| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | TAP-DANCES | |
| Entertains by striking a piano in unusual descant (3-6) | (A + P) inside anagram of DESCANT | |
| 6 | TOP-UP | |
| Something that’s added to small seal (3-2) | TO + PUP | |
| 9 | ROBOT | |
| Factory worker, perhaps, born inside base (5) | B inside ROOT | |
| 10 | EMINENTLY | |
| Pit put in gently, after starting well (9) | MINE inside g)ENTLY | |
| 11 | TAILGATING | |
| Closely following a litigant roughly carrying $1000 (10) | Anagram of A LITIGANT outside G | |
| 12 | POOH | |
| Famous bear brought back ring (4) | HOOP reversed | |
| 14 | CURATE | |
| Service mostly taken by engaging assistant rector (6) | RA(n) inside CUTE | |
| 15 | TRIAL RUN | |
| Rehearsal is restricted during ritual arranged close to noon (5,3) | R inside anagram of RITUAL + N | |
| 17 | MULBERRY | |
| Fruit producer is happy about using large bags initially (8) | MERRY outside (U)sing (L)arge (B)ags | |
| 18 | PINTOS | |
| A quantity of liquid so upset horses (6) | PINT + SO reversed | |
| 20 | CITE | |
| Mention announcement of location (4) | Sounds like SITE | |
| 21 | WADING POOL | |
| Water splashed by children wrecked wood paling (6,4) | Anagram of WOOD PALING | |
| 24 | ELOCUTION | |
| Uncool tie interfered with speech (9) | Anagram of UNCOOL TIE | |
| 25 | AMITY | |
| A person chosen to oppose others, in my understanding (5) | A + (IT inside MY) | |
| 26 | NASTY | |
| One turning tail with pen is not very nice (5) | AN reversed + STY | |
| 27 | SCAVENGER | |
| Garbage collector caught in an explosion of nerve gas (9) | C inside anagram of NERVE GAS | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | TAROT | |
| Mystic cards are not all found in child’s possession (5) | AR(e) inside TOT | |
| 2 | PUBLIC RELATIONS | |
| Promotional department developed “social blueprint” (6,9) | Anagram of SOCIAL BLUEPRINT | |
| 3 | ALTOGETHER | |
| Singer upset her totally (10) | ALTO + GET + HER | |
| 4 | CREATE | |
| Build close to peninsula in part of Greece (6) | peninsul(A) inside CRETE | |
| 5 | SPINNERS | |
| They deliver small caps with side-flaps (8) | S + PINNERS | |
| 6 | TREE | |
| Genealogist’s work on opening centre in Cheltenham (4) | RE inside chelTEnham | |
| 7 | PETROL RATIONING | |
| Various members of Interpol got Iran’s fuel distribution scheme (6,9) | Anagram of INTERPOL GOT IRAN | |
| 8 | PAYPHONES | |
| Telecommunication services reconnected happy individuals (9) | Anagram of HAPPY + ONES | |
| 13 | TAKING CARE | |
| A royal vehicle, in middle of hysteria, is proceeding cautiously (6,4) | (A + KING + CAR) inside hys(TE)ria | |
| 14 | COME CLEAN | |
| Pupil, finally entering Mecca, one prepared to reveal everything (4,5) | pupi(L) inside anagram of MECCA ONE | |
| 16 | BREAK-INS | |
| Garbage collectors, holding rake, wrongly committed unlawful acts (5-3) | BINS outside anagram of RAKE | |
| 19 | SIENNA | |
| Earthy colour, in season, not so out of place (6) | Anagram of IN SEASON minus SO | |
| 22 | LAYER | |
| Actor, say, missing soft bed (5) | (p)LAYER | |
| 23 | DUTY | |
| Perverted Earl not involved in adultery charge (4) | Anagram of ADULTERY minus EARL |
