Weekend Quick Cryptic 113 - Solution

Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Quick Cryptic crosswords. We take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil'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:

• In 9A Phil ahs embraced the change of policy for Times Crosswords that they can now reference living people.
• The terms in the 10A clue and answer are North American.
• Abandoned in 2D is an anagram indicator.
• 13D is a double definition.
• The answer in 22D has escaped from puzzle 112.

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 Lover's motorway angst (8)
MISTRESS – MI (M1; motorway) STRESS (angst).
5 Site within square allotment (4)
AREA – Hidden in squARE Allotment.
9 Somehow master recipe - for kir, are we told? (7)
STARMER – (Master)* [somehow) R (recipe).
10 Organised church spread (5)
RANCH – RAN (organised) CH (church).
11 Love friend to find gemstone (4)
OPAL – O (0; love) PAL (friend).
12 Two presents impossible to find (7)
NOWHERE – NOW (present) HERE (present).
14 Go OTT with some cricket party? (6)
OVERDO – OVER (some cricket) DO (party).
16 Virtuous chats about end of vice (6)
CHASTE – (chats)* [about], last letter of vicE.
19 Put a coat on and disappear across river (7)
VARNISH – R (river) in VANISH (disappear).
21 Grass on posh degenerate (4)
SHOP – (posh)* [degenerate].
24 Red French half of State capital (5)
ROUGE – Half of BATON ROUGE (state capital of Louisiana).
25 Part of leg that is right to be more brilliant (7)
SHINIER – SHIN (part of leg) I.E. (that is) R (right).
26 Straightforward essay any smart youngster initially produces (4)
EASY – First letters [initially] of Essay Any Smart Youngster.
27 Old railing twisted, but not remodelled (8)
ORIGINAL – O (old) RAILING (twisted).
 
Down
1 Be obliged to edit smut (4)
MUST – [edit] (smut)*.
2 Wetland was abandoned by politician (5)
SWAMP – (was)* [abandoned] MP (politician).
3 Talked incoherently when animal was injured (7)
RAMBLED – RAM (animal) BLED (was injured).
4 What Zebedee had this season (6)
SPRING – Double definition, the first a cryptic hint.
6 Football club at first rightly causes outcry (7)
RANGERS – First letter of Rightly ANGERS (causes outcry).
7 Wins chase I've scrambled (8)
ACHIEVES – (chase I’ve)* [scrambled].
8 Be exultant about dispute (4)
CROW – C (circa; about) ROW (dispute).
13 Discuss something very different (8)
CONVERSE – Double definition.
15 I escape from disastrous failures - severe remonstrations result (7)
EARFULS – [disastrous] (fa{i}lures)* without the I [I escape].
17 Entertaining a lot of people in front of Guildhall (7)
HOSTING – HOST (a lot of people) IN and first letter [front of] of Guildhall.
18 Racehorse's spirit (6)
CHASER – Double definition.
20 Thought I'd drug addiction at first (4)
IDEA – I’D E (ecstasy; drug) Addiction [at first].
22 In London I only find this vegetable (5)
ONION – Hidden in LondON I ONly.
23 There's nothing odd in a fourball it's said (4)
ORAL – Alternate (even-numbered) letters [nothing odd] in fOuRbAlL..