The Sunday Crossword No 3133, Sunday 17 Jan 2021

ACROSS

1   Spooner's to ensnare Star Trek character that's kind of chicken (10) SPATCHCOCK (~catch spock)

6   English thorns; hoary symbols, primarily? (4) ETHS Acrostic Semi&lit

9   A Tellytubby and Everyman executed Scotsman's dog (10) POMERANIAN {PO}{ME}{RAN}{IAN}

10 Pleasing to the eye? Just (4) FAIR [DD]

12 Drink and fruit put before dog that's eaten nothing (6,5) ORANGE PEKOE {ORANGE}{PEK{0}E}

15 European Commission regularly ignored Uganda – or another country (7) ECUADOR {EC}{UgAnDa}{OR}

16 Secrecy as periosteal thrombus suppressed (7) STEALTH [T]

17 Renovated Chevrolet, 'less English version': that's a laugh (7) CHORTLE {CHevROLET}*

19 Cover loosely with cream; finally, splatter some whiskey (7) BESTREW {BEST}{s...eR}{somE}{W}

20 Random call-in at home with no time for gloom (11) MELANCHOLIA {CALL+IN+At+HOME}*

23 Recant sin in front of audience (4) LIVE<=

24 Presidential hopeful mostly confused Smith with instructions (10) ALGORITHMS {AL GORe}{SMITH*}

25 Mahabarata contains OT king (4) AHAB [T]

26 Elected Pence and Republican; 'nasty woman' finished? Not yet (2,8) IN PROGRESS {IN}{P}{R}{OGRESS}

DOWN

1   They're simple drains (4) SAPS [DD]

2   Came, scrambling, to peak (4) ACME*

3   Chemical analysis of cat DNA. Boring? Exciting! (6,6) CARBON DATING*

4   Tiny amount of money: gold rush's beginning to make you cross (7) CENTAUR {CENT}{AU}{Rush}

5   Hang about first base and second for transfers (7) CHANGES {HANG}<=>{C} and {E}{S}

7   Sky Sports broadcast talk - or a poem (2,1,7) TO A SKYLARK {SKY} in {TALK+OR+A}*

8   Under rock, dog left a bird (7,3) SCREECH OWL {SCREE}{CHOW}{L}

11 Slovakia, not Germany in search for partners for Olympic sport (12) SPEEDSKATING {SPEED (-d+sk)SKATING}

13 Dish that's cheap, crude: a kind of toast (5,5) PEACH MELBA {CHEAP}*{MELBA}

14 Country a guy's touring with viola (10) YUGOSLAVIA {A+GUYS+VIOLA}*

18 Rank scent, obscene and frightful, essentially. Musk, perhaps (7) ECHELON {scEnt}{obsCene}{f..gHt..l}{ELON}

19 Labour in disarray ... entertaining loud PM (7) BALFOUR {BAL{F}OUR*}

21 Loudly scare off an animal: a mule, perhaps (4) SHOE (~shoo)

22 Employs punsters on regular basis (4) USES pUnStErS

Reference List

English version = EV, Time = T, Pence = P, Republican = R, About = C, Base = E, Second = S, Left = L, Slovakia = SK, Germany = D, Loud = F