I completed all but one answer within 30 minutes but after 36 minutes I gave up and used aids for the last one in.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
| Across | ||
| 1 | Source of steel block fool contaminated with copper (8) | |
| DAMASCUS | ||
| DAM (block), then ASS (fool) containing [contaminated with] CU (copper). Just as well the wordplay was straightforward as I never ‘eard of this. ‘Contaminated with’ is a little unusual as a containment indicator but I think it works. | ||
| 5 | My people book most of holiday site, something much used in lockdown (6) | |
| WEBCAM | ||
| WE (my people), B (book), CAM{p} (holiday site) [most of…]. Not used by me, and I’ve never holidayed in a camp, but I take the point. | ||
| 9 | Republican? I would rave, perhaps, for removal (8) | |
| RIDDANCE | ||
| R (Republican), I’D (I would), DANCE (rave, perhaps) | ||
| 10 | Spirit — a small measure fellow’s consumed (6) | |
| DAEMON | ||
| DON (fellow) contains [has consumed] A + EM (small measure – printing). This was the one I gave up on as I couldn’t think of a word for ‘spirit’ to fit the checkers and the route via wordplay was closed off to me as I had convinced myself that ‘small measure’ would be MM. I also considered S+M for a while but discounted that as I don’t recall ever seeing m = measure. As for the fellow, I considered DON but also the possibility that it could be any man’s name ??N and there were too many of those to work through. Of course I’m aware of the old-fashioned alternative spelling of the answer but I wasn’t expecting it. | ||
| 12 | Crooked western madam in early American settlement (3,9) | |
| NEW AMSTERDAM | ||
| Anagram [crooked] of WESTERN MADAM. The Big Apple when it was little more than a pip. | ||
| 15 | Middle of April or earlier (5) | |
| PRIOR | ||
| {a}PRI{l} [middle of…], OR | ||
| 16 | Western town is small beginning for this key US state (2,7) | |
| ST AUSTELL | ||
| S (small), T{his} [beginning], A (key – music), US, TELL (state). The Cornish town has a rather good brewery. For those who like hoppy and strong, I recommend their Proper Job. | ||
| 18 | European force repeatedly once inspiring dread around Britain’s heart but repelled? (9) | |
| LUFTWAFFE | ||
| E (European) + F F (force repeatedly) + AWFUL (once inspiring dread) containing [around] {Bri}T{ain} [‘s heart], all reversed [repelled]. A stunning &lit clue! I think ‘once’ indicates that ‘inspiring dread’ may have been the original meaning of ‘awful’ but it’s used more casually now for things far less severe. | ||
| 19 | What’s new in clothes? Item with arms joined together (5) | |
| TONGS | ||
| N (new) contained by [in] TOGS (clothes) | ||
| 20 | Girl’s after a regular visitor to the dairy plant (8,4) | |
| GUERNSEY LILY | ||
| GUERNSEY (regular visitor to the dairy – a breed of cow), LILY (girl). Never ‘eard of it. | ||
| 24 | Flower is good in territory’s first flag (6) | |
| TIGRIS | ||
| G (good) contained by [in] T{erritory} [‘s first] + IRIS (flag – plant). The river flows into the Persian Gulf. | ||
| 25 | A run time reset is deliberate (8) | |
| RUMINATE | ||
| Anagram [reset] of A RUN TIME | ||
| 26 | Caught express to get fast boat (6) | |
| CUTTER | ||
| C (caught – cricket), UTTER (express) | ||
| 27 | Farm animal is present intended to be given to daughter (8) | |
| HEREFORD | ||
| HERE (present), FOR (intended to be given to}, D (daughter). All this farmyard stuff! ‘Guernsey’ and ‘Hereford’, both creatures that ‘ruminate’, and ‘scarecrow’ still to come in the Down answers. Is our setter a farmer from St Austell, I wonder? | ||
| Down | |
| 1 | Fish out of water without oxygen (4) |
| DORY | |
| DRY (out of water) containing [without – outside] O (oxygen) | |
| 2 | Style of metre poem follows (4) |
| MODE | |
| M (metre), ODE (poem) | |
| 3 | Concern in Worcestershire rising unsettling rural figure (9) |
| SCARECROW | |
| CARE (concern) contained by [in] WORCS (Worcestershire – official abbreviation) reversed [rising]. | |
| 4 | One holding lecture in public (12) |
| UNCLASSIFIED | |
| UNIFIED (one) containing [holding] CLASS (lecture) | |
| 6 | Get thrilled when English story turns up (5) |
| ELATE | |
| E (English) + TALE (story) reversed [turns up] | |
| 7 | Amusing woman‘s invitation to stop over November ends in union and marriage (10) |
| COMEDIENNE | |
| COME (invitation), DIE (stop), N (November – NATO alphabet), {unio}N + {marriag}E [ends] | |
| 8 | Note celebrities distinguished by few features (10) |
| MINIMALIST | |
| MINIM (note – music), A-LIST (celebrities) | |
| 11 | Provision to leave space, as clue confused editor initially (6,6) |
| ESCAPE CLAUSE | |
| Anagram [confused] of SPACE AS CLUE, then E{ditor} [initially] | |
| 13 | Sorry self-importance is elevated in rigged Capitol (10) |
| APOLOGETIC | |
| EGO (self-importance) reversed [elevated] and contained by [in] anagram [rigged] of CAPITOL | |
| 14 | Voice alarm about European aviation business (3,7) |
| AIR FREIGHT | |
| AIR (voice e.g. an opinion), FRIGHT (alarm) containing [about] E (European) | |
| 17 | Gorge on pounds with few calories for heavenly body (9) |
| SATELLITE | |
| SATE (gorge), L (pounds), LITE (with few calories) | |
| 21 | Showing an innocence one found in large part of church (5) |
| NAIVE | |
| I (one) contained by [found in] NAVE (large part of church) | |
| 22 | Craze over Portuguese song (4) |
| FADO | |
| FAD (craze), O (over – cricket). Here’s a taste of it. | |
| 23 | Ward‘s fine goal (4) |
| FEND | |
| F (fine), END (goal). You might ward / fend something off. | |
Did this one in a couple of sessions before Christmas and only pulled it back out to check it today. After going through it carefully, still managed to justify my MAMMON (certainly cryptically works – MON (Sc. man) around A MM) and went with a god being close to a spirit.
Lots of innovative and clever clues, with LUFTWAFFE being my pick of the crop. Had to look up and check a number of the other answers, including DAMASCUS STEEL, ST AUSTELL, GUERNSEY LILY and FADO.
Finished in the NE corner with that MAMMON (oops DAEMON), ST AUSTELL and WEBCAM (which was a great penny drop moment when it came).