The Sunday Crossword No 3093, Sunday 29 Mar 2020

Day 5 of 21 Stay safe at home

ACROSS
1   Technocrat redesigned form of protection (6,4) TRENCH COAT*

6   Lost, wandering around Norman city (2,2) ST LO*
9   Article ensuring independence abandoned when changing side (3,7) THE GUNNERS {THE}{ENSURiNG*}
10 Suggestive banter, perhaps, revealed in regressive corporations (4) SMUT<=
11 French girl in beret attends dance (2,10) ST BERNADETTE {BERET+ATTENDS}*
15 ‘Poop a swear word?’ ‘Almost’ ‘That’s clear’ (2,5) IN FOCUS {INFO}{CUSs}
16 Think about taste? Oddly, it needs to be experienced (4-3) MUST-SEE {MUS{TaStE}E}
17 Embroils parents in strife (7) ENTRAPS*
19 Cool to reach number one, perhaps, for musician (3,4) ICE CUBE {ICE} {CUBE} Cube of 'one perhaps' is still 1

20 What’s blazing in zest, purée, etc? (5,7) CREPE SUZETTE* Semi&lit

23 Early on, a harpooner and boy? (4) AHAB Semi&lit
24 Evergreen Shakespearean killer, not half: 'Ides isn't tragic' (10) ASPIDISTRA {ASP}{IDes}{ISnt}{TRAgic}

25 African national? Not so: African nation (4) MALI soMALI

26 Old writers mentioned before, adopting eastern magic words (4,6) OPEN SESAME {O}{PENS}{SAME} over {E}

DOWN
1   Archbishop's skirt (4) TUTU [DD]
2   PM of Sweden missing the point at first (4) EDEN swEDEN
3   Nobleman taking year to be concerned about lough in part of Ireland (6,5) COUNTY CLARE {COUNT}{Y}{C{L}ARE}
4   In ruins, discern evidence of blaze (7) CINDERS*
5   An associate member of Nato, perhaps (7) ACRONYM {A}{CRONY}{M}
7   Potato and mouse (once tail removed) cooked as comfort food (6,4) TOMATO SOUP {POTATO+MOUSe}*
8   Highest degree, English, old examination accepted, above board (2,3,5) ON THE LEVEL {NTH}{E} in {O-LEVEL}
12 Diners’ sweet concoction? (7,4) DESSERT WINE* &lit
13 Prepare for Auld Lang Syne, with number going wonderfully (4,1,5) LIKE A CHARM {LInK EACH ARM}
14 How fell fat sort!? (3,3,4) OFF THE WALL* &lit
18 Gags and locks away (5,2) SHUTS UP [DD]
19 Cold, topless, in Spain and Portugal (7) IBERIAN sIBERIAN
21 Estonian regularly visited Italian hot spot (4) ETNA EsToNiAn
22 Art gallery's thank-you note (4) TATE {TA}{TE}

Reference List

Independence = I, Old = O, Eastern = E, Year = Y, Lough = Lake = L, Member = M, English = E, note = TE