Times Cryptic No 26922 – Saturday, 30 December 2017. A gentle wind-down.

I’m not sure I can pick a clue of the day, so even was the quality. If forced to choose, I might nominate 1ac, for the subtle reference to heretics. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.

Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means ‘anagram of ABC’, deletions are in {curly brackets}.

Across
1 Emotional release of heretic sister (9)
CATHARSIS: CATHAR / SIS. Wikipedia says Catharism was a Christian dualist or Gnostic revival movement that thrived in some areas of Southern Europe, particularly northern Italy and what is now southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. The followers were known as Cathars and are now mainly remembered for a prolonged period of persecution by the Catholic Church which did not recognise their belief as truly Christian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism
6 What refugees did outside I placed on record (5)
FILED: I in FLED.
9 Fungus beginning to taint nettle (7)
TRUFFLE: T{aint} RUFFLE.
10 Did individual ingesting Ecstasy become less intense? (3,4)
DIE DOWN: E in DID OWN.
11 High office with power and official accommodation (10)
PRESIDENCY: P{ower} RESIDENCY.
12 Mother’s taken off least skimpy garment (4)
MINI: take MUM off MINIMUM.
14 Unfortunately, I can’t stop doing that! (3,2)
CAN IT: (I CANT*)
15 Having a particular capacity to bond with opponent in camp (9)
TRIVALENT: RIVAL in TENT. It means an atom able to have three chemical bonds, if you wondered.
16 Villain concerned with what’s needed to get hold of legacy (9)
REPROBATE: RE / PROBATE.
18 Rocky island exporting small breed of cattle (5)
KERRY: remove S from SKERRY. I guessed the answer once the helpers were in placed, although I’d never heard of this breed of cattle. The word for rocky island, if perhaps dimly remembers, seemed at least plausible.
20 Half of liquid cleansers may be fake (4)
SHAM: from SHAM{poos}.
21 For each soft drink has to run drinks machine (10)
PERCOLATOR: PER / COLA / TO / R.
25 A trick nearly takes in couple? That’s tough (7)
ARDUOUS: DUO in A / RUS{e}.
26 Folly to finish back in service (7)
MADNESS: END backwards in MASS.
27 Shame about hard Concise (5)
PITHY: H in PITY.
28 Speaker on platform reported one changing room that’s shabby? (9)
DECORATOR: DEC sounds like “deck” / ORATOR.

Down
1 Distressed copper’s taken up to station (3,2)
CUT UP: CU / PUT=station “taken up” i.e. backwards.
2 Spring baby has a nature that’s unruly (7)
TAUREAN: (A NATURE*). Reference to the Zodiac sign, which presumably falls in the northern spring.
3 A fine story about damsel’s end in distress (10)
AFFLICTION: L from {damse}L, in A / F / FICTION.
4 Untreated skin rolled on the tongue (5)
SUEDE: sounds like “swayed”. Not quite sure in what sense suede is “untreated”, but clearly it’s not polished.
5 Used civet sprayed around to be alluring (9)
SEDUCTIVE: (USED CIVET*).
6 Resistance when cutting payment on the house (4)
FREE: R for resistance in FEE.
7 As some popes are showing the nature of pride? (7)
LEONINE: double definition, I guess. There were 13 Pope Leos, and of course lions come in prides.
8 Work done on bridge, perhaps damaged its end with crack (9)
DENTISTRY: (ITS END*) + TRY=crack.
13 Re-offender ends restraint before queen (10)
BACKSLIDER: BACKS=ends / LID=restraint, as in “put a lid on it” / ER.
14 Perhaps pack instrument for player on the fiddle (9)
CARDSHARP: CARDS=deck, perhaps / HARP=instrument.
15 Came across unruly youth around lively partygoers (9)
TRAVERSED: RAVERS in TED, as in “Teddy boy” (showing someone’s age?).
17 Place on examination gets enthusiastic approval (7)
PLAUDIT: PL / AUDIT.
19 Sappers deal with withdrawal (7)
RETREAT: RE / TREAT.
22 Funny pear’s not English (5)
COMIC: COMIC{e}. Very like 18ac, I guessed the answer once I had the final C, then the name of the pear seemed at least plausible, although this time totally unfamiliar.
23 Pipe up about title being brought up (5)
RISER: RE / SIR, all “up”, i.e. backwards.
24 Reluctant to talk about name for rabbit (4)
CONY: N in COY.