Solving time 16:05, so about average for a Saturday puzzle. Sorry it's a bit rushed, but I'm lousy with flu this morning. Hope I feel better by Tuesday!
| Across | |
| 1 | DOWNPLAY - L (pounds) inside DOWN (reduced) + PAY (wage). |
| 5 | WHACKS - sounds like "wax" (get bigger). |
| 9 | HOT SPOTS - HOOTS (laughs derisively) around TSP (teaspoonful, small serving of drink). |
| 10 | IMPAIR - I'M (I am) + PAIR (brace). |
| 12 | IDLED - ID (papers) + LED (light). |
| 13 | FAR FROM IT - FAR FROM (Quite out of touch with) + IT (Information Technology, computers). |
| 14 | DECONSECRATE - DEACONS (ministers) without the A, + EC (city) + RATE (speed). |
| 18 | INADMISSIBLE - (Men's alibis I'd)* |
| 21 | THRUSTING - TRUSTING (holding belief) around H(usband). |
| 23 | BOMBE - BO(y) (lad almost) + MBE (modest decoration). |
| 24 | RUGGED - DRUGGED (sedated), minus the first letter. |
| 25 | NOWADAYS - NO WAD (without a stash) + (say)* |
| 26 | ARNOLD - R(un) inside AN OLD (a former). Thomas Arnold, former headmaster of Rugby School who was immortalised in Tom Brown's Schooldays. |
| 27 | IN DETAIL - cryptic definition: "The devil's in the details". |
| Down | |
| 1 | DAHLIA - AIL (droop) + HAD (owned), all reversed. |
| 2 | WATTLE - W(ith) + ATTLEE (political leader), mius the last letter. |
| 3 | PIPE DREAM - PIPED (having played instrument) + REAM (make hole bigger). |
| 4 | ACT OF WORSHIP - (fact, wish poor)* |
| 6 | HOMER - HOME (sort of fixture) + R(ight). |
| 7 | CHARMIAN - CHAIRMAN (leader of meeting) with the I moved down. A historical servant of Cleopatra, who appears as a character in the Shakespeare play Antony and Cleopatra. |
| 8 | SPRITZER - REPS (salesmen) reversed around RITZY (luxury) minus the last letter. |
| 11 | DRESSING GOWN - (wrong designs)* |
| 15 | CALIBRATE - C(aught) + [BRAT (annoying kid) inside A LIE (a whopper)]. |
| 16 | WISTARIA - WIST (old word for "knew") + ARIA (something to sing). |
| 17 | TARRAGON - TAR (sailor) + RAG ON (poorly clothed). |
| 19 | IMPALA - IMPALE (thrust spear into) minus the last letter, + A |
| 20 | VESSEL - double definition. |
| 22 | SWELL - (inflate)S + WELL (properly). |