Cryptic crossword No 509

That was pretty challenging, Twmbarlwm but I did end up with a completed grid, albeit with a number unparsed. You've found the odd unusual synonym to flummox me. Some real gems in amongst these with my highlights being: 13a, 17a, 25a (COTD), 27a, 2d, 3d, 4d, 15d, 20d (other COTD). Spoilers in reply.

LOL I enjoyed this Twmbarlwm. Lots of good wit. Thought I'd solved 1A and had solved 25A (always have to check how to spell it though) from your tweet. Also enjoyed 9A, actually no need to list any more I enjoyed them all. Thanks! SPOILERS IN REPLY.

Very nicely done, though I wasn't familiar with the use of "nuts" in 21a. Some really neat clues, my favourites being 1a and 1d but there didn't seem to be a weak one in sight. Thanks, Twmbarlwm

Thanks Twmbarlwm, an enjoyable challenge - emphasis on both words! Some great clues in here, my favourites being 10a, 13a, 25a, 20d and 22d.

Lovely stuff Twmbarlwm. Quite chewy in places for all the reasons already mentioned by others, but no complaints now I understand it all. Hard to pick favourites but I’ll plump for 13A, 25A, 2D, 4D, 15D and 16D. Spoiler in reply.

By the way I hope to upload a fairly straight 13x13 to the Quick section tomorrow which might offset any chewiness that this one generated!

Thanks, Twmbarlwm - I found this pretty tough but enjoyably so. Lots of fine clues but the standouts for me were 1a, 11a, 13a, 20d.

Thanks for the challenge, Twmbarlwm, that was a lovely puzzle. Some tricky stuff in here, but I appreciated the cunning of the constructions with help from the annotations where things went over my head. My favourites were 1a (lovely surface and rather too tricky for me during the solve!), 9a (very neat), 10a (lovely formulation), 11a (smart), 25a (over my head at the time, but I like this), 26a (neat surface reference), 1d (fun surface), 2d (another!), 4d (clever), 20d (another clever one),...