Weekend Quick Cryptic 122 - Solution

Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Weekend 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 12A "novel" is an anagram indicator.
• In 25A the Shakespearian character is from the play The Tempest.
• In 26A the tea is CHA.
• In 3D the points are points of the compass.
• In 4D "aloud" is not a sound-like indicator.
• Think of a film star who retired from acting in 1966 for 20D

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 Second sportsman on a horse (6-2)
RUNNER-UP – RUNNER (sportsman) UP (on a horse).
5 Fashionable young girl comes up short (4)
CHIC – CHIC{k} (young girl) without the last letter.
9 Officer at the heart of the matter we're told (7)
COLONEL – Sounds like, [we’re told],  KERNEL (heart of the matter)
10 Cocktail of lemon and another fruit (5)
MELON – [Cocktail of] (lemon)*.
11 Stuck-up person starts some nasty obnoxious boasting (4)
SNOB – Initial letters of Some Nasty Obnoxious Boasting.
12 With a leg on each side, sit and read novel (7)
ASTRIDE – (sit read)* [novel].
14 Tent dweller is more affected (6)
CAMPER – Double definition.
16 Get off on fire (6)
ALIGHT – Double definition.
19 I'd clear out this small root (7)
RADICLE – (I’d clear)* [out].
21 River that’s essential to London, I learn (4)
NILE – Hidden in LonoN I LEarn.
24 Ruler loudly announces his presence (5)
AMEER – Sounds like [loudly announces) I’M HERE.
25 Do well in brief Shakespearean role (7)
PROSPER – PROSPER{o} (Shakespearean role) without the last letter.
26 Otherwise there’s no tea to be found around Chelsea (4)
ELSE – remove the CHA (tea) from chELSEa
27 Charlotte? She's a spoilt young woman! (8)
PRINCESS – Double definition.
 
Down
1 Unsettle Gibraltar? (4)
ROCK – Double definition.
2 Material hidden by many Londoners (5)
NYLON – Hidden in maNY LONdoners.
3 Honour dizzy blonde losing 500 points at first (7)
ENNOBLE – E N (points of the compass), [dizzy] (blon{d}e)* without the D (500).
4 Design start of process aloud for data transfer (6)
UPLOAD – [Design] (p{rocess} aloud)*.
6 Giving assistance to apportion we're told (7)
HELPING – Apportion sounds like, [we’re told],  A PORTION (helping).
7 Satisfies with what’s included (8)
CONTENTS – Double definition.
8 Don't begin to throw up - leave it out! (4)
OMIT – {v}OMIT (throw up) without the first letter.
13 Al Capone's winter wear - first rate (8)
SCARFACE – SCARF (winter wear) ACE (first rate).
15 Unfortunately named ship "Lunacy" (7)
 MADNESS – [Unfortunately] (named)* SS (ship).
17 Old President Green (7)
LINCOLN – Double definition.
18 Moderate outburst (6)
TEMPER – Double definition.
20 Grant for film has run out of support (4)
CARY – Cary Grant the film star. CAR{r}Y (support) without an R (run).
22 Random sample without method at first - it's a mistake (5)
LAPSE – (sa{m}ple)* [random], without the first letter of Method.
23 Garfunkel's skills (4)

ARTS – Double definition.