This crossword No. 26217 clues and answers were published on Wed 26 Mar 2014 and the puzzle can be visited by following The Guardian Cryptic Crossword No. 26217 link.
All Across Clues and Answers:
1-across – Eccentric bathes in spirit! : ABSINTHE
5-across – United said to be finished a while ago : WELDED
9-across – Small gardens here a little bit out of place : SKEWWHIFF
11-across – Almost every other component follows past tests : EXAMS
12-across – Rogue hurries along with cheap way to pay : HIREPURCHASE
15-across – It gets heated when weird group ousts leader : OVEN
16-across – Killers hated working on the side : DEATHSQUAD
18-across – Press invitation to meeting for young man after public image : PERSONALAD
19-across – Chapter head in Pride and Prejudice : DEAN
21-across – Privileged place freely available to card players : PUBLICSCHOOL
24-across – Board agreement expressed in two languages : OUIJA
25-across – Points to lack of showy jewellery as dignifying : ENNOBLING
26-across – Dreads becoming even more unhappy : SADDER
27-across – Small character part for someone on the way up : ASCENDER
All Down Clues and Answers:
1-down – Too much of pals to finish off with round of golf : ALSO
2-down – Hinder the continuity of one’s main ancestral line : STEM
3-down – Could wine be drunk by new arrival? : NEWBIE
4-down – Emperor replaced his allies with ease : HAILESELASSIE
6-down – Put in practice a duty involving Her Majesty : EXERCISE
7-down – She goes over the top to get role of Titania : DRAMAQUEEN
8-down – Dances tend to be moved one further down the line : DESCENDANT
10-down – Product mechanisms often in place in pubs : FRUITMACHINES
13-down – Pittance provided initially to get spies back can be laid on the table : SOUPSPOONS
14-down – Pot reported to be advertised put up cheaply : JERRYBUILD
17-down – Test one against a note prompt : MOTIVATE
20-down – Spitting Image repeat : DOUBLE
22-down – Said to have passed time in the jungle, perhaps : WILD
23-down – A garden not a place where one might study a culture medium : AGAR
This crossword has in total 28 where 14 are across and 14 are down.