*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone

After last week’s debacle, the crossword returned to the printed version in its usual spot inside the back cover. An added benefit to any sports-hating solvers is that it no longer appears in the sports section, since that’s been moved to a separate supplement. The puzzle was about the right standard for a Monday morning (challenging without being too difficult) and had some excellent clues, 1 across being my favourite.

A pretty straightforward puzzle from Rufus,  with no real ‘complications’ [one of two rather weak clues, I thought] and perhaps fewer cryptic clues than usual.

dd: double definition
cd: cryptic definition
[*]: anagram

Across

1   REPROACH:  [or preach]*
5   CLOCHE:  dd - a   cloche was a bell-shaped hat popular in the 1920s.
9   DIVIDEND: DIVIDE[N]D
10  EMBALM: EM + [lamb]* - an EM is a measure in printing, hence ‘typical’.
12  CYNIC: hidden answer - fanCY NICknames. [Diogenes, one of the original Ancient Greek Cynics is said to have lived        in a tub, to show his contempt of knowledge and current morality.]
13  ARTHRITIS: [Irish tart]* -  I think I would call arthritis a condition rather than an illness but that’s perhaps too picky.
14  LOSE PATIENCE: dd - Patience is a card game for a single player.
18  COMPLICATION: dd? - are these really two distinct meanings?
21  BRITANNIA: dd - Britannia metal is a pewter-type alloy, 93% tin, 5% antimony and 2% copper and is apparently used to make the Oscars, which are then plated with gold.
23  USERS: [ruses]*
24  UNISON: UNI[S]ON
25  OKLAHOMA: dd
26  DIGITS: DIG [understand] + IT’S
27  ATTEMPTS: AT + TEMPTS

Down

1.   REDUCE
2   PAVING: cd
3   OLD SCHOOL: dd
4   CONVALESCENT: the other dodgy dd / ?cd Surely it’s the same use of the word?
6   LEMUR: L[EMU]R
7   CHASTENS: [cats, hens]* - nice use of ‘cows’
8   ENMESHED: EN [ME + SHE] D
11  STRAITJACKET: cd
15  INOCULATE: [I clean out]* I thought ‘wound’, which I took to be pp of ‘wind’, was a great anagrind.
16  ICE-BOUND: dd
17  UMPIRING: cd - Cricket enthusiasts will be horrified to learn that I was all set to challenge the apostrophe here but I found that the ground I always thought of as “Lords’” was named after its founder, Thomas Lord. [But you all knew that :-)]
19  RECOUP: RE + COUP
20 ASSAYS: AS[SAY]S
22 ALOFT: A + LOFT

There are a couple of questions arising in the chat below that I’d be obliged if someone can answer.