The Sunday Crossword No 3130, Sunday 27 Dec 2020

ACROSS

1   Hilarious joke Planer keeps reeling off (4-7) KNEE-SLAPPER*

9   ‘Samples’ torte (the lion’s share), becomes most rotund (7) AMPLEST [T]

10 Beer consumed by Doctor Who, essentially an adventurer (7) RALEIGH {R{ALE}IG}{wHo}

11 Everyman would back me in France for use of local lingo (5) IDIOM {I'D}{MOI<=}

12 Island producing whisky since – to begin with, and this is not my mistake – ‘190m years ago’ (8) JURASSIC {JURA}{Since}{SIC}

14 What dentist hates to see and tries to make attractive? (5-5) SUGAR-TOOTH [DD]

15 Vocally opposed to what poker players do (4) ANTE (~anti)

17 Hilarious character, Judas, perhaps? Not half (4) RIOT iscaRIOT

19 Idler and loner we led astray (4-2-4) NEER-DO-WELL*

21 Big cats, not maters for life, we’re told (8) CHEETAHS (~cheaters)

23 Introductory – to start with – involved with ABCs? (5) BASIC {In...y+ABCS}* [CA] &lit

25 Making changes, leaving 10 as 500 (7) EDITING E(-x+d)DITING

26 Introduce spin: England to give up (7) PRECEDE {PR}{E}{CEDE}

27 Hairdresser’s newest ‘do’ restyled with dye (7,4) SWEENEY TODD {NEWEST+DO+DYE}*

DOWN

1   Poet sleeping quietly once replaced by student (7) KIPLING KIP(-p+l)LING

2   Increasingly ... or unceasingly (8) EVERMORE [DD]

3   Primarily: son (Eve’s third, happily!) (4) SETH Acrostic Semi&lit

4   Instruments that leave you empty-handed? (3,7) AIR GUITARS [CD]

5   One who went to war with Mexico over a dance (5) POLKA {POLK}{A}

6   Curbs Bahrein’s independence to some extent (5,2) REINS IN [T]

7   Alarmed as rankest picnic laid out (5-8) PANIC-STRICKEN*

8   Beat, in dangerous game, equestrian that’s gutted, jumpy character (7,6) CHICKEN LICKEN  {CHICK{LICK}EN}{Eq...aN}

13 Reforms to change open city (10) COPENHAGEN*

16 Angry about maiden over: bowled, run out – what’s needed when cap’s not up to the job? (8) SOMBRERO {SO{M}{B}RE}{RO}

18 Stand-alone siesta’s clothing? (7) ONESIES [T] &lit

20 Part of London not historically associated with aspiration? (4,3) EAST END [CD] 

22 Tired, tense author downing whiskey (5) TRITE {T}{wRITE}

24 Lively, so party regularly (4) SPRY {So}{PaRtY}

Reference List

Me in French = MOI, Ten = X, 500 = D, England = E, Quietly = P, Student = L, Maiden over = M, Bowled = B, Run out = RO, Tense = T, Whiskey = W