The Sunday Crossword No 3136, Sunday 07 Feb 2021

ACROSS

1   Knocked back food – a French dory, filleted – and wine (8) BURGUNDY {GRUB<=}{UN}{DorY}

5   Primarily vulgar, scornful, insulting gestures (not suave)? (1-5) V-SIGNS Acrostic &lit

10 Heartless to steal books; sick to destroy covers (7) ROBOTIC {ROB}{OT}{sICk}

11 Baedeker: it really captures Red Sea land (7) ERITREA [T]

12 Seconds before games return to racecourse (5) EPSOM {MOS}{PE}<=

13 I'm surprised and tense, wearing expensive headgear (5,4) FANCY THAT {FANCY{T}HAT}

14 Partitioned while trembling, trembling (11) TREPIDATION*

18 'Shameful' gin cocktail: not promising to get one in (11) IGNOMINIOUS {GIN}*{OMIN{1}OUS}

21 Drink most of champagne, having briefly eaten out (6,3) BUBBLE TEA {BUBBLy}{EATEn}*

23 Finally performed ceremonial dance somewhere in Asia (5) DHAKA {p...eD}{HAKA}

24 Told a story? Have a little rest (3-4) LIE-DOWN {LIED}{OWN}

25 Mostly insincere, no good and a bit of a chore (7) IRONING {IRONIc}{N}{G}

26 Deadly reptile on island: my God! (6) CAYMAN {CAY}{MAN} Isn't that spelt as CAIMAN?

27 Encourages a boy to find something to eat (3,5) EGG SALAD {EGGS}{A}{LAD}

DOWN

1   Unpleasant to live with poet around (6) BARBED {BAR{BE}D}

2   Direct section of Cairo bus trip (6) ROBUST [T]

3   Everyman's in a tumult, wildly offering threat (9) ULTIMATUM {I'M} in {A+TUMULT}*

4   Losing potency, facing defeat in struggle (14) DECAFFEINATING*

6   Scandalous, hearing about the Third Man? (5) SPICY (~spy c)

7   Most of singers getting hot drink, shortly, for composer (8) GERSHWIN {H}{W} in {SINGERs}* W/Shortly ? (Addendum - {sinGERS}{H}{WINe} - See comments)

8   Those whereby duty is getting into going without? (8) SPARTANS {S{PART}ANS} Semi&lit 

9   Increasing power, Virgin Queen to gain sway (14) REINVIGORATING {VIRGIN+ER+TO+GAIN}*

15 Diligent lasses find autocue's failing regularly (9) ASSIDUOUS {lAsSeS}{fInD}{aUtOcUeS}

16 Very bad to see yours truly excluded from biomedical engineering (8) DIABOLIC {BIOmeDICAL}*

17 Uppishness seen as Southern aristocrat topless, Derby scandalised (8) SNOBBERY {S}{NOB}{dERBY}*

19 Judge's drawn Nigella oddly (6) DANIEL {DrAwN}{nIgElLa}

20 Uneven judge made criticisms, ignoring knight (6) JAGGED {J}{nAGGED}

22 What's found in bathroom of India, ultimately? (5) LOOFA {LOO}{oF}{i..iA}

Reference List

A in French = UN, Books = OT, Tense = T, No = N, Good = G, Hot = H, Queen = ER, Southern = S, Aristocrat = NOB, Judge = J, Knight = N