I have to disagree with those who believe a setter should use an anagram as a last resort. I think anagrams are the heart and soul of cryptic clues, whether contributing to all or part of the answer. An anagram is the easiest to understand conceptually, the only device that people tend to “know” already, the first device learnt by many, diverse (no other device has as many possible indicators) and flexible. I use what I call “the anagram technique” to evaluate a word BEFORE committing it to the grid. A word with lots of potential anagrams will provide multiple cluing options (not necessarily using an anagram) and one with very few potential anagrams is likely to cause cluing problems, as the breakdown of consonants and vowels reflects what components are in a word. I just love the simplicity of anagrams, as with 13-down. Not a difficult clue, but the surface and construction make it delightful IMO. How could I clue it any other way?
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | TEAR OFF | |
| Forcibly remove auditor punching a good sort (4,3) | EAR inside TOFF | |
| 5 | SCATTY | |
| Slightly unpredictable animal locked in pigpen (6) | STY containing CAT | |
| 9 | INEPT | |
| Bumbling writer returned wearing it (5) | PEN reversed inside IT | |
| 10 | SATIRICAL | |
| Racist corrected about current limitations of antisocial taunting? (9) | Anagram of RACIST around I + AL | |
| 11 | LISTENED | |
| Small number in deli curiously took notice (8) | (S + TEN) inside anagram of DELI | |
| 12 | ACCENT | |
| Underline ID not kept by chance (6) | ACCIDENT minus ID | |
| 13 | SOON | |
| Love accepted by child in a minute (4) | O inside SON | |
| 14 | MOUSTACHE | |
| Facial feature must hurt with ring inserted (9) | (MUST + ACHE) with O inserted | |
| 17 | GOT THE NOD | |
| Gained permission and time, then moved into welfare (3,3,3) | (T + THEN) inside GOOD | |
| 18 | FLAY | |
| Insect consuming a fleece (4) | FLY around A | |
| 20 | PLENUM | |
| Place changed menu for a full assembly (6) | PL + anagram of MENU | |
| 21 | ORNAMENT | |
| Decorate or label a collection of religious books (8) | OR + NAME + NT | |
| 24 | SMART ARSE | |
| Creative work covered in smears distracted wise guy (5,4) | ART inside anagram of SMEARS | |
| 25 | SETAE | |
| Bristles are oddly found on backside of mount? (5) | ArE behind SET | |
| 26 | HYBRID | |
| Bird scrambled after one leaving honey mixture (6) | Anagram of BIRD after (HONEY minus ONE) | |
| 27 | TAMARIN | |
| Blemish, one spotted in mouth of brown monkey (7) | (MAR + I) inside TAN | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | TRIAL | |
| Six pulled out of meaningless examination (5) | TRIVIAL minus VI | |
| 2 | AVERSION THERAPY | |
| Behaviour modification technique, a type people in general loaded with praise (8,7) | A + VERSION + RAP inside THEY | |
| 3 | OUTSET | |
| Start middle section of tour match running around (6) | tOUr + TEST reversed | |
| 4 | FISHERMAN | |
| She invested in company with an individual looking to achieve net gains (9) | FIRM outside SHE + AN | |
| 5 | SITE | |
| Announcement made of vision’s location (4) | Sounds like SIGHT | |
| 6 | ATROCITY | |
| Patrol ignoring boundaries connected with urban centre’s villainy (8) | p)ATRO(l + CITY | |
| 7 | TICKET COLLECTOR | |
| Time arranged to lock electric pass checker (6,9) | T + anagram of TO LOCK ELECTRIC | |
| 8 | FLATTERY | |
| Praise coffee handled by cook (8) | FRY outside LATTE | |
| 13 | SIGNPOST | |
| Faulty GPS is not a reliable guide (8) | Anagram of GPS IS NOT | |
| 15 | UNDERWENT | |
| Experienced peacekeepers camped next to river in Tasmania (9) | UN + DERWENT | |
| 16 | THRUSTER | |
| Sign of decay spotted in the tail of booster rocket (8) | RUST inside THE + R | |
| 19 | RANSOM | |
| Australian service reduced some extortionate price (6) | RAN + SOM(e | |
| 22 | TIE-IN | |
| Link that is metal-plated? (3-2) | IE plated with TIN | |
| 23 | PROD | |
| Poke tail of carp with fishing tackle (4) | P + ROD |
