50 minutes with time lost getting started and at the end where I was stuck with most of the SW corner missing for far too long. In between, this was a steady and enjoyable solve with only a couple of less than familiar words and meanings. There doesn’t seem to be a lot that needs saying so I'll keep things quite brief today.
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Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ETCH - {f}ETCH (get) |
| 3 | IMPROPERLY - REPOR{t} (story) reversed inside IMPLY (suggest) |
| 9 | CHINWAG - W (weight) inside CHINA (country), {do}G{ma} |
| 11 | PROBLEM - B (bishop) inside ROLE (part), all inside PM (head of government) |
| 12 | STATISTIC - ST (saint), then IS inside ATTIC (Greek dialect) |
| 13 | NIECE - {I}N{s}I{d}E{r}, CE (church) |
| 14 | MARCEL PROUST - CRAM (crowd) reversed, E (energy), then PRO (expert) inside LUST (desire) |
| 18 | PLAIN SAILING - I (one) inside PLANS (schemes), AILING (in a bad way) |
| 21 | PLUMP - L (left) inside PUMP (quiz) |
| 22 | SACRAMENT - Anagram of MAN REACTS |
| 24 | REFRAIN - REF (arbiter), RAIN (drops) |
| 25 | PRESENT - Double meaning, the second as in PRE-SENT |
| 26 | ANTITHESIS - A (area), TITHES (taxes) inside SIN (wrong) reversed |
| 27 | SLUR - Hidden |
Down | |
| 1 | EXCUSE-ME - C (about) + USE (exercise) + {swa}M, all inside EXE (river). It's a dance in which one may ask to take another person's partner. It's often preceded by 'Gentleman's' or 'Lady's' to indicate whose turn it is to do the asking. |
| 2 | CHIVALRY - CH (Companion - of Honour) replaces the first letter of {r}IVALRY (competition) |
| 4 | MIGHT - Sounds like "mite", the smallest Roman coin, with reference to the widow who contributed her mite in St Mark's Gospel. |
| 5 | RAPACIOUS - RA (sun god), then AC (account) inside PIOUS (devout) |
| 6 | PROGNOSTICATE - Anagram of TIPS ON RACE GOT |
| 7 | RELIEF - RE (referring to), LIE (fiction), F (frequency) |
| 8 | YAMMER - YAM (vegetable), MER{it} (deserve). I didn’t know this word as a cry of distress, only as talking loudly. |
| 10 | WHITE ELEPHANT - TEE (support) inside WHILE (although), H (hard) inside PANT (long). The "white elephant stall" is a regular feature of village fetes, bazaars and the like, unwanted household items having been donated in order to raise money. |
| 15 | PUISSANCE - UP (reversed), anagram of IN CASES. I didn't know or had forgotten this showjumping event. |
| 16 | SIDEREAL - SIDE (team), REAL (not fanciful) |
| 17 | AGITATOR - A (ace), ROTATI{n}G (turning) reversed |
| 19 | SPARTA - SPAR (dispute), T (time), A (article) |
| 20 | BUFFET - Double meaning |
| 23 | CAPRI - CAP (covering), {g}RI{d} |