I found this tough. The lower half went in slowly but the upper part took an age, in spite of having the longer answers quite early on. It requires significant general knowledge as well as some diligent deciphering of wordplay, if you're going to get there without a biff or a guess. Looking back, there's nothing really unfair or UK-centric, but I just wasn't on the wavelength. I can't give you a time because I took two stabs with an interval.
| Across |
| 1 One of twelve put away, including American author (4,6) |
| JANE AUSTEN - I went astray for ages here, having the initial J and thinking the first word must be JOHN, one of twelve apostles, then looking for a writer with AM or US in his name. But no! JAN is one of twelve months, EATEN for 'put away', insert US. |
| 6 Lead removed from copper, say, and the rest (2,2) |
| ET AL - METAL = copper, say; remove the lead as rhymes with deed (not the lead as rhymes with dead). |
| 9 Convoluted nature? Follow fences to get out (10) |
| COMPLEXITY - Insert EXIT (get out) into COMPLY (follow). |
10 Film talks (4)
|
| JAWS - Double definition. 1975 Spielberg movie called Les Dents de la mer in French, not quite the same snappy title, ha ha. Same music, though; remember it? |
| 12 Final communication from landlord on overpriced toilet (4,4,6) |
| DEAR JOHN LETTER - A real groaner. DEAR = overpriced, JOHN = toilet, in America, LETTER for landlord. Thought to have originated in WW II but allegedly the most such letters were sent during the Vietnam War. |
| 14 More free time for reading (6) |
| LESSON - If you have more free time, you have less on, and a LESSON is a reading from the Bible. |
| 15 Official state welcoming back king, say, shortly (8) |
| MAYORESS - I fooled about with MASS. for Massachusetts for a while, but I think it is not that; MESS = state, as in 'what a state you're in'. Insert ROYA(L) reversed, being 'back king say shortly'. |
| 17 One kidnapped by another monstrous villain (8) |
| ANTIHERO - Insert I into (ANOTHER)*. |
19 Music producer, a scorcher? (6)
|
| SINGER - Double definition, same spelling different pronunciations. |
22 Little in surprisingly bad scoreline (14)
|
| INCONSIDERABLE - IN, (BAD SCORELINE)*. |
| 24 Transport system, however revolutionary, ultimately late (4) |
| TUBE - BUT = however, reversed, add (LAT)E. |
| 25 Criminal, female punching Humphrey Bogart, perhaps? (10) |
| MALEFACTOR - F for Female inserted into MALE ACTOR such as Bogie. Seen this before somewhere recently. |
| 26 Subsequent ten caught? (4) |
| NEXT - X for ten, caught in NET. |
| 27 Consider jail, might you say? (10) |
| DELIBERATE - If you DE-LIBERATE someone you might be sending them to jail, geddit?. |
| Down |
| 1 Raisethe flag (4) |
| JACK - Another double definition, flag as in Union Jack. |
| 2 More than one songbook (7) |
| NUMBERS - Yet another double definition. |
| 3 Uncompromising Reykjavik parliament holding service in minor chamber (3-2-7) |
| ALL-OR-NOTHING - If you knew the ALTHING is the Parliament of Iceland, founded 930, it makes this easier to decipher. Into said parliament insert LOO = small chamber then insert RN = service into that. |
4 Dish in the other cooking vessel (6)
|
| SEXPOT - Political correctness where are you? SEX = 'the other' as in a bit of. POT a cooking vessel. |
5 National service initially embraced by schoolboy (8)
|
| ESTONIAN - ETONIAN embraces S(ERVICE). |
| 7 secure oven opens for hot snack (7) |
| TOASTIE - OAST for oven, inside TIE = secure. |
| 8 Hopelessly lost, tears consuming gambler finally — one more throw of the dice? (4,6) |
| LAST RESORT - (LOST TEARS R)*, the R from gambleR. |
| 11 Old actress in alcove cavorting with rake (8,4) |
| VERONICA LAKE - (IN ALCOVE RAKE)*. I hadn't heard of this sweetie, but Mrs K had, and now I've read her up on Wiki, I'm nearly smitten. She entitled her autobiography "The Autobiography of Veronica Lake", very imaginitively, wanted to be a surgeon, and died an alcoholic. |
| 13 Wretched, somehow able to get into suit, some figure! (4-6) |
| FLEA-BITTEN - (ABLE)* inserted into FIT (suit), TEN (figure). |
16 Daughter has time after shower for removal of water (8)
|
| DRAINAGE - D(aughter), RAIN = shower, AGE = time. |
| 18 Gather buffet is source of schoolboy’s lunch? (4,3) |
| TUCK BOX - TUCK = gather, material; BOX = buffet. I was at school about 60 years ago, and we had lunch boxes, I think tuck boxes were more Billy Bunter. |
20 Celebration drink for statuesque maiden (7)
|
| GALATEA - GALA = celebration, TEA = drink. Galatea was a white statue (galataea = Greek for milk-white) who somehow came alive, all to do with Polyphemus. Verlaine will explain. |
| 21 Arabian folk captivated by timeless Himalayan legend (6) |
| YEMENI - MEN are captured by YE(T)I. |
| 23 Support mechanism put before European bank (4) |
| BRAE - Here we go again. BRA is supporting, I suppose it is a sort of mechanism, in some cases at least. E for European. Wiki says BRAE is Scottish for a protector of high lands? But I am none the wiser. |