Solved in 15:44, so about average in difficulty. I didn't realise until I came to do the blog, but there's a long run of double definitions and semi-cryptic double definitions in the middle of the acrosses. Seems to be a new feature of Saturday puzzles as there were loads last week as well. COD to 25ac for the humour value.
| Across |
| 1 | BIASED - BASED (grounded) around I (one). |
| 5 | CALENDAR - cryptic definition. |
| 9 | PANDEMIC - PAN (god) + DEMI (half) + C(aught). |
| 10 | CANOPY - COPY (contribution to magazine) around A N(ew). |
| 11 | LAYMAN - LAY MAN. |
| 12 | LAST POST - double definition. |
| 14 | NUTS AND BOLTS - double definition (NUTS = headbutts, but I've a feeling Americans might not be aware of that slang). |
| 17 | BOW AND SCRAPE - double definition. |
| 20 | GREY AREA - double definition, one cryptic. |
| 22 | ROUTER - double definition. |
| 23 | TIVOLI - I LOVE IT, minus the E from the end of "pleasure". Also appeared last Thursday with a very similar clue - "Town near Rome - I adore that place when English must go back (6)" |
| 25 | RETAILER - RE-TAILER. Made me chuckle anyway. |
| 26 | PEARMAIN - (th)E + ARM inside PAIN (French bread). Despite the name, it's a variety of apple. |
| 27 | COGENT - CO GENT. |
| Down |
| 2 | IN A WAY - IN (home) + AWAY (the opposite). |
| 3 | SEDIMENTARY - (dynamiters, E)*. |
| 4 | DOMINATED - ATE (took meal) inside DO MIND (actually care). |
| 5 | CECILIA - CE (church) + CILIA (lashes). Patron saint of musicians. |
| 6 | LOCUS - LOC(k) (nearly secure) + US (American). |
| 7 | NUN - hidden in London University. |
| 8 | APPOSITE - OPPOSITE (against) with a different first letter. |
| 13 | PROSECUTING - PROSE (be boring) + CUT IN (interrupt) + G(ood). I didn't know PROSE could be used as a verb that way, but Chambers has it "to speak or write tediously". |
| 15 | DIACRITIC - ID (papers) reversed + A CRITIC (a judge). Any mark on a letter, such as an acute accent or umlaut etc. |
| 16 | LORRAINE - LORE (old wives' tales) around RAIN (bad weather). |
| 18 | CHAGRIN - GR (king) inside CHAIN (badge of office perhaps). |
| 19 | AEGEAN - sounds like E.G. (for example) + AN. |
| 21 | RAITA - sounds like RIGHTER, i.e. more APPOSITE. I lot of people will make a fuss about this one, but to me a homophone just has to "sound like", not "sound exactly identical to". Anyway, the answer is an Indian dip, usually made with yoghurt and cucumber. |
| 24 | OAR - HOAR (frost) without the H. |