ACROSS
1 Preens: repeatedly improves make-up, plucks and shaves - just for starters! (6) PRIMPS Acrostic Preens on Double duty
4 Taken aback in lilac, I'm initially hostile (8) INIMICAL [T<=]
9 Unorthodox priest presents wit from France (6) ESPRIT*
10 This person may be a professor: it's irrelevant (8) ACADEMIC [DD]
12 Unsettle, unsettle and make spectacles (8) LUNETTES*
13 Appeal of 'hysterical' Laurel (6) ALLURE*
15 Lots of Netherlanders? (5,7) DUTCH AUCTION [CD]
18 Candid features? One gives nothing away (8,4) STRAIGHT FACE [CD]
21 Makes born again, putting Bible classes before recent events (6) RENEWS {RE}{NEWS}
22 The Arles together? (8) ENSEMBLE [DD?]
24 Former husband, reformed rioter, is outside (8) EXTERIOR {EX}{RIOTER}*
25 Seedy, the French housing? 'That hurts!' (6) LOUCHE {L{OUCH}E}
26 'You don't see loafers on this,' she'd clue cryptically (8) SCHEDULE*
27 Most of December in commercial outlet (6) ADVENT {AD}{VENT}
DOWN
1 Caught interrupting musical intro in bar (8) PRECLUDE {PRE{C}LUDE}
2 Mischief-maker's solidarity bringing impossibility of punishment (8) IMPUNITY {IMP}{UNITY}
3 Celebrate winter at the pond, drunk (5,3,4,3) PAINT THE TOWN RED*
5 Thieve where thieves are (4) NICK [DD]
6 Safe place for dangerous drivers? (6-2-3-4) MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD [DD]
7 French novelist is seen around quiet college grounds (6) CAMPUS {CAM{P}US}
8 Servant given black eye endlessly (6) LACKEY {
11 Reading-Paddington's home straits, approaching London primarily (7) PERUSAL {PERU}{S
14 Little saint getting on with putting on a show (7) STAGING {ST}{AGING}
16 Sounds like the dolls are lined up to cook burgers, say (8) BARBECUE (~ barbie queue)
17 Always tore around showing great respect (8) REVERENT {R{EVER}ENT}
19 Olympian team stinks, going after gold at first (6) GREEKS {G
20 Headlouse seen in school, briefly? I'm telling! (6) SNITCH {S{NIT}CH}
23 Globally evens out, revealing an end (4) GOAL {G
GRID
Special at 10:30 by Karthikeyan in his inimitable style
ReplyDeleteWelcoming PSK's new grid.
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ReplyDelete22a the Arles (like Delhi for Hindi) ref to French word for together!
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