The Sunday Crossword No 3326, Sunday 06 Oct 2024

ACROSS

1   Capital – African port – elevated Table overlooking waterside neighbourhoods, primarily? (4,4) CAPE TOWN Acrostic&lit

5   Young Scout enters elite fighting force, explores underwater (6) SCUBAS {S{CUB}AS}

9   Approaching girl: a nasty moment (4,4) NEAR MISS {NEAR}{MISS}

10 Slammin’ do – orgiastic to some extent – like some fireworks? (6) INDOOR [T] 

11 Give a hand to Everyman first … it’s the best we can hope for (5) IDEAL {DEAL}<=>{I}

12 Spiritualist’s boring kind of wine (6-3) MEDIUM-DRY {MEDIUM}{DRY}

14 Fight vulgarisms in grand source of illumination (8,5) SLANGING MATCH {SLANG}{IN}{G} {MATCH}

17 Fantastic technician, pot smoker’s help in quitting (8,5) NICOTINE PATCH*

21 Hush-hush: street cop in disguise (3-6) TOP-SECRET*

22 Conscience … ‘Golden’, you say? (5) GUILT (~gilt)

24 Problem: some rotting litchis (6) GLITCH [T]

25 Jam in Cuban club – hero! – or perhaps that’s a wrap? (8) SANDWICH [MD]

26 Shrewd batsmen, regularly dismissed, suppressing disapproving expression (6) ASTUTE {bAtSmEn} over {TUT}

27 From cakehole, forsakes puddings! (8) DESSERTS (~deserts) 

DOWN

1   Ancients’ brews, sharper than the rest (8) CANNIEST*

2   Greek character with spinning disc hoisted piece of crockery (5) PLATE {ETA}{LP}<=

3   Delay Spooner’s green label (4,3) TIME LAG (~lime tag to time lag)

4   Times strewn about in part of London (11) WESTMINSTER*

6   Usher’s behaviour (7) CONDUCT [DD]

7   Harry holds boot that’s red-tinged (9) BLOODSHOT*

8   Waters some flowers (6) SPRAYS [DD]

13 Maybe sit in show (11) DEMONSTRATE [DD]

15 Never seeing use putting atomic number first (2,2,5) AT NO POINT {AT}{NO}{POINT}

16 Covers axes, since temperature’s risen (8) THATCHES (+t)THATCHE(-t)S

18 Manpower reduced: a short shock? (4,3) CREW CUT {CREW}{CUT}

19 In nightwear, trouble turning to deity in temples (7) PAGODAS PA(-jam+god)GODAS

20 In the morning, jerk’s shown up: shame (6) STIGMA {AM}{GIT'S}<=

23 At regular intervals, inclined railway’s beginning to get more frosty (5) ICIER {InClInEd}{Ra...y}

Reference List

Grand = G, Spinning disc = LP(Long Play)