Solution to 11A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.
ACROSS
1 Stock taking starts promptly, contraption only to check flow online (8) STOPCOCK {STO{Pr...y}{Co...n}{Only}CK}
5 Compete with us — run and he'll watch (6) VIEWER {VIE}{WE}{R}
10 Outrage as it goes up in smoke (7) INCENSE [DD]
11 Heavy responsibility having to dig up the mineral (7) O?E?O?S (Addendum - ONEROUS - {ON{ORE<=}US} - See comments)
12 Material cover for wife-husband (5) TWILL {T{W}ILL}
13 Cut 75% of the money, it's very important (9) PARAMOUNT {PARe}{AMOUNT}
18 Dominated above, followed later (12) OVERSHADOWED {OVER}{SHADOWED}
21 One in France and two in England finally separated (9) UNCOUPLED {UN}{COUPLE}{e...nD}
23 Paper covered large field (5) REALM {REA{L}M}
25 Mobile phone, or is it for a loser? (2-5) NO-HOPER*
26 It's middle-sized with fancy rates, not even genuine (6) ERSATZ {siZed+RATES}*
27 Police force and mere turnaround (8) GENDARME {G}{AND+MERE}*
DOWN
1 Very accommodating — clue for a religion? (6) SHINTO {S{HINT}O}
2 Choice before, say, baby bloomer (6) ORCHID {OR}{(~kid)CHID}
4 Managing a crew precisely, they can be very unpleasant (6-8) CREEPY-CRAWLIES*
6 Beguile umpires — that takes some guts (5) ILEUM [T]
8 Diamonds by choice, picked up and set facing each other (8) ROSETTES {OR<=}{SET}{SET<=}
9 Equivalence of letters... (14) CORRESPONDENCE [DD]
15 ...are hunted at random and brought up (9) UNEARTHED*
16 Friend to allow board game to be set up and regulate it (8) MODULATE {M{LUDO<=}ATE}
17 Drops of French perfume absorbed (8) DESCENTS {DE{SCENT}S}
19 Obstruct as she will get electrocuted (6) HAMPER {H{AMP}ER} Amp for Electrocuted is stretching it!
20 Surface close to one, I have some work (6) EMERGE {onE}{M{ERG}E}
22 About to become a killer at sea (1-4) U-BOAT*
Reference List
Run = R, Wife = W, One in French = UN, Large = L,Force = G(Gravity), Of in French = DES, Work = ERG
23A- Ream is not a paper but a quantity of paper like quire,ream etc.
ReplyDeleteChambers has this contra-int(uitive):
Deletenoun 1 (abbreviation rm) -a number of sheets of paper equivalent to 20 quires, formerly 480 (a short ream), now usually 500 (a long ream) or 516 (a printer's ream).
Sheets of paper is still paper.
7d what's "over" doing! Unless question is wh from wh-question
ReplyDeleteOver to mean 'on' or 'on top of'
Delete11 A solved, beautiful clue, let others try ok
ReplyDelete11A ONEROUS.. Responsibility is ONUS. Mineral is ORE; when "dug up" it becomes ERO. Heavy meaning onerous. Having indicates that onus has ero inside it
ReplyDelete👍
ReplyDeleteThank you Arden for an hour well spent in the morning.
ReplyDelete+1
ReplyDeleteArden, master of anagrams!
ReplyDelete8D- SET TES- Set facing each other. Nicely put!
ReplyDeleteGood clues. but can't take it as easy one. ERTAZ, GENDARME,AMICUS CURIAE, are very challenging one. Thanks to google and my dic.
ReplyDeleteRegarding 23A - qty. of paper denoted as REAM. but I got the ans. by substitute. inserting of 'l' not unable to find in the clue. REA(L)M
Just finished. As Paddy said - a great one hour. Had to google AMICUS CURAE.
ReplyDeleteMy fav - WHODUNIT, ROSETTES.
Thank u Ranger!