The Sunday Crossword, Sunday 04 Dec 2016

ACROSS
1   Cynical practice restricting road used by number (4-6) HARD-BITTEN {HA{RD}-BIT}{TEN}
6   Trim around edge (4) CLIP {C}{LIP}
9   Song from clients shown going wild about result (4,2,3,6) SEND IN THE CLOWNS {CLIENTS+SHOWN}* around {END}

11 Bad to accept support by a criminal (7) ILLEGAL {IL{LEG}{A}L}
12 Distressed, following ascetic discipline, giving up a dairy product (7) YOGHURT {YOGa}{HURT}
13 Point made by soldier meeting saint (4) GIST {GI}{ST}
15 Bending excessively in jump, not right (8) STOOPING {TOO} in {SPrING}
18 Majestic risk involving ace (8) IMPERIAL {IMPERI{A}L}
19 Measure pace (4) STEP [DD]
22 Tune for example popular around country (7) NIGERIA {AIR}{EG}{IN}<=

23 Period without rain, day before stormy time (7) DROUGHT {D}{ROUGH}{T}
25 How dodgy then is a peculiarly poisonous plant? (5,10) WOODY NIGHTSHADE*

26 Ceremony just reported (4) RITE (~right)
27 Article by people with impressions about thousand changes (10) AMENDMENTS {A}{MEN}{D{M}ENTS}

DOWN
1   Hot while going around smart resort (8) HASTINGS {H}{A{STING}S}
2   Proper to include name relating to kidneys (5) RENAL {RE{N}AL}
3   Crest topped by black cross (6) BRIDGE {B}{RIDGE}
4   Limitation a tsar abandoned in dictatorship (15) TOTALITARIANISM*
5   Sometimes extremely negative, therefore receiving stick after end of game (5,3,3,4) EVERY NOW AND THEN {gamE}{VERY} {NO}{W AND} {THEN}
7   Cheap wicket followed by shift in fortune (3-6) LOW-BUDGET {W}-{BUDGE} in {LOT}
8   Energy in annoyance over a former unit of currency (6) PESETA {PES{E}T}{A}
10 Journal, good one, on opening of art gallery (6) LOGGIA {LOG}{G}{1}{Art}

14 Fairground ride, not big, was out of order (5,4) SWING BOAT*

16 High-spirited? That's standard in heaven (6) SPARKY {S{PAR}KY}
17 Immaculate spy, moral? Not on (8) SPOTLESS {SPOT}{LESSon}
20 Response from barbarians we resist (6) ANSWER [T]
21 Marsupial with power, very large problem (6) POSSUM {P}{OS}{SUM}

24 Artist, seized by spirit, creating texture (5) GRAIN {G{RA}IN}

GRID