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I really enjoyed this Everyman, it had lots of wit and I found quite a challenge in places - and I noticed a rhyming pair 😲

FOI was 11a followed by the gimme at 12a.

All the usual Everyman trademarks are present with the exception of a Spoonerism.

COD - As I said, lots of witty clues like the kissing cattle and duck at 15a and poor Mo missing out on a bronze at 26a but I'm going to pick the tricky 17a - what follows tango in hotel? (4) mainly because it took me an age to see it.

Thanks to Everyman for a great way to kick off our Sunday:-)

Stay safe:-)

Well done, Brendan. I was just about to post

Thanks to Everyman for another strong effort. Not difficult but a few wrinkles, solid example of what "an Everyman is supposed to be".

Trademarks all present except Spoonerism (2 weeks in a row without).
A long anagram in the acrosses and one in the downs. Perhaps a mini-theme of "19", but not enough clues to be a full theme. Two more pairs of solutions seem linked, but that's likely accidental.

FOI 1d, LOI 17.
COD 17; also liked 26, 20, 27, 7, 1a and 6.

Hi Geeker,

Yes, this was good fun. Well spotted on the 19a references with Don Quixote, EoE and D.....a.

Everyman was definitely on form today:-)

PS - I watched all the links you sent sent me on the HN saga together with one from Chess & Tech in which he goes through all the data that Dr Regan looked at.

Thanks, Brendan. I'm going to watch the Chess and Tech video. Have only seen references to Regan's analysis. He's long been considered a leading authority on detecting cheats.

[Added] The more I think about it, the more I think Carlsen will receive some kind of censure (fine? suspension?) from FIDE.

I thought a little more difficult than Everyman had been lately, but as you both observed, some very clever clues. I liked how the rhyming pair was made up of opposites. Nice touch. FOI 10a, though it took a second look to parse. LOI the tricky for an American 9a. As a Ph.D. myself, 27a gets my COD.

Really liked this offering but flummoxed by 7D. I've got the answer, I think (thanks to the rhyming pair), but I'm no closer to parsing it. Can anyone help (without giving the game away to others)?

Scrap that request. Got it! Life was simpler pre-cellphones!

Good fun I thought, perhaps one of the best recently in fact. Only quiblin would be ‘runs off’ which suggested to me taking both runs off, though I can see how it does work.
Cheers all

Fairly steady progress for me. Can't parse 16d or 26a .
Spent ages staring at 7d before bunging something in . First word was correct but second word was wrong. I thought that it was pretty essential for the bride and groom to have made a wise choice of spouse and then thought of a Xmas present which has a variety of chocolate bars . Fail .