I found this significantly more difficult than yesterday's or Monday's, although having consumed enough wine for both Mrs K and me last evening during our celebratory dinner, I am not at my sparkling best this morning. I got as far as 14a before finding a write-in, then 11d, and the rest unravelled steadily in about 25 minutes. I had 10a from the word play but did check it afterwards to be sure.
| Across |
| 1 | HEADS OFF - I saw soon enough what was going on here, but wanted to put in TEES OFF (which of course doesn't fit) and ended up waiting for 1d to arrive before writing in the correct one. Def. sets off, take the heads off THIS > HIS and TOWN > OWN. |
| 5 | IGUANA - I (one), GUYANA = country, remove the Y (year not found); def. scaly reptile. |
| 9 | THOROUGH - Insert O = love, into THROUGH = via; def. consummate, as in 'showing consummate ability'. A nice misleading surface. |
| 10 | RAJPUT - JAR = clash, reversed = RAJ, PUT = place; def. member of warrior caste. A top ranking Hindu chap in Northern India, apparently. |
| 12 | CANON - C, ANON = shortly, soon; def. clergyman. |
| 13 | TIN-OPENER - NOPE = definitely not, N = new, inside TIER = one drawing, in a tie; def. kitchen tool. No doubt you biffed it. |
| 14 | FRENCH POLISH - A well polished chestnut, this one; two languages; def. shine as a specialist may do. |
| 18 | TOTALITARIAN - (TO ITALIAN ART)*, anagrind 'forms', def. person allowing no opposition. |
| 21 | MARSEILLE - MARS = heavenly body, ELLE = a Parisienne, insert I = one, def. Frenchman's city. |
| 23 | GRILL - G = good, ILL = bad, insert R = first letter of Regular; def. quiz. |
| 24 | ITALIC - Today's hidden word, in (PERM[IT) A LIC]ENSEE; def. sort of letter. |
| 25 | PARAQUAT - PART = component, insert AQUA = blue, def. weedkiller. N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride, banned in the EU since 2007 but still used (under restrictions) in the USA. Chemistry, for me and Jimbo. |
| 26 | GHETTO - GET TO = bug, annoy, around H = hospital; def. isolated area. |
| 27 | REHEARSE - HE = a man, inside REAR = seat, SE = S(OMEON)E vacated; def. train. Took me a minute or two to unravel this one. |
| Down |
| 1 | HI-TECH - HITCH = couple, insert E = police at last; def. very modern. |
| 2 | ABOUND - A = answer, BOUND = sure to be, def. to be everywhere, or &lit. |
| 3 | SCOUNDREL - SOUND = report (bang!), around C = constant, REL = regular letters of oRdEaL, def. rogue. |
| 4 | FIGHTING TALK - (TAKING FLIGHT)*, anagrind 'getting in trouble'; def. scrapping speech. My COD. |
| 6 | GRASP - GASP = sound astonished, insert R = Republican, def. understanding. |
| 7 | APPENDIX - APP = phone software, END = design, I X = one shown by Times, def. supplement. |
| 8 | AUTARCHY - (ACTUARY H)*, anagrind 'in a state', def. rule applied without limitation. Another word for autocracy. |
| 11 | ONE-HORSE RACE - ONE = individual, HORSE = heroin, RACE = speed; def. the outcome's obvious here. So was the answer. |
| 15 | ORANGEADE - RANGE = to order, inside (R)OAD = way, initially defective; E; def. a drink. I can't just see where the final E is coming from? Thanks McText, for pointing out it is (M)ODE for way, not (R)OAD; (M)O(RANGE),A,DE. |
| 16 | STUMPING - UMP(IRE) = match official, suppressing anger (IRE), inside STING = con; def. puzzling. |
| 17 | STARGAZE - S (succeeded), (A GREAT)* around Z (unknown character); def. daydream. How one can gaze at stars in the daytime is another matter. |
| 19 | LIQUOR - Today's homophone, sounds like LICKER = someone who beats, def. the booze. |
| 20 | CLOTHE - CLOT = fool, HE = EH? (what's up?) reversed; def. turn out. |
| 22 | EXIST - (S)EXIST = prejudiced about women, topless; def. be. |