Times 29129 – where’s Antonio, then?

37:03

A roughly average time for me, but it felt harder while solving, and contains a couple of real gems. I went right to left, saving my COD 3dn for close to the end, and a guess at 20dn for my LOI.

Definitions underlined.

Across
1	Where peer may sit, in Lords, returned to power (10)
	CHAMBERPOT – CHAMBER (Lords, for example), then reversal of (returned) TO + P (power). Where pee-er may sit. If I’ve got the parsing right, we’re missing any indication of the DBE, but I don’t mind.
6	Artist losing urge, knocked back wine (4)
	HOCK – HOCKney (artist) minus the reversed ‘yen’ (urge).
8	Northern residents reportedly ruled this place in the East End (8)
	REINDEER – sounds like “reigned” (ruled) and “here” (this place), if you say it in an East London accent.
9	Lacking sleep, son leaves city (6)
	NAPLES – NAPLESs (without sleep) minus ‘s’ (son).
10	Nothing to cover area one’s quick to protect (4)
	NAIL – NIL (nothing) containing (to cover) A (area). It protects the quick, the living tissue under the nail.
11	Government department put female in igloo? (4,6)
	HOME OFFICE – F (female) contained by HOME OF ICE (igloo?).
12	Wine store in future undergoing merger? (9)
	COMBINING – BIN (wine store) contained by COMING (future).
14	Squad’s not in contact with Ancient Greek (5)
	PLATO – PLATOon (squad) minus the ‘on’ (in contact with).
17	Dash of colour in spun yarn produces striking effect (5)
	ECLAT – first (dash) of Colour, contained by a reversal of (spun) TALE. Not an anagram of *cyarn then, thankfully.
19	Dissenters on reflection no different in south-west (9)
	WESLEYANS – reversal of (on reflection): NAY (no) + ELSE (different), all contained by SW. I liked this one, but it was pipped by 3dn…
22	Stirring up old men, the writer Voltaire, say (3,2,5)
	NOM DE PLUME – anagram of (stirring) UP OLD MEN + ME (the writer).
23	One opposing extraordinary action, Conservative must go (4)
	ANTI – ANTIc (extraordinary action), minus the ‘c’ (Conservative).
24	Like and court nymph at first overcome with emotion (6)
	ASWOON – AS (like) + WOO (court) + first of Nymph.
25	For light work tree with a pot should be moved (8)
	OPERETTA – anagram of (should be moved) TREE + A POT.
26	A mother needed for man thus deprived? (4)
	ADAM – A DAM (a mother).
27	Sea round building restricting boy’s interfering (10)
	MEDDLESOME – MED (sea) + DOME (round building) containing LES (random boy’s name).

Down
1	Line featured in very bad European account (9)
	CHRONICLE – L (line) contained by (featured in) CHRONIC (very bad) + E (European).
2	Ascendant bird is source of magic in primitive religion (7)
	ANIMISM – reversal of (ascendant) MINA (bird) + IS + first (source) of Magic.
3	Adele ultimately inclined to throttle pub trumpeter (8)
	ELEPHANT – last of (ultimately) adelE + LEANT (inclined) containing (to throttle) PH (public house, pub). Really enjoyed the surface reading and PDM on seeing it.
4	Motel being one in road, we turn to map when lost (11,4)
	PORTMANTEAU WORD – anagram of (when lost) ROAD WE TURN TO MAP. Another chortle from me.
5	Second-rate cash prize (6)
	TINPOT – TIN (cash) + POT (prize).
6	Games packed in Orcadian island with any luck (9)
	HOPEFULLY – PE (games) + FULL (packed), all contained by HOY (island in Orkney).
7	Canal company introduces arrangement of locks (4,3)
	CREW CUT – CUT (canal) which CREW (company) introduces. Nice, but you can’t catch me out that easily anymore, setter.
13	Pole with blade died, restrained by cleaner in executive suite (9)
	BOARDROOM – OAR (pole with blade) + D (died), all contained by BROOM (cleaner).
15	Stubborn batting contained by over bowled, say (9)
	OBSTINATE – IN (batting), contained by O (over) + B (bowled) and STATE (say).
16	Indecent call is a bloomer (8)
	BLUEBELL – BLUE (indecent) + BELL (call).
18	Put in from wing, Batty scored, grabbing second (7)
	CROSSED – anagram of (batty) SCORED containing (grabbing) S (second).
20	Girl anything but restrained climbing tree (7)
	ANNATTO – ANNA (random girl’s name), then OTT (over the top, anything but restrained) reversed (climbing). The internet informs me this is a tree from the tropical Americas.
21	America perhaps putting horse into space? (6)
	EPONYM – PONY (horse) contained by EM (printer’s space).

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