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Thanks to Everyman for a fun and high-quality puzzle, though I found it on the difficult end of the spectrum. Overall more challenging than yesterday's Prize (which was perhaps an easy one). The hardest clues didn't take quite as long, but there were almost no "gimme"/write-in entries.
FOI was 8, LOI 14 (despite being only 4 letters :-) ).
All the standard Everyman boxes seem to be checked: first letter, rhyming, alliteration. There's a long anagram in the acrosses and one in the downs.
Cluing is unusually high-quality IMO. Will rank 18 and 6 as co-COD, edging out 11, 22 and 9. My COD "long list" had 6 others!

Bravo Geeker for the in-depth analysis. I, on the other hand, thought this was a doddle compared with yesterday's Prize. But that's what makes the world go around. FOI 1d followed by 2d 4d 1a in quick succession. LOI 11a which I'll make my COD. Great fun.

Enjoyed it. Given I woke up in the small hours and finished it in 45 mins it must be at the easier end of the spectrum. But FOI was 16a. Took me a while to get going. Southern half went in first. LOI 10a which I assume is a homophone. COD 25a with COP26 coming up. If my 8a is correct then could be my COD. Thanks for the first post.

Hi Geeker, hi Alzy, hi Yevrah,

I too found it more difficult than usual but enjoyed it nonetheless.

10a - I think this is just a double definition as in a person who "might add fine powder" and also an implement that might "removes it".

Add me to those who found it relatively easy. FOI 8a, then I jumped to the bottom as I hadn’t figured out 1a (which turned out to be an unfamiliar expression.) Sure enough, there was the alliteration. So now I knew the key letter, and after a few more entries I had a pretty good idea of the second word in 4d. I’ll stick with 8a as COD, and if I’m allowed a least liked, it would definitely be 15a. Ugh.

I agree with you Geeker thought this was hard. 1a defeated me. Although once I had that I could do the rest.

Any hint on 8a?

Hi PCA,

8a - this is a "regularly" type of clue. Look up an image of the singular of the answer and compare it to a picture of a "trident"

Hi all,
Been lurking for a while but first time poster here.

For me that was on the easier end of the Everyman spectrum, though the last few struggled in and I'm still not sure on the parsing of 12a.

pca, think Greek letters.

Hi ChFish,

Welcome to the Forum:-)

12a - Single letter "learner" + 4 letter "direction" followed by/"ensues" 4 letter "styles" - definition is "however casually".