Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication
Across:
1 Reclassifies missing series (“reclassifies” missing “series” = clasfi = FISCAL) describing something that may be taxing (FISCAL),
4 On their own, leaders (“on their own” leaders = OTO-) terms of reference (-SCOPE) (OTOSCOPE) will furnish the range of The Hearing (OTOSCOPE),
9 Gets sold on The Secret Garden possibly in America (estate agent in US = REALTY agent), as if taken from Fairy Tales (“as if” taken from “fairy tales” = rytale = REALTY),
10 Go too far (ENCROACH) for criminal (= anagram indicator) chancer (chancer = ENCR-ACH) over nothing (-O-) (ENCROACH),
12 Makes a play (MELODRAMA) for graduate (M-A-) accommodating English (-E-) Lord (Lord = -LODR-) working (= anagram indicator) with family member (-MA) (MELODRAMA),
13 Part of the book (PAGE-) has writing (from the 3Rs = -R) (PAGER) that draws attention to The Messenger (PAGER),
14 Has taken out a lot of people (SERIAL KILLER) and might have got away with murder lots of times (SERIAL KILLER),
18 Makes little of frosty figure (MELTING POINT) when hard type approaches a drip (MELTING POINT),
21 Got wind of (HEARD) that crowd (“herd” = “HEARD”) on the radio (= homophone indicator),
22 Goes around (= reversal indicator) volcanic rock (lava = AVAL-) and (and) most of (d) (“and” without “d” = -AN-) the revolutionary (-CHE) (AVALANCHE) deluge of snow (AVALANCHE),
24 Imagines (PRETENDS) pressure (P-) is on revolutionaries (-RE-DS) holding up (= reversal indicator) what separates the participants in court (tennis court “net” = -TEN-) (PRETENDS),
25 Discount rate doesn’t include rustic (“discount rate” doesn’t include “rustic” = donate = DONATE) present (present/gift = DONATE),
26 Laying the first corner (STARTING) of small (S-) pastry (-TART-) with hot (-IN-) glazed topping (“glazed” topping = -G) (STARTING),
27 Mental (mental = MANTEL) breakdown (= anagram indicator) over the fire (MANTEL / mantelpiece).
Down:
1 Some fort (some fort = FOREMOST) built (= anagram indicator) by first-rate type (FOREMOST),
2 Breakfast for The Young Ones perhaps (SMALL FRY) doesn’t amount to much (SMALL FRY),
3 Took steps (ACTED) to put on a show (ACTED),
5 Figure (TEN-) has eight pints (-GALLON) and it goes to his head (-HAT) (TEN-GALLON HAT) – it puts those out west in the shade (TEN-GALLON HAT),
6 Dump (SCRAPHEAP) stupid (= anagram indicator) search App (search app = SCRAPHEAP),
7 Order (ORANGE order) car out of arrogance (“car” out of “arrogance” = arogne = ORANGE),
8 Press (press/urge = EXHORT) gets mystery man (-X-) found in other (other = E-HORT) movement (= anagram indicator) (EXHORT),
11 Shop The Greens (MARKET GARDEN) – is that the plot? (MARKET GARDEN),
15 Correct (AMEND-) workers (-MEN-) on square (-T square) (AMENDMENT) for a change (AMENDMENT),
16 Tune (AIR-) on boat (-CRAFT) (AIRCRAFT) goes up and down (AIRCRAFT),
17 The (the) Foundation (last letter) (“the” last letter = E-) on that spot (-THERE-) with a (-A-) lake (-L) (ETHEREAL) is heavenly (ETHEREAL),
19 Profiles (SHAPES) hotel (-H-) in new (= anagram indicator) spa (spa = S-AP-) at Spanish domain (Spanish domain = .es = -ES) (SHAPES),
20 Will this come apart without top (“come apart” without “top” = cmeaar = CAMERA) film producer? (CAMERA),
23 Perfume (AROMA) is from blossom in 7 down for instance (AROMA from “orange” blossom).