Times 26968 – 25 up your ears?

Solving time:  12:35.

Pretty steady solve, I found this overall a bigger challenge than yesterday but there were no unknown answers that held me up at the end.  A few tricky wordplay elements, I suspect there will be a bit of biffing going on here, although the wordplay is clear.

It is getting kind of late here, so I hope I haven’t made any mistakes, but if I have, check in the comments, I won’t be able to come back and amend anything until after noon GMT.

Definitions are underlined in the clue

Away we go…


Across
1 Doesn’t allow depositing money in change? On the contrary (2,2,5)
BY NO MEANS – BANS(doesn’t allow) conatining an anagram of MONEY
6 Old king about to collect one jacket (5)
TUNIC – king CNUT reversed, containing I
9 Take pleasure in show, though not first class (5)
REVEL – REVEAL(show) missing A(first class)
10 Unwilling to enter secluded spot shortly changes gear (9)
RECLOTHES -LOTH(unwilling) inside RECES(s)
11 To go to bed at late hour’s serious — sleep uneasily? (4,2,4,5)
TURN IN ONES GRAVE – TURN IN (to go to bed), ONE’S (late hour’s), GRAVE(serious)
13 Pursuing girl, I must leave pleasant London house (8)
CLARENCE – CLARE(girl) then remove I from NICE
14 Wander along, heading for seriously nasty poster (6)
STROLL – S(eriously), TROLL(nasty internet poster)
16 Scotland Yard officers probing teachers exposed one (6)
NUDIST – DIS (Scotland Yard Detective Inspectors) inside NUT(National Union of Teachers)
18 Small deed visited by new penalty (8)
SANCTION – S, ACTION(deed) containing N
21 Appoint entirely slippery ambassador (15)
PLENIPOTENTIARY – anagram of APPOINT,ENTIRELY
23 Alarmed to have to shift broken stone (4,5)
ROAD METAL – anagram of ALARMED,TO
25 Groom’s carnation usher finally pinned in (5)
PRINK – PINK(carnation) containing (ushe)R
26 Exclude lower classes at pub (5)
DEBAR – D and E (lower classes), BAR
27 Pop group and accompanying female working for popular cause (9)
BANDWAGON – BAND(pop group), WAG(accompanying female), ON(working) – WAGS was the name of a recent “reality TV” show here so that was burned on my skull accidentally

Down
1 Society in Lancaster is broke (5)
BURST – S(society) in the actor BURT Lancaster
2 See vineyard destroyed, but don’t give up (5,3,3)
NEVER SAY DIE – anagram of SEE,VINEYARD
3 Uneasy feeling Orientals talked of (7)
MALAISE – sounds like MALAYS
4 Anglican tune: “Warriors on high” (3,5)
AIR FORCE – an Anglican tune could be an AIR FOR CE
5 Not to be touched, frightened turning around (6)
SACRED – as in SACRED cow – SCARED with the RE reversed
6 Idea that is however ahead of time (7)
THOUGHT
7 Books hotel last? (3)
NTH – NT(New Testament), H(hotel) as in “the NTH degree”
8 Keep governor almost of star quality in prison (9)
CASTELLAN – STELLA(r) in CAN
12 Revolted by tar, old bird can start to gag (11)
ABOMINATING – AB(tar), O, MINA(bird), TIN(can), G(ag)  (apologies for typo – I had “bired” in there)
13 Plotted no end of biased reporting to divide political opponents (9)
CONSPIRED – SPI(n) (biased reporting) inside CON and RED(political opponents)
15 One who explored a long time all over the north, miles ahead (8)
MAGELLAN – AGE(a long time) then ALL reversed, N with M at the front
17 Suppress rage when gaining pounds, wanting to be this? (7)
SLIMMER – SIMMER(suppress rage) containing L
19 In boat, spotted holding power tool (4-3)
CATS-PAW – CAT(catamaran, boat), SAW(spotted) containing P
20 Bath is very popular, going by boat (3,3)
HOT TUB – HOT(very popular), by TUB(boat)
22 It’s horrible working in this territory (5)
YUKON – YUK(it;s horrible), ON(working)
24 Vestment almost entirely black (3)
ALB -AL(l), B

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