Sunday Times 4519 (6 Jan 2013) by Tim Moorey - Toughest of the year so far!

Solving time: About an hour of solving time.

I started this online at my desk at work on Friday lunchtime, but printed it out after about half an hour and went to the kitchen for a change of scenery which sometimes helps. I had all but three done after an hour (1d, 11a & 16a), and these came soon after. If I deduct the time it took to print it off and then fill in the ones I'd done (it really should do that itself!) I probably spent about an hour working on it.

There were a few words that I didn't know, or at least was only vaguely aware of, that I had to get from the wordplay - AGANIPPE, ACKERS & ADNATE (the first few pages of my dictionary are now well-thumbed!), also HAVERS in 23a & Sonny ROLLINS were unknown to me. I had no problem with 19a, however, which seemed to be a sticking point for many on the forum. I obviously grew up watching the right TV programs!

The overall feel of the puzzle was that it was quite tough. No one can argue that it is the toughest Sunday puzzle of the year so far, but I suspect it may remain so for a while.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removals like this

Across
1	RAP + A + CITY
5	RIP + Stimulate
8	ECHO - hidden
9	FFESTINIOG = FF (following) + (SITE)* + GO IN rev
11	crACKERS - Not a term I've come across. According to the OED it originates from 1930s British army slang, probably an alteration of Arabic fakka meaning 'small change, coins'
13	AGANIPPE = (APPEArING)* - The name of a fountain associated with the Greek Muses, and said to be a source of poetic inspiration
14	BASTARDS = STAR (leading) in B (British) + ADS (publicity) - 'love children' makes a good definition
16	ADNATE = Allotments + (wANTED)*
17	PENCIL - cd
19	BULGARIA - dd - Probably a slightly unfair clue as you'll either know this or you won't. An automatic write-in for me, but then I grew up watching The Wombles. Uncle Bulgaria was the patriarch of the family, but they all had geographical names - Orinoco, Tomsk, Wellington, Tobermory, etc.
21	POLITICO = LIT (turned on) + I all in POCO (Italian for a little)
22	BRIDGE - dd - a pontoon being a floating bridge as well as a card game
23	HAVER(SACK)S - HAVERS is a Scottish slang term for nonsense, which I didn't know, but this was the only type of sack I could think of that fit the checkers.
24	NAME - dd
26	EDAM = MAD rev after entreE
27	I + SLANDER - Rùm is an island in the Scottish Hebrides
Down
1	REC - rev hidden - My LOI, although I don't know why it took me so long to see it. I guess I was thrown off by the use of 'regularly'. It's used as an abbreviation for Recreation Area and just means a small local park.
2	PROTESTS = (POTTER'S)*
3	CUFFS - dd
4	THEBANS = THE BANNS with only one N. The banns of marriage are the public announcement of an impending marriage, chiefly within the Church of England.
6	INN SIGN = (GIN'S)* in INN
7	SHOT-PUTTING = SHUTTING about Olympic Title Presentation
10	TR + AVAIL
12	CHAPERONAGE = (ORANGE + PEACH)*
15	ROLL(IN)S - Sonny Rollins is a US jazz saxophonist.
18	CHIMERA - Not quite sure about this one. I guess it's MI rev in (C + HERA), but are Me and Mi ever interchangeable? Mi is the musical note, but I can't find me listed anywhere with that definition. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.
19	BRONCOS = BR (British Rail, old railway) + COS (firms) about ON
20	ALIGNED = (LEADING)*
22	BASRA = (ARABS)*
25	MAR = RAM rev