Times 27861 – woke and awake

I know it’s not cricket to blog that something was easy, or easier than another thing, pour pas les autres décourager, but I was surprised to find myself writing in answers as fast as I could use a pen, for most of this; I even wondered if I’d mistakenly printed off the Quickie. It did help that Mrs K and I are keen on our dog-ology, there are few breeds we’ve not heard of, although I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a 8a in the flesh, or coat. 12 minutes is an equal PB for me I think, and the parsing was no sweat either.
I’m not sure what 4d means, in regard to the chap’s scribblings, but I’m sure Verlaine does (and many more).

Across
1	Men in further education giving warning on course (4)
	FORE – OR (ordinary ranks, men) inside F E for further education.
4	Fellow pupil beginning to serve chilled infusion outside hotel (10)
	SCHOOLMATE – S (beginning to serve) COOL (chilled) insert H for hotel, add MATE being an infusion of a kind of tea.
9	First of several kittens edgy about cheerful little dog (10)
	SCHIPPERKE – S K E (first letters of several kittens edgy), insert CHIPPER for cheerful. A little black Belgian dog breed.
10	Conclusion sometimes drawn by an organist (4)
	STOP – Organists pull out the stops.
11	Swamp primarily surrounding Irish lake (6)
	SLOUGH – Not the charming town near Heathrow; a swamp, derived from S first letter of surrounding, LOUGH as in Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles by area. (Are we still allowed to use the term “British Isles” after tomorrow?)
12	Wooden panelling in old wagons by country dwelling (8)
	WAINSCOT – WAINS are old wagons, COT is a term for a cottage.
14	Reportedly something that beats a mature male deer (4)
	HART – Sounds like HEART that beats. There are enough pubs called “The White Hart” with a stag picture on the sign, you have no excuse for not knowing this beast.
15	Agree to exchange letters (10)
	CORRESPOND – double definition.
17	Fantastic eastern wit, a discriminating drinker (4,6)
	WINE TASTER – (EASTERN WIT)*.
20	Catch a glimpse of some state’s pyramids (4)
	ESPY – hidden word as bold above.
21	Break in regularly after pinching item of jewellery (8)
	INFRINGE – IN, then insert RING into a F t E r.
23	Note that makes us tremble! (6)
	QUAVER – double definition.
24	Sole Liberal in west end of Oklahoma City (4)
	ONLY – O (‘west’ end of Oklahoma) L(iberal) inside NY (city).
25	Repaired rail is best steadying device (10)
	STABILISER – (RAIL IS BEST)*.
26	Africans visit Kent area, taking in Tyneside lass (10)
	SENEGALESE – insert NE and GAL into SEE SE = visit where Kent is.
27	Follower of 1980s subculture became stylish in the end (4)
	GOTH – GOT (became) H (end of stylish).

Down
2	Outstanding Liverpudlian singer madly into swing (11)
	OSCILLATION – OS (outstanding) CILLA (as in Cilla Black, what’s yer name and whure d’ya come from) (INTO)*.
3	English mostly snigger about that French behavioural code (9)
	ETIQUETTE – E(nglish) TITTE(R) = mostly snigger, insert QUE = that in French.
4	Download Horace’s first letter, thus written about like his odes (7)
	SAPPHIC – APP (download; apps have to be downloaded, usually) H(orace) all inside SIC Latin for thus.
5	Rebel leader from this place fighting duke on the Wash (8,3,4)
	HEREWARD THE WAKE – HERE (this place) WAR (fighting) D (duke) THE, WAKE = wash. He was a chap from the Fens who took exception to invading Normans. These days he’d probably be called WOKE instead, as Wake means watchful, kind of PC.
6	Former ace, a man with energy (3-4)
	ONE-TIME – ONE (ace) TIM (a man) E.
7	Old Mexican Indian, a variable investigator (5)
	AZTEC – A, Z a variable, TEC for detective.
8	Assistant replacing one in flight — one living abroad (5)
	EXPAT – Replace the I in EXIT with PA. I’m an EXEXPAT.
13	Ubiquitous old politician with grudge about Islington area (11)
	OMNIPRESENT – O for old, MP, RESENT (with grudge) insert N1 postcode for Islington into the MP bit.
16	Coming before what a hawk may be doing (9)
	PREDATING – Double definition. A hawk is a predator so he “predates”. Unusual as a verb, but it exists.
18	Confusing names initially is a pathological condition (7)
	AMNESIA – (MANES)*, I(s) A.
19	Pay back half of rent? Absolutely (7)
	REQUITE – RE(nt), QUITE = absolutely. It’s usually love that is requited. Or unrequited, more often.
21	Clubs criminals were sometimes clapped in? (5)
	IRONS – Golf clubs, and bad guys were ‘clapped in irons’.
22	Crook fleeces exec at first, taking half of capital (5)
	FELON – F E (fleeces exec at first) LON(don).

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