Guardian Quiptic 1402 Anto

Thank you to Anto.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across
1. Fun performer read to hostile crowd (4,3)
RIOT ACT : RIOT(an amusing event/fun) + ACT(one who performs in a part of a show/entertainment).
Defn: From the idiom “read the riot act”, ie. to forcefully and sternly warn off, in this case, a hostile crowd, from continuing with its actions.

5. Little bird nicks lids but can do no more? (5,2)
THAT’S IT : TIT(a little songbird) containing(nicks/steals) HATS(informally, “lids”).
Defn: Expression signifying a stop to an action, as in, “That’s it! I’ve done all I can to help”).

9. Cabby’s eager to hide alternative way to travel (2,3)
BY SEA : Hidden in(… to hide) “Cabby’s eager”.

10. Governess wastes time in book opening (9)
CHAPERONE : “Chapter One”(a book’s opening/its first section) minus(wastes) “t”(abbrev. for “time”).

11. Potter’s eye reimagined characteristic model (10)
STEREOTYPE : Anagram of(… reimagined) POTTER’S EYE.
Defn: …/a generalised idea about a specific group of people or things.

12. Instinct is to pull back (3)
GUT : Reversal of(… back) TUG(to pull/tow).

14. Anxiety about electric vehicle in practice facility (7,5)
DRIVING RANGE : Cryptically, the worry/anxiety of how far an electric car can go/be driven before it needs recharging, though that anxiety seems to be lessened with the newer models.

18. He shook sleepy lives around rock’s beginning (5,7)
ELVIS PRESLEY : Anagram of(shook) [SLEEPY LIVES + 1st letter of(…’s beginning) “rock” ].
Defn: He who was a pioneer of rock music:

21. Drink forced king to abandon Scottish church in the end (3)
KIR : “k”(symbol for “king” in chess notation) deleted from the end of(forced … to abandon … in the end) “kirk”(a Scottish church).
Defn: … made of dry white wine mixed with a small amount of crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur.

22. Coastal fort eventually destroyed by the tide (10)
SANDCASTLE : A CASTLE built on the beach SAND could be, whimsically, equated to a “coastal fort”.
Defn: That model made out of sand and water built by children on a beach, which is washed away/destroyed by the incoming tide.

25. Cautioned about such knowledge (9)
EDUCATION : Anagram of(… about) CAUTIONED.

26. Nasty character UK sent back – well done (5)
KUDOS : Reversal of(… sent back) [ SOD(a nasty character/scoundrel) + UK ].
Answer: From the expression “Kudos to …”, meaning “Well done to …”

27. One annually presenting favourable margins for city (5,2)
SANTA FE : SANTA(Claus, the legendary one giving out presents at Christmas every year) + 1st and last letters of(… margins) “favourable”.
Answer: Capital city of New Mexico, USA.

28. Hospital department, somewhat dodgy, displaying disorder (7)
ENTROPY : ENT(abbrev. for the “ear, nose and throat” hospital department) + ROPY(of poor quality/somewhat dodgy).
Defn: …/lack of organisation.

Down
1. Half of roof broken but it’s sound (6)
ROBUST : 1st 2 out of 4 letters of(Half of) “roof” + BUST(broken/inoperative).
Defn: …/hardy.

2. Playboy’s terrific store of seafood (6)
OYSTER : Hidden in(… store of) “Playboy’s terrific”.

3. Mama is true criminal – but it doesn’t pay (10)
AMATEURISM : Anagram of(… criminal) MAMA IS TRUE.
Defn: …/is without financial gain.

4. Diplomacy must gather information to be understood (5)
TACIT : TACT(discretion/diplomacy) containing(must gather) I(abbrev. for “information”).
Defn: …/without being spoken, written or directly expressed.

5. Catch high-pitched noises from bells and whistles? (9)
TRAPPINGS : TRAP(to catch/capture) + PINGS(high-pitched noises).
Defn: …/extra, non-essential features added to make a product or system more attractive or impressive but not adding to basic functionality.

6. Plant initiating another capital expenditure review (4)
ACER : 1st letters, respectively, of(initiating) “another capital expenditure review”.

7. Activity that contributes to cleaning up when begging? (8)
SPONGING : Double defn: 1st: …, using a sponge; and 2nd: …/asking for support by others but not making any contribution.

8. Drunken three, hot for sex? (3,5)
THE OTHER : Anagram of(Drunken) THREE, HOT.
Defn: Euphemism for ….

13. Fundamental capitalist idea lets you get stuff for nothing! (4,6)
FREE MARKET : Literally and whimsically, place where you can, instead of buying, get stuff free.
Answer: In contrast to socialism, a basic capitalistic economic system where prices for goods and services are set by buyers and sellers with little or no government control or intervention.

15. Say something about lines appearing around holiday island (9)
VERBALISE : VERSE(lines of poetry) containing(appearing around) BALI(a holiday island in Indonesia).

16. Dissolute Irishman’s resolution to cut back bad language (8)
FECKLESS : [FECK LESS][What you might term an Irishman’s resolution/declaration to cut back on/say less of the swear word/bad language “feck”(the Irish slang substitute for “fuck”)].
Defn: …/lacking moral restraint.

17. Capsize open vessel (8)
OVERTURN : OVERT(open/not hidden) + URN(a vase/vessel).

19. Boss supported by central unions in workplace (6)
STUDIO : STUD(a rounded raised knob/boss) plus(by) middle letter of(central) “unions”.

20. My holding on to broken seal is pathetic (6)
MEASLY : MY containing(holding on to) anagram of(broken) SEAL.

23. Dye one’s pet occasionally? That’s just stupid (5)
DENSE : 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th letters of(… occasionally) “Dye one’s pet”.

24. Heroin by another name will create aggressive display (4)
HAKA : H(slang for the drug “heroin”) + AKA(abbrev. for “also known as”/called by another name).
From actual battlefield to rugby stadium: