Thanks to Tees (looks like he’s become a regular IOS setter). Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Fresh NHS to be mauled further? Do this and feel better (7,2)
FRESHEN UP : Anagram of( to be mauled) FREE NHS + UP(to a higher or larger degree/further though the latter is often used together with a preposition, like “up” or “on”).
6 Matured making appearance in teenage dream (4)
AGED : Hidden in(making appearance in) “teenage dream“.
10 Not appropriate to have forty winks in it (5)
INAPT : NAP(to have forty winks/sleep for a short while) contained in(in) IT.
11 One lunatic, our son, holds party presenting no bouquet (9)
INODOROUS : I(Roman numeral for “one”) + anagram of(lunatic) OUR SON containing(holds) DO(a social function/party).
Defn: /no aroma.
12 Interrogators make move, receiving directions to bug (7)
GESTAPO : GO(to make a move) containing(receiving) [E,S(abbrev. for “east” and “south” respectively/directions) + TAP(to bug/to secretly listen to someone’s conversations via a device)].
13 Crime committed by stolen goods receiver (7)
OFFENCE : OF(by/expressing the relationship between originator and what’s produced, as in “the songs by Lennon and McCartney”) + FENCE(a receiver of stolen goods).
14 Old PM with charisma making attractive point (8,5)
MAGNETIC NORTH : MAGETIC(with charisma/with an attractive personality/with allure) NORTH(Lord , former/old Prime Minster of Great Britain).
Defn: towards which one end of a compass needle points.
17 Star, protecting a chum, being disciplined killer (10-3)
SUBMACHINE-GUN : SUN(the star in our solar system) containing(protecting) anagram of( disciplined) A CHUM, BEING.
21 American hippy? Not the first Charlie from the continent (7)
ASIATIC : A(abbrev. for “American”) + “sciatic”(relating to the hip/hip-py, of similar construction to”doggy”) minus(Not) the first “C”(letter represented by “Charlie” in the phonetic alphabet).
Defn: of Asia.
22 Exhibiting culture, having dropped channel’s latest repeat (7)
ITERATE : “literate”(exhibiting culture/educated) minus(having dropped) last letter of( ’s latest) “channel“.
24 In bed, encouraged to introduce unknown plant (9)
COTYLEDON : COT(a small bed, typically for a child) + [LED ON](encouraged, especially deceptively) containing(to introduce) Y(symbol for an unknown quantity in mathematics). I think “In” is just a connector between wordplay and definition.
25 Short man needs time to receive oxygen at height (5)
ALOFT : [ALF(short for Alfred, a man’s name) plus(needs) T(abbrev. for “time”)] containing(to receive) O(symbol for the element oxygen in chemistry).
26 Lightly cooked part missed in savoury dish (4)
RARE : “bit”(part of a bigger whole) deleted from(missed in) “rarebit”(short for “Welsh rarebit”, a savoury dish of mainly melted cheese on toast).
27 Offensive weapons bringing malevolence into main thoroughfare (9)
ARTILLERY : ILL(malevolence/harm) contained in(bringing into) ARTERY(a main thoroughfare/an important route in a system of roads, rivers, or railway lines).
Down
1 Reasonable target in coconut shy? (4,4)
FAIR GAME : Double defn: 1st: Legitimate/acceptable object to criticise/ridicule or attack; and 2nd: Literally.
2 Small space in church given up for Welshman (5)
EVANS : Reversal of( given up, in a down clue) [S(abbrev. for “small”) + NAVE(space in church, specifically the central part)].
Defn: Masculine name of Welsh origin.
3 Trouble with heart or comfort in retirement? (3-5,6)
HOT-WATER BOTTLE : [HOT WATER](trouble/a problematic situation) plus(with) BOTTLE(heart/courage, as in “don’t lose heart when you’re in hot water).
Defn: …/sleep, if the bed is cold or if you don’t have a bed-mate.
An extension of the idea, to relieve body aches and pains:
4 New look needing sash from Japan’s capital (7)
NAIROBI : N(abbrev. for “new”) + AIR(a look/an appearance) plus(needing) OBI(a sash worn round the waist of a Japanese kimono).
Defn: city of Kenya.
5 Statement not binding: I say (7)
PRONOUN : “pronouncement”(a statement/a declaration) minus(not) “cement”(binding/material that binds/sticks parts together).
Defn: /is an example of.
7 Ruin surrounds husband immersed in drink, the rodent (9)
GROUNDHOG : [UNDO(to ruin/to cause the downfall of) containing(surrounds) H(abbrev. for “husband”)] contained in(in) GROG(an alcoholic drink of spirit, originally rum, mixed with water).
8 20’s colleague initially denied Jewish tribe (6)
DASHER : 1st letter of(initially) “denied” + ASHER(a Jewish tribe named after its founder, son of Jacob and Zilpah in the Book of Genesis.
Defn: Dancer(answer to 20)’s colleague in Santa Claus’s sleigh-pulling team of reindeer.
Pub quiz question: Name Santa’s reindeer.
9 Pear drop in line to be shared (10,4)
CONFERENCE CALL : CONFERENCE(a variety of pear) + CALL(to drop in/to pay a short and unplanned visit). Technology since surpassed.
15 Rabbit more appropriate for one to put in oven? (3-6)
GAS-FITTER : GAS(to rabbit/to talk excessively about trivial matters) + FITTER(“more”/comparative of “fit”/appropriate/meeting whatever requirements).
Defn: /install an oven for you.
16 Tyres can burst in race (8)
ANCESTRY : Anagram of( burst) TYRES CAN.
18 Song about deceiver in rural idyll (7)
ARCADIA : ARIA(an operatic song) containing(about) CAD(a rogue/a deceiver, especially of women).
19 Overhead protection from the rain (7)
HAIRNET : Anagram of(from) THE RAIN.
20 Performer in north circled by fish on river (6)
DANCER : N(abbrev. for “north”) contained in(circled by) DACE(a small freshwater fish) placed above(on, in a down clue) R(abbrev. for “river”).
23 Love makes an entrance we hear (5)
ADORE : Homophone of( we hear) [“a door”](an entrance into a room or building).
Pleasant Sunday diversion with all going in steadily and only the wordplay for RARE unparsed. I liked the ‘I say’ def and HOT-WATER BOTTLE. Given my experience with Zoom and the like over the last few weeks, I’m not sure CONFERENCE CALL technology really has been surpassed!
I’d fail miserably on the pub quiz question. I’ll take a stab at Comet and Vixen but then the well runs dry.
Thanks to Tees (see you again tomorrow?) and scchua
I rather like ‘Tees Sundays’ – enjoyable but not overtaxing for the cryptic grey matter
Thanks to him and scchua
Thanks Tees for the lunchtime work-out.
With brains becoming rather mushy just lately its good to have an opportunity to use the grey matter each day.
Thanks scchua.
“Pleasant Sunday diversion with all going in steadily” and “enjoyable but not overtaxing for the cryptic grey matter”. We’ll second that. We only had to refer to Chambers for the pronunciation of COTYLEDON where we had a difference of opinion, although it’s only how to spell it that matters in a crossword.
Thanks, Tees and scchua.
Clue at 1Ac is “Free NHS” not “Fresh NHS”.
A pleasant Sunday stroll, though I spent too long trying to fit ‘odourless’ into 11A. Never heard ‘inodorous’ before. Thanks Tees and Scchua.
Overtaxed grey matter was my starting condition, having slighty overdone it with the cognac at last night’s wedding anniversary celebration. Thus slow but satisfying progress made, although parsings were too often sketchy. All cleared up here now, thanks scchua and Tees, and no thanks to Hennessy VSOP. FAIR GAME the favourite today.
Thanks for the blog, scchua- though, like WordPlodder @1, I’d question your comment re CONFERENCE CALL: Zoom [which I’d never heard of a few weeks ago], is now [with 15²] one of my lifelines.
As most times, I concur with crypticsue. My favourites today were 21ac ASIATIC and 5dn PROVERB.
Many thanks Tees – most enjoyable.
Thank you scchua and all who posted. Of a Sunday it is certainly not my intention to over-egg the cryptic custard, and I’m glad you’re okay with that.
I too seem to be enjoying the after-effects of the likes of Hennessy (though in my case it was, most recently at any rate, Guinness plus Scapa, ‘the Orcadian’, which is a fine whisky lost on the likes of yours truly) during the lockdown. I drink less frequently under confinement, but when I do, it can go on well into the night, since no-one, not even the drummer of The Far Meadow, is going to rig a bell, or wobble a thundersheet to call time.
Anyway thank you. Tonight has been quiz night, and I have been successful, scoring highly on Bond girls and acronyms (failed on Plenty O’Toole, unbelievably, and NICAM). It’s also been a night of Guinness, unspoilt this time by the evil dramstuff, and yet I suspect another lost morning looms. But whatever.
Cheers (quide liderally)
Tees
WordPlodder and Eileen, Zoom and the like is precisely what I was refering to. A conference call, like the clue says is one over a telephone line (on fixed land or cellular systems). I’ve added to the blog an illustration of a component of the former technology. Remember that one?
Yes, looks straight out of the pages of Dan Dare, doesn’t it. Very futuristic!