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Where's Brendan when we really need him? I've struggled with today's Everyman on and off for a few hours and there are still 3 or 4 answers that elude me. 15d 16d, 18a. 27a. For me, at least, the most challenging Everyman in a very long time.

I think Brendan has had his hands full with the Listener. It’s a real beast this week.

Hi Alzy,
Thanks for starting the thread.

I didn’t see anything particularly contentious this week (famous last words) and no cad/&lits as far as I noticed. Felt the abbreviation in 14a should perhaps have been indicated, but that could be just me not being familiar with it. Charlotte wasn’t the first Charlotte that came to mind and the other thing that held me up was getting 11a the wrong the way round, which I suspect is easily done, though reading it back the clue is fair.
Favourites were 13a, 16d, 22d.

Did it! Bloody hard work IMO, even with Google and Crossword Solver to help me.

This was a hard one to get started! I nearly threw in the towel after 15 minutes and a completely blank grid…
Once off the ground, the left side came together nicely, and soon the NE quadrant was done. The left half was looking like it was themed (1a, 10a, 16d, 24a) but none of this type of answer transpired on the right side.

A long rhyming pair is there again this week I see.

FOI 26a.
LOI 27a - Jono I also took a while to get the right Charlotte.

Alzy:
15d is a poet. Build up the components from the bottom (“north”), 2 letters for “say”, 4 letters for “frightful” plus a truncated 4 letter word (3 letters) Scottish word for a particular type of body of water.

16d is referring to the collective noun usage of parliament.

18a first word is a film genre, one letter abbreviation for with, followed by the a in the clue and “two lines” are a double letter.

Have a great weekend everyone!

27a - definition is “Fancy that!”

15d the whole clue reads bottom to top

16d relates to a collective noun and is a contender for COD

18ac is a geographical feature

27ac is a traditionally English exclamation not much used these days, so could be tricky for non-natives

This was a slog. Good day all. Got there eventually but had a couple wrong which I've just corrected thanks to this forum. FOI unusually for me was 1a. LOI having got it wrong was 18a, missed the second word. I now see the rhyming pair, nice. COD once I found how to spell it is 22d - I imagine very easy for those familiar with it. Liked 21a, not sure I get 18d. I'll check back later for more explanations. I wish you all a good Sunday.

I meant 16d.

That was hard and not a lot of fun (though I did like 16d). I've struggled on, and am left with 2 crossing - 24a and 17d. For 24 I can think of a word for "smelling" and a word for "what a goose produces", but unfortunately they aren't the same word!
I assume 17 starts with an anagram of SAAB, but I can't see where to go from that.

The definition in 11a is surely wrong, and I've no idea who Charlotte is! I agree that the unindicated abbreviation in 14 is naughty. 2d has a word in the clue and in the answer - clumsy.

What is the mass transport system in 23a? I've put in an answer from definition only, but I feel that it's some sort of subtractive anagram.

Hi Chris,
24 is the goose sound, it also means smelling. I think I know what you’re thinking as I had the same thought, it’s a similar word.
17 Saab yes, then two letters for assigned to and two letters as a self reference.
23 The transport system is a generic term, but the famous one is not in this country.