The Hindu Crossword No. 2592 Solutions

Across
1 Reason Italian's back in action (6) MOTIVE (Italian=IT=>Italian's back=TI, action=MOVE=>Italian's back in action = MO(TI)VE)
4 Wanting to cross, finds a quicker way (5,3) SHORT CUT
9 Hood shown in book with a silly call girl (9) BALACLAVA (book=BA, silly call=LACL, girl=AVA => BA+LACL+AVA)
11 Check utterance made by president (5) CHAIR (Check=CH, utterance=AIR => CH+AIR)
12 Faithful ally worried about nothing (5) LOYAL (ally worried=LYAL, nothing=O=>ally worried about nothing = L(O)YAL)
13 Indicate section of flagship (9) SHOWPIECE (Indicate=SHOW, section=PIECE => SHOW+PIECE)
14 Playing in guest, character introduced song associated with him? (9,4) SIGNATURE TUNE
18 Tree, very small in street, a reddish-brown colour (5,8) SWEET CHESTNUT (very small=WEE, street=ST=>very small in street=S(WEE)T, a reddish-brown colour=CHESTNUT)
20 Fish only served after fruit (5,4) LEMON SOLE (only=SOLE, fruit=LEMON=>only served after fruit = LEMON SOLE)
22 Beer fit for a king knocked back (5) LAGER (fit for a king=REGAL, fit for a king knocked back = reverse of REGAL)
24 Saw maiden meeting German fellow (5) MOTTO (maiden=M, German fellow=OTTO=>maiden meeting German fellow = M+OTTO)
25 Send down countryman at end of case (9) RUSTICATE (countryman=RUSTIC, at=AT, end of case=E => RUSTIC+AT+E)
26 Game fish (8) SARDINES (Direct)
27 Inventor is entertained by English lecturer (6) EDISON (English=E, is=IS, lecturer=DON=>is entertained by English lecturer = E+D(IS)ON)

Down
1 One's in Alabama port to prepare for active service (8) MOBILISE (One's=IS, Alabama port=MOBILE=>One's in Alabama port = MOBIL(IS)E)
2 Score ton with partner (5) TALLY (ton=T, partner=ALLY=>ton with partner = T+ALLY)
3 Sway to and fro, being sick during leave (9) VACILLATE (sick=ILL, leave=VACATE=>sick during leave = VAC(ILL)ATE)
5 Completely topsy-turvy (4,4,5) HEAD OVER HEELS (Direct)
6 Go over, step right up (5) RECAP (step=PACE, right=R=>step right up = reverse of PACE+R)
7 Clean home, in a mess, for fickle person (9) CHAMELEON (Clean home, in a mess = ana. CLEAN+HOME)
8 Seaman hit bull's eye (6) TARGET (Seaman=TAR, hit=GET => TAR+GET)
10 The sound of a sailor going over reportedly rough training ground (7,6) ASSAULT COURSE (a sailor=A SALT=>The sound of a sailor=The sound of A SALT=ASSAULT, rough=COARSE=>reportedly rough=homonym of COARSE=COURSE)
15 Storage tank most agree needs to be demolished (9) GASOMETER (most agree needs to be demolished = ana. MOST+AGREE)
16 Not tarnished? Could become dull in use (9) UNSULLIED (Could become dull in use = ana. DULL+IN+USE)
17 Naval doctor eating piece of tuna fish (8) STURGEON (Naval doctor=SURGEON, piece of tuna=T=>Naval doctor eating piece of tuna = S(T)URGEON)
19 Alluring island castle (6) GLAMIS (Alluring=GLAM, island=IS => GLAM+IS)
21 I grumble about girl (5) NAOMI (I=I, grumble=MOAN=>I grumble about = ana. I+MOAN)
23 Greek fool, informant (5) GRASS (Greek=GR, fool=ASS => GR+ASS)