Independent Crossword 8859 by Nestor (07-03-2015)

With spring just around the corner a tussle with Nestor beckons.

Nestor’s puzzles are always good fun and this one was no exception. He seems to squeeze that extra little bit of crypticism out of the clues often combining several devices into one clue.

Thanks Nestor.

Key:

* anagram ; DD Double definition Rev. Reverse

ACROSS

1 To do catechism “freestyle” is about right for this teaching (8, 6)

(to do catechism + r)* = SOCRATIC METHOD

9 Common conclusion on past form one caught in innocent grooming (8)

pure (innocent) around -ed (common conclusion on past form – e.g. walk-ed) + I (one) + c (caught) = PEDICURE

10 Irish man kicked back, circling room (6)

Rev. Toed (kicked) around rm (room) = DERMOT

11 How to derive an irrational root (6)

Turn Pi (Irrational number) = TURNIP

12 Motor control is hard in gait let loose (8)

h (hard) in trot (gait) + (let)* = THROTTLE

13 Ultimately Bosie and his lover entering had children in perplexity (10)

Bred (had children) around e (ultimately Bosie) + Wilde (his lover) = BEWILDERED

16 Dog meat? That’s not on (4)

Mutton (meat) – on = MUTT

17 Combs over after odd cutting it’s not out of place in winds (4)

cOmBs OvEr = OBOE

19 Bent nose around exposed place (10)

Pry (nose) around open (exposed0 sit (place) = PROPENSITY

21 Reduce punctuation to be stylish (3,1,4)

DD CUT A DASH

23 Horizontal or upright initially in column? (6)

u (upright initially) in spine (column) = SUPINE

25 Push sound of piano part (6)

Homonym (Pedal – piano part) = PEDDLE

26 Place  to pick up volume acceptable in rubbish work (8)

Bosh (rubbish) + op (work) around ok (acceptable) = BOOKSHOP

27 Start working dry hotel keeping male support slight? (4, 2 , 3, 5)

kick in (start working) + tt (dry) + h(hotel) around [He (male) + tee (support)] = KICK IN THE TEETH

DOWN

2 Hackney united to split old lines (7)

O (old) + verse (lines) around u (united) = OVERUSE

3 Government erected section of Tangiers (5)

Hidden reverse taNGIERs = REIGN

4 NYC tower owner deceived one, raising the lowest without foundation (7-2)

Trump (NYC tower owner) + Dupe (deceived one) moving e = TRUMPED UP

5 Care about changing route, frequency and hours somewhat? I don’t (8, 2, 5)

(care)* + (route)* + f (frequency) + h (hours) + a bit (somewhat) = CREATURE OF HABIT

6 Tree having lived longer (5)

DD ELDER

7 Read Smith’s stirring novel (4, 5)

(read Smith)* = HARD TIMES

8 Rep rashly taking turns with fool in a bit of a fog? (7)

(rep)* in D-O-L-T (fool) = DROPLET

14 Doubling in charge to acquire antelope’s tongue (9)

IC (In charge) x 2 around Eland (antelope) = ICELANDIC

15 Doctors swallowing ecstasy, doctors coming up on it, suited convention? (5, 4)

Drs (doctors) around e (ecstasy) + Rev (docs) + e (ecstasy referred to as it) = DRESS CODE

18 Jazz pianist’s difficulty interrupting rock guitarist (7)

Rub (difficulty) in Beck rock guitarist – Jeff Beck) = BRUBECK

20 Ignore Musketeers’ “all” protecting “one” of the opposite sex? (4,3)

Tout (all – French) around Une (French one – female) = TUNE OUT

22 Caucasian rage going up to Arizona (5)

Rev (Ire (rage)) after Az (arizona) = AZERI

24 Antiquated old man contrary to North by Northwest (5)

Pa (old man) + SSE opposite of NNW = PASSE