Weekend Quick Cryptic 84 - Solution

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributors Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce Quick Cryptic crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Sawbill's turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here. 

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Some hints and tips:

• 12A you need to split "American writer"
• 14A is not a double definition
• 24A it's not Barnet the place, but a slang term
• 1D like 12A this is another sneaky "lift and separate" clue, this time for the wordplay
• In 17D "left" is part of the wordplay not the definition although it might seem to be doing double duty.

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc,  {deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Go initially to pot (4)
TURN – [Initially] To, URN (pot).
3 Hero is cold in swirling sea (8)
ACHILLES – CHILL (cold) in [swirling] (sea)*.
9 In charge of coal extraction around Derbyshire, primarily (7)
MINDING – MINING (coal extraction) around Derbyshire [primarily].
10 You went up, we hear, for money (5)
EUROS – Sounds like YOU ROSE (went up).
11 Shelter in street from icy rain (5)
SLEET – LEE (shelter) in ST (street).
12 A number welcoming American writer (6)
AUSTEN – A TEN (number) outside US (American). You have to split “American writer”.
14 Doing well or fine, possibly (2,4)
ON FIRE – (or fine)* [possibly].
16 Musician's quiet level (6)
PLAYER – P (quiet) LAYER (level).
19 Find food on the side of silver plate at last (6)
FORAGE – FOR (on the side of)  AG (chemical symbol for silver) platE [at last].
21 Choose playing of organ inside (2,3)
GO FOR – Hidden in playinG OF ORgan
24 Seat in Barnet - Conservative at first (5)
CHAIR – C (Conservative) HAIR (Barnet).
25 Sponsorship is returning (7)
BACKING – Double definition.
26 Old poetry - like that found abroad (8)
OVERSEAS – I (old) VERSES (poetry) AS (like that).
27 Man, say, hid silver now and again (4)
ISLE – Alternate letters of hId SiLvEr.
 
Down
1 By chance getting appointment (4,4)
TIME SLOT – TIMES (by) LOT (chance). Another sneaky lift and separate.. of “By chance”.
2 Managed, say, to climb mountains (5)
RANGE – RAN (managed) and E.G. (say) reversed -> GE.
4 Charlie can go up for drink (6)
COGNAC – C (Charlie in the NATO phonetic alphabet), CAN GO [up] -> OGNAC.
5 Time to change small things (5)
ITEMS – (time)* [to change], S (small)
6 Somehow nearly caught stealing (7)
LARCENY – [Somehow] (nearly)* C (caught).
7 Band of special forces, hard to follow? (4)
SASH – SAS (special forces) H (hard).
8 Three months in Moscow in terrible housing (6)
WINTER – Hidden in MoscoW IN TERrible.
13 Suspend expert before scoundrel (8)
PROROGUE – PRO (expert) ROGUE (scoundrel).
15 Pay for period film (7)
FOOTAGE – FOOT (pay for) AGE (period).
17 What one may get left, say, at the start of another calendar year? (6)

LEGACY – L (left) E.G. (say), [at the start of] Another CY (calendar Year).

18 Rabies spread in country (6)
SERBIA – (Rabies)* [spread].
20 Areas are getting cold inside Sweden (5)
ACRES – ARE  S (Sweden) with C (cold) inside.
22 On Friday starts to eat steak and chips (5)
FRIES – FRI (Friday) [starts to] Eat Steak.
23 Reflection in City house (4)
ECHO – EC ( Financial City area of London) HO (house).