Across
1 In most cases it is not, however, exclusive to brass hats (2,1,7,4)AS A GENERAL RULE
8 The fad that a periodical had (6) MAGGOT
9 Situation of severe trial for the club: rice gone bad (8) CRUCIBLE
11 A missile in the birdhouse; nothing could be more restrictive (9) NARROWEST
12 Trainer trades cents for power to hunt illegally (5) POACH
13 Get possession of a quantity of paper, about 100 (7) ACQUIRE
15 Dried, it somehow was made unclean (7) DIRTIED
17 Contract to take a hundred from one noted for eccentricity (7) CRANTOR
19 The amateur escorting prisoner is short and to the point (7) LACONIC
21 Standards for new writing about gold (5) NORMS
23 Ram’s flute played with the authority of an expert (9)MASTERFUL
25 Salesperson, first girl carrying prison term, gets a deferment (8) REPRIEVE
26 Aid distributed in space station in the skies (3-3) MID-AIR
27 Such a report about climate cites space body with nothing national (14)METEOROLOGICAL
Down
1 Cleaning agent for bullets in a mess (7) AMMONIA
2 Boring tool to portend the outcome, say(5) AUGER
3 Expert in the science of wealth in eastern business with no haze (9)ECONOMIST
4 Fizzy and top-grade assessment given, containing energy (7) AERATED
5 Cover the top again for a summary (5)RECAP
6 Sign followed by returning Keralite, one taking care of the books (9) LIBRARIAN
7 System, some times seen in madness as well (6) METHOD
10 High point, reportedly, for a dog (4) PEKE
14 Penny caught in courtyard regulation consisting of four parts (9) QUADRUPLE
16 Going up rapidly, like prices in super-inflation (9) ROCKETING
17 Baseless rumour finally replaced by unknown bird (6) CANARD
18 Little time taken by aimless priest, one helping you change homes (7) REMOVER
19 Shoemaker’s model, the final thing (4) LAST
20 Colourless liquid for beginnings of cold, hypothermia and laryngitis, administered by the mouth (7) CHLORAL
22 A bit of bread for a golf shot (5) SLICE
24 Currency managed in capitals of France and Croatia (5) FRANC