Financial Times 14,373 / Cinephile

Apologies for the late appearance of this post. PeeDee asked me to cover for him on the 10th and 16th but he should have been back today. Unfortunately I had some problems with my pc this afternoon and did not notice the lack of a blog until Eileen kindly gave me a heads up a short while ago.

We were told that the “starred clues are of a kind, have the same source, and may not be further defined”. These were all books written by Charles Dickens. Once I had the first one (15,16), and knowing that the rest ‘had the same source’, the others followed mainly from the enumeration.

I have been unable to make any sense of the wordplay in 1ac (not the first time with a Cinephile!) and would welcome any suggestions.

Across

1 Rhyme for rhyme for carriage makes stalemate (8)

DEADLOCK – ??? Edit: see comment #1 for the explanation – thanks mike04.

5 * Untwisted, or about to be (6)

OLIVER – OR around (about) LIVE (to be)

9 Incomplete instruction in pit from doctor (8)

MEDICINE – EDIC[t] (incomplete instruction) in MINE (pit)

10 Girl sung in church (6)

GLORIA – double def.

11 He’s hot (cockney boy) in private (8)

ESOTERIC – [h]E’S [h]OT (he’s hot, cockney) ERIC (boy)

14, 12 * At a sign, measure one beast going back to links (1,4,2,3,6)

A TALE OF TWO CITIES – AT A LEO (sign) FT (measure) I COW (one beast) reversed (going back) TIES (links)

18 Colleen maybe who strangely followed flag to island (10)

IRISHWOMAN – IRIS (flag) anagram (strangely) of WHO MAN (island)

22 Terrible shriek from people on road (6)

HIKERS – anagram (terrible) of SHREIK

23 Friend retaining memory first of shiny stuff (8)

CHROMIUM – CHUM (friend) around (retaining) ROM (memory) I (first)

24 Limited room for manoeuvre in style of Confederate general (6)

LEEWAY – LEE WAY (in style of Confederate general)

25 Crumby month with vermin at home (2,6)

AU GRATIN – AUG (month) RAT (vermin) IN (at home)

26 Consent to the wise being listened to in backwater? (3,3)

SAY YES – YY (wise being listened to) in SEAS (water) reversed (back)

27 Don’t take so much time off being fidgety (8)

RESTLESS – REST LESS (don’t take so much time off)

Down

1, 2 * Benedictine governor with issue (6,3,3)

DOMBEY AND SON – DOM (Benedictine) BEY (governor) AND (with) SON (issue)

3 Insect with clue for servant (6)

LACKEY – LAC (insect) KEY (clue)

4 Assurance of jury’s finding (10)

CONVICTION – double def.

6 It’s sweet to get ball back among the well-informed (8)

LOLLIPOP – PILL (ball) reversed (back) in (among) LOOP (well-informed {in the loop})

7 Green’s maintaining author’s part in decisions (8)

VERDICTS – VERT’S (green’s) around (maintaining) DIC[kens] (author’s part)

8 Spooner’s exhibited line from live broadcast (4,4)

ROAD SHOW – Spoonerism of ‘showed’ (exhibited) ‘row’ (line)

13 * Second piece of information given to parliament? (5,5)

BLEAK HOUSE – B (second) LEAK (piece of information given) HOUSE (parliament)

15, 16 * Billion chance Sky will produce this (8,8)

NICHOLAS NICKLEBY – anagram (will produce) of BILLION CHANCE SKY

17 Lack of paradoxical time? (8)

SHORTAGE – SHORT AGE (paradoxical time)

20, 19 * Student setter at races was first, with gold to take for it (6,6)

LITTLE DORRIT – L (student) I (setter) TT (races) LED (was first) OR (gold) R (take) IT

21 Noon arrives with reparation (6)

AMENDS – AM ENDS (noon arrives)