| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | DUST OFF | |
| Prepare to re-employ American gentleman after opening of dealership (4,3) | (US + TOFF) after (D)EALERSHIP | |
| 5 | RESIGN | |
| Give up and come back? (6) | Double Definition | |
| 9 | PILOT | |
| Container holding one large fly (5) | POT outside (I + L) | |
| 10 | IMPORTANT | |
| Key man limiting data connection in IT (9) | (MAN outside PORT) inside IT | |
| 11 | THE RIGHT | |
| Conservative lot that woman listed in compact (3,5) | HER inside TIGHT | |
| 12 | HIGHER | |
| Announcement made to employ superior (6) | Sounds like HIRE | |
| 14 | LAPS | |
| Companion returned with first of several drinks (4) | PAL reversed + (S)EVERAL | |
| 15 | PROVENCAL | |
| French person confirmed call terminated before the end (9) | PROVEN + (CAL)L | |
| 17 | STALEMATE | |
| Drunken male wearing government tie (9) | Anagram of MALE inside STATE | |
| 18 | LEAD | |
| Heavy metal guitarist (4) | Double Definition | |
| 20 | GRAVEL | |
| Weighty and large rock fragments (6) | GRAVE + L | |
| 21 | CLEARING | |
| Close call about each evacuation (8) | (CL + RING) outside EA | |
| 24 | SHORTHORN | |
| Cow and horse mostly chewed something prickly (9) | Anagram of (HORS)E + THORN | |
| 25 | VENUE | |
| Street without a location (5) | AVENUE minus A | |
| 26 | EYELET | |
| Small opening in can leaving acetylene all over the place (6) | Anagram of ACETYLENE minus CAN | |
| 27 | SCARRED | |
| Small vehicle, a light colour, is damaged? (7) | S + CAR + RED | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | DEPOT | |
| Head of state slipped out of tyrant’s military store (5) | DESPOT minus (S)TATE | |
| 2 | SELF-EXPLANATORY | |
| Fine involved with payroll tax seen strangely as obvious (4-11) | F inside anagram of PAYROLL TAX SEEN | |
| 3 | OUTWIT | |
| There are no limits to bout with fool (6) | B(OUT WIT)H | |
| 4 | FLIGHT PLAN | |
| Fault initially connected with light plane reduced aviation schedule (6,4) | (F)AULT + LIGHT + (PLAN)E | |
| 5 | ROPE | |
| Items of property should be secure (4) | pROPErty | |
| 6 | SERVICED | |
| Bearing right inside broken device should be repaired (8) | S + R inside anagram of DEVICE | |
| 7 | GRAPHIC DESIGNER | |
| He’s regarding pic in a new light, perhaps? (7,8) | Anagram of HES REGARDING PIC | |
| 8 | STARTLED | |
| Unsettled principal was up front after short time (8) | STAR + (LED after T) | |
| 13 | POWERLINES | |
| Electrified pole wires supported by pole? (10) | Anagram of POLE WIRES + S | |
| 14 | LAST-GASP | |
| Desperate stalags relocated prisoners at the front (4-4) | Anagram of STALAGS + (P)RISONERS | |
| 16 | PEDESTAL | |
| Friend, ringing editor, established support for a column (8) | PAL outside (ED + EST) | |
| 19 | LATVIA | |
| Departed short on euros through part of Europe (6) | (LATE minus E) + VIA | |
| 22 | GREED | |
| Shook hands, ignoring a strong desire (5) | AGREED minus A | |
| 23 | POST | |
| Standard delivery (4) | Double Definition |
I do love an &lit, and #206 had two of them. Bonus!