Times Crossword 25,367 - Homophony

Solving Time: about 20 minutes, in other words about averagely hard. I thought it a pleasant, well constructed crossword, with some clever cluing - a model Times cryptic. Unfortunately I managed to include a typo when I entered it online, a crossing letter too. I'm off to read Sotira's Festive Survey results now..



cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(--), homophones indicated in ""

ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online

Across
1	robotics - steal = ROB + *(COST I). The origins of robotics go back farther than one might think. Here is an early example
5	chapel - a homophone: "Chap'll"
9	syndrome - and another: "sinned Rome"
10	Andrew - AN + DREW. Drew = painted is interesting but does seem to work. You can draw/paint a verbal picture for example
12	hallucinatory - *(RHINO ACTUALLY)
15	rogue - bend = U in "I heard you almost" = ROGER
16	stockpile - *(L + POCKET IS). Is, not in, as I originally thought
17	overshoot - LOVERS + HOOT
19	focal - constant = C in FOAL
20	Haile Selassie - "HIGHLY" + SANE + LASSIE. I wasn't sure about the homophone to start with. Now I think this is quite a clever clue
22	Orange - O + RANGE, a reference to the House of Orange-Nassau
23	pastoral - gone = PAST + ORAL = not written
25	basket - lay out money = BET containing sue = ASK. I suppose one can sue/ask for forgiveness
26	skinhead - to swindle = SKIN + HEAD = boss
Down
1	restharrow - *(THROWS RARE). News to me that it is a weed. I thought it a pleasant, useful and increasingly rare wayside plant
2	bin - BIND
3	torture - TURN in rent = TORE
4	commissioner - is reflective = IS + SI in COMMONER = far from noble. I have seen this reflective idea once or twice before.. clever!
6	Hancock - "one no longer private" = NCO in HACK. Try this radio one, "The Test Pilot"
7	party pieces - (labour) PARTY + sections = PIECES
8	lawn - to lay down the LAW + GARDEN. An &lit.
11	pat on the back - a dd
13	loggerheads - a cd, disputing parties being said to be "At loggerheads."
14	well heeled - well, rolling = rich = well-heeled. And I suppose a yacht that has turned round a certain distance may be said to be.. (on edit: it is distance - ELL in WHEELED. Thanks Mc and Jack)
18	shingle - hard = H in one by itself = SINGLE
19	flatten - F + LATTE + LEMON. I can't speak coffee language and flounder rather, in places like Starbucks, where "Just a filter coffee please" doesn't seem to get you very far
21	comb - Frenchman = M as in M. Hulot, in bread = COB
24	rye - run = R + you = YE. So nearly, a crossword without a cricket reference, so very nearly...