Across
28a
(and 28 Across) Passed time, we hear, with eccentric, unexpected participant (8)
Duke to appear backing exciting political arrangement (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
D (duke) + a reversal (‘backing’) of COME (appear) + RACY (exciting)
Playing soccer, losing lead, one’s subject to pressure (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An anagram (‘playing’) of s OCCER without the first letter or ‘losing head’ + I (one) ON (subject to)
Surrey town: French are almost here (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
ES (French for ‘are’) HER e missing the last letter or ‘almost’
Risqué photo retained by sexy former lover departing (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
PIC (photo) in or ‘retained by’ S ex Y with ‘ex’ (former lover) missing or ‘departing’
Cough upsets Sir at work (9)
First person picked up petrol, say, wasting energy? It’s a lot to take in (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
EYE (a homophone – ‘picked up’ of I – ‘first person’) + FU e L (petrol, say) missing or ‘wasting’ ‘e’ (energy)
Japanese dish is rejected around European country, with gossip ascribed to Italy (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A reversal (‘rejected’) of IS around UK (European country) + YAK (gossip) I (Italy)
Work in the military force not initially involving too many officers? (3-5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
OP (work) in THE n AVY (military force) missing the first or ‘initial’ letter
India interrupting British finish - good performance, of course (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
I (India) in or ‘interrupting’ BR (British) DIE (finish) – a reference to a good score on the golf course
Very hard to cut into oral adornment for oral problem (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
TOO (very) + H (hard) ‘cut’ in TACHE (‘oral adornment’) – not the best clue for Joyce who has had two extractions recently after a cracked wisdom tooth. Tooth first and then roots followed by infections on both occasions!
Point about returning materiel? (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
C (circa – ‘about’) + a reversal (‘returning’) of AMMO (materiel? – another new word for us, meaning army munitions)
Like oil, filling hole I constructed (5)
Produce something new? Instinctive to retain old version (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
INNATE (instinctive) round or ‘retaining’ O (old) V (version) – we can’t find V = ‘version’ in Chambers, but AV is there for ‘Authorised Version’ so we think it’s okay.
Kindle vision encompassing return of dead (3,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
SIGHT (vision) round or ‘encompassing’ a reversal (‘return’) of LATE (dead)
See 1 Across
Down
You can’t trust me about second love (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
I DO LIE (‘you can’t trust me’) round S (second)
Dishonest to free up openings for this year (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A reversal (‘up’) of RID (free) + T Y (first letters or ‘openings’ of this year)
Feeble, uninteresting? i’s pages cutting through that (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
DRY (uninteresting) round or ‘cut through by’ I (‘i’) PP (pages)
‘Swiss city not vacantly blocking additional university’ - Times (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
N o T (without the middle letter or ‘vacantly’) in or ‘blocking’ MORE (additional) U (university) X (times)
Composer’s offspring embracing her in capital of Ireland (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
CUB (offspring) round or ’embracing’ HER + IN I (first letter or ‘capital’ of Ireland) – we’d never heard of this Italian composer who was apparently held in high regard by Beethoven and Rossini among others
Difficulty with words apparently possesses one acting (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
AP (apparently) HAS (possesses) I (one) A (acting)
Heading away from Thirsk one may ultimately encounter different - person like me? (12)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An anagram (‘different’) of t HIRSK (missing the first letter or ‘heading away’) ONE MAY and R (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of encounter) – Phi now lives in New Zealand but apparently originally hails from Darlington (not Yorkshire!) – the clue presumably refers to someone from Thirsk.
Unduly vulgar to use station when travelling (12)
Improper until each reformed (9)
Turning out, say, to involve endless crime and money (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
EG (‘say’) round or ‘involving’ VIC e (crime) missing the last letter or ‘endless’ and TIN (money)
Supporting college investing in aircraft scheme (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
PRO (in favour of – ‘supporting’) + C (college) in JET (aircraft)
Deity put off when given care of Middle East (7)
Fan covering latest from top seed (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
We are stumped by this one – we think to answer must be PEANUT, but cannot parse it satisfactorily – could it possibly be PEA (a homophone – without an indicator) of P (last or ‘latest’ letter of top) after NUT (fan)? Does anyone out there have any other thoughts?
207 in Rome looking bad for the citizens (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An anagram (‘looking bad’) of CCVII (207 in Roman numerals)
Type letters or click words in the clue