Solving time 11:05

Well, surprise surprise! A Rufus puzzle with only a couple of (good) cryptic definitions, and overall a great set of clues with excellent surface readings throughout. Rufus has complained in the past that we give him a “weekly bashing”, but I thoroughly enjoyed solving this and don’t have anything to grumble about (well OK, 18dn should be hyphenated).

Across
9 IN,FORMA(N)T
10 ROOKS - I liked this CD, as it’s a well-known phrase in its own right meaning something else entirely. I have a question for any chess experts though - why, if the correct name for the castle-shaped piece is a rook, is switching it with the King called “castling”?
12 INCITED - “inn sighted”
13 R(HE)UM - nice to see this clued without a homophone for a change, and reminded me of the Israeli ambassador to El Salvador who was in the news recently. Heh!
16 LET ONE’S HAIR DOWN (island, nowhere to)* - hard to spot the anagram fodder in this one (and took me a while to spot that it was an anagram clue).
19 A,L,LEVI,AT,(servic)E
22 V(IV)ALDI - quartet (IV) inside valid*
23 EMPIRIC - double definition, one of which (charlatan) I didn’t know.
24 LISTS - great clue. The Lists is another name for a jousting arena.
Down
1 CINDERELLA - (recalled in)*
5 STRIP(TEAS)E - I liked “taking off show” as the definition, although it took me far too long to spot it.
15 DINING CARS - another good cryptic definition. Sent me in the wrong direction until I had a few crossing letters anyway.
17 NOVELIST (television - i.e.)*
18 ON,STREAM - I thought file=stream was a bit loose but just about acceptable.
21 TOP,DOG - as usual if “boxer” is in the clue it’s 99% certain that it’s a dog!
22 VALE - double def., one of which is Latin for goodbye.

soLVING TIME:  1 hr  5 mins  (with a couple of hints).
Whether it is the sandblasting doses of antibiotics I am mainlining or that I am being especially thick today, but I found this a bit of a struggle.  Some good solid cluing, although if I see 23 across again,
I shall probably do something I’ll regret.  Liked 17 /7 (appropriate for today) and as usual a nice scattering of cultural references.  Didn’t enjoy it as much as Tees’ last puzzle for some reason; had a feeling of déjá vu with a couple of clues.
ACROSS   (* = anagram, (R) = Reversed   CD= Cryptic definition)

1   SQUAD CAR  Panda = Police car -  one of four =  QUAD in SCAR = Pit (see Chambers)
9   ETHEREAL  Virgilius did this answer as a hidden a few weeks back, but this contained a nice mythological reference.  ALECTRONA was daughter of Helios, the Greek God of the Sun.
10  WARDEN  Nice clue (changed my mind over this one)  One runnign home =  def.  W + shakespearean Forest =  ARDEN (setting for As You Like It). 
11  ANTONYMOUS  As good and bad = def (’like opposites’)  T in ANONYMOUS
12  TIFF  Jeweller = TIFF(ANY)
13  NOVA SCOTIA  Da Gama =   VASCO  in NOT Ia = NONE) + A.
16  SECRETE  Release =  def   Corner of= S.E.  + CRETE (LAD OR D                                                             
17/7  HOLIDAY RESORT Best clue of the puzzle - CD  How you make WHIT into WITH? Re-sort the holiday!
20  AIR HOSTESS  AS IS OTHERS*
22  ITCH  (W)ITCH
23  NEVER NEVER  Rather hackneyed clue -  Do I need to explain?
26  NEUROTIC  N + EURO =  CIT(Y) (R)
27  ENGORGED  Is inscrutable an anagram indicator?  Not for me, I’m afraid.  GREEN GOD*

DOWN

2   QUAGMIRE  MEETING =  AGM in QUIRE (Paper)
3   AND SO FORTH HOT ROD FANS*
4   CANAANITES  AN A AN (articles) in CITES
5   RESTIVE  REST on I’VE = setter has
6   SHUN  H in SUN
8   GLOSSARY  LOSS in GARY (Neville - carthorse football player)  This clue caused me the most thought.  The obvious allusion is to Chamberlain but it doesn’t quite work for me.
14  SHOESTRING CD  Oxford =  Shoes, therefore the allusion is to a lace.  Nice clue.
16  SPAWNING  PAWN (one used) in SING (Grass)
18  ACCURATE  AC =  Before Christ (not as often seen as BC, but still valid) + CURATE
21  RAVE UP  PARVENU * less N
22  NATO  Another good clue  KING COLE =  NAT before O (old)