Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Several I didn't like.

1a the part that means "grandly dines" has exactly the opposite meaning round these parts.
21a isn't a "pescatarian" a fish-eater? The main ingredient of the answer simply isn't a fish!
24a is an indirect anagram (admittedly a pretty obvious one)
27a I had an equally valid second word until it didn't work with the crossers
8d the homophone isn't a fat - fats are solid at room temperature

Rant over - I'm missing my Sunday golf (still recuperating from an operation)

I actually found most of this pretty easy. However, can’t get 2d (e?e?t?). I assume there should be a missing h in front of the e, but don’t see it.

26a — I have t?s?e? I have the word that crosses it, the liqueur, but no idea how to parse it.

Navel oranges come from Spain.

Thanks.

The liqueur, take all the middle letters out of a couple of words in the clue, then put them inside "scoundrels".
2 "he jokes" in Cockney?
26 the shock is electric, used by police

Thanks chrise but it still doesn’t make sense. 2d — I see the reasoning but if it’s ‘jokes’ isn’t the spelling of the solution wrong? And also 26a — I understand about the police shocker but is the 4th letter k??

Well, it's not actually "jokes" - I was trying not to give the answer!
26 I've not got a K - just "time" - but the defintition is very loose.

Thanks. Ok now. Happy holidays

...and to you and yours!

17d I can guess the answer from all the crosses but can make no sense of the parsing despite the hints on this forum. Looks like a very poor clue that stretches all credulity to me. Any other hints anyone?

Within seconds of my last posting the light has dawned in my head ! I still think 17d is a pretty awful clue though.

I'm not convinced that I've ever seen it in the plural, but other than that it looks fine to me.