8A Aisle

Broadcast small peninsula’s passage

Broadcast = homophone of ISLE => AISE = passage

9A Helmets

The elms destroyed for protective headwear

Destroyed = anagram of THE ELMS => HELMETS = protective headwear

10A Rwandan

African managed to grab magic stick

Managed = RAN, grab = word in a word, magic stick = WAND => RWANDAN = African

11A Vague

Diva guesses hidden uncertainty

Hidden = hidden word in diVA GUEsses => VAGUE = uncertainty

12A Cue

Sounds like waiting in line for signal

Waiting in line = queue, sounds like = homophone of => CUE = signal

13A Obscene

Dirty river location

River = OB, location = SCENE => OBSCENE = dirty

15A OGRE

No girl about for Shrek

No = O, girl = G, about = RE => OGRE = Shrek

17A Acid

A police branch is sour

A police branch = CID => ACID = sour

19A Soldier

Serviceman traded odd item with last officer

Traded = SOLD, odd letters in ItEm, last of officeR => SOLDIER

22A Pot

Regularly sprouts Marijuana

Regular letters from sPrOuTs => POT = Marijuana

23A Disco

Finding no super dance music

Finding = DISCOVERY, super = VERY, no = remove one from the other =? DISCO = dance music

24A Octopus

Sea creature finds love before extremely consistent work

Love = O, extremely = outside letters of ConsistenT, work = OPUS => OCTOPUS = sea creature

26A Penance

Open ancestors’ lost acts of atonement

Lost = hidden word in oPEN ANCEstors => PENANCE = act of atonement

27A Moose

Cow sounds echo another animal

Cow sounds = MOOS, echo = E => MOOSE = another animal

1D Warrior

Overheard someone who is unnecessarily concerned for fighter

Someone who is unnecessarily concerned = WORRIER, overheard = homophone indicator => WARRIOR = fighter

2D Essays

South Americans outspoken opinion pieces

South Americans = SAs, outspoken = say it aloud => ESSAYS = opinion pieces

3D Lead

Cause confused deal

Confused = anagram of DEAL => LEAD = Cause

4D Chance

Opportunity from broken cane after church

Broken = anagram of CANE, church = CH, after = position => CHANCE = opportunity

5D Olive Oil

Dressing fishy supplement without commander

Fishy supplement = COD LIVER OIL, commander = CDR, remove CDR from cOdLIVErOIL => OLIVE OIL = dressing

6D Merger

Lure gremlins back for region unification

Region = hidden in luRE GREMlins, back = reverse it => MERGER

7D Essex

Chances sexiest, hidden county

Hidden word in chancES SEXiest => ESSEX = county

14D Endpoint

Abnormally do ten-pin for final goal

Abnormally = anagram of DO TEN PIN => END POINT = final goal

16D Trashes

Makes a mess of first temple; careless European finally relents

First of temple = T, careless = RASH, european = E, final letter of relentS => TRASHES = makes a mess of

18D Casino

A coin’s dropped in house of gambling

Dropped = anagram of ACOINS = CASINO = house of gambling

19D Stoner

Drugs fan is murderer of Stephen

Drugs fan = murderer of (St. Stephen) => STONER

20D Improv

Comedy style gets better without drugs

Gets better = IMPROVES, drugs = ES, without = remove =? IMPROV = comedy style

21D Adept

A part of school briefly becomes highly skilled

Part of school = DEPARTMENT, briefly = DEPT => ADEPT = highly skilled

25D Tame

Broken pasta measured sample

Sample = hidden word in pasTA Measured => TAME = broken (as in broken in / tamed horse)