The Sunday Crossword No 3185, Sunday 16 Jan 2022

ACROSS

1   Forward and back, witch's cat (12) OVERFAMILIAR {OVER}{FAMILIAR}

9   Love, I managed, if in a roundabout way, to see an opera (7) FIDELIO {0}{I}{LED}{IF}<=

10 Win a motorbike (7) TRIUMPH [DD]

11 East End theologian's kind of a sponge (5) LOOFA (~ luther)

12 Elderly relatives transfixed by Brussels body, one serving Europeans (8) GRECIANS {GR{EC}{1}ANS}

14 What come and go, largely, in the main? (5,5) TIDAL WAVES [CD]

15 After end of jog, before start of ablutions, Everyman's smelling like old meat (4) GAMY {joG}{Ab...s}{MY}

17 Got up for wine (4) ROSE [DD]

19 Grand won by tyrant after card game somewhere in Balkans (10) MONTENEGRO {MONTE}{NE{G}RO}

21 When you eat meatiest stews (8) TEATIMES*

23 Pooh's friend's time for bed (5) ROOST {ROO'S}{T}

25 Lady on rock, evermore lethally emitting intoning, primarily? (7) LORELEI  Acrostic &lit

26 Ordering à la carte, rejecting starters of andouillettes and aïoli, English getting something sweet (7) TREACLE {a+La+CARTE}*{E}

27 Trembling, gutted after comic genius dismisses second philosopher (12) WITTGENSTEIN {Tr...nG}<=>{WIT} and {EiNSTEIN}

DOWN

2   Six initially dubious etymologies dictionary recorded (7) VIDEOED {VI}{Du...s}{Et...s}{OED}

3   Without fail, staggering blearily (8) RELIABLY*

4   River in Slavonic (4) AVON [T]

5   Slips into conversation: 'Cistern jet's faulty' (10) INTERJECTS*

6   A little fossil I acquired forming part of pelvis (5) ILIAC [T]

7   Dance with bachelor, a pudding full of booze (3,4) RUM BABA {RUMBA}{BA}

8   Move fast, with bravery at last, daring to find source of spirit (6,6) WHISKY BOTTLE {WHISK}{b...rY}{BOTTLE}

9   'Top speed. Satisfied ...?' met with silence (4,8) FULL THROTTLE {FULL}{THROTTLE}

13 Singer's festive song getting longer (6,4) CAROLE KING {CAROL}{EKING}

16 Inert gas combusts, most hot (8) ANGRIEST*

18 Bird in box leading to argument (7) SPARROW {SPAR}{ROW}

20 Coaching with amateur wanting to boil dumplings (7) GNOCCHI COaCHING*

22 Key? Perhaps. Hole? So we're told (5) ISLET (~eyelet)

24 Shock as potty is overturned (4) STUN<=

Reference List

Grand = G, Time = T, English = E, Dictionary = OED(Oxford English Dictionary), Amateur = A