 8D I thought of Morse doing the fictional crossword.
Strange how one recalls some phrases. I was once discussing UK State Pension funding arrangements in Paris and a French delegate described them as AU JOUR LE JOUR – spot on I thought.
If “the last quotation the OED has is from 1986” that would suggest recent extinction, but actually if you look here (I love this tool) it appears to be staging something of a revival.