The Sunday Crossword No 3177, Sunday 21 Nov 2021

ACROSS

1   Potato I coated in chocolate and seed put before Queen (5,5) MARIS PIPER {MAR{I}S}{PIP}{ER}

6   Noisy scene, mass online chat (4) ZOOM {ZOO}{M}

9   Concede around New Year: 'Florida's where retiree might live' (6,4) GRANNY FLAT {GRAN{NY}{FLA}T}

10 Goes spearing, we're told, in hellish river (4) STYX (~sticks)

12 About time pilots returning, each a long way off (7,5) STREETS AHEAD {S{T}REETS<=}{A HEAD}

15 Pronounced a little slaver 'redeemable' (7) AVERRED [T]

16 Help to oversee French swine, not on air (2-5) CO-CHAIR {COCHon}{AIR}

17 Hot liquid state (7) TABASCO [DD]

19 Author's two automobiles? Almost (7) CARROLL {CAR}{ROLLs}

20 Being successful, UN had pop tune composed (2,3,2-3-2) ON THE UP-AND-UP*

23 Expensive ducks (4) DEAR [DD]

24 Palace where ninth stanza read aloud? (10) VERSAILLES (~verse aisles?) Anno not clear (Addendum  ~ verse I - See comments

25 Nasty infestation tormenting scalps, primarily! (4) NITS Acrostic &lit

26 Upset that dodgy actress secures vehicles (6,4) ESTATE CARS {ATE} in {ACTRESS*}

DOWN

1   Faces simpletons (4) MUGS [DD]

2   Read 1,000, not 500 + 500 sheets of paper (4) REAM REA(-d+m)M

3   The son shrugs off noisy creatures (4,8) SONG THRUSHES* 

4   Toward wicket, one lacking faith died down (7) INFIELD INFI(-d)EL(+d)D

5   The last ictodosaur, somewhat resilient (7) ELASTIC [T]

7   Cowboy may be seen here, avoiding saloon? (2,3,5) ON THE WAGON [DD]

8   Adjusted sound of quiz with plenty of meat (5,5) MIXED GRILL {MIXED}{GRILL}

11 Ruin anecdote about some choreography (5,7) DANCE ROUTINE*

13 Where those who are harmless are said to have no weapons? (4,6) EAST LONDON Definition by example. How a cockney from East London would say 'armless

14 Everyman has pound, wanting a drink and a snack (5,5) MELBA TOAST {ME}{LB}{A}{TOAST}

18 Unopened body of work describing he who went to Hell and back? (7) ORPHEUS {cORP{HE}US}

19 Second time for drive in Trudeau's land: it's a pastime (7) CANASTA CANA(-d+st)STA

21 Regularly pulling at bone (4) ULNA {pUlLiNg+At}

22 Goddess brought about emphatic agreement in Mexico (4) ISIS {SI}{SI}<=

Reference List

Queen = ER, Mass = M, Florida = FLA, Time = T, 1000 = M, 500 = D, Died = D, Second = S, Drive = D, Agreement in Mexican = SI