Times Cryptic #28576

2023-04-13

Solve on Times →

Across

1a

Pair winning almost immediately? (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

PR(pair) and ON TOP(winning) minus the last letter

4a

Married woman or country boy featured in curse (7)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Old piano delivered before time for stage performance (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Forswearing group full of English hypocrisy (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

RING(group) containing E(English), CANT(hypocrisy)

11a

A boy given time becomes VIP (9)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Instrument costing nothing no good? Return it! (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

GRATIS(costing nothing) minus G(good) reversed

13a

Payment slashed? (4)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Remarkable chum hugging female and old blokes (10)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

PAL(chum) containing HEN(female) and O(old), MEN(blokes)

18a

Trade ad is out to catch people ultimately, offering essential items? (10)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

anagram of TRADE,AD,IS containing the last letter in peoplE.

20a

One church had to be decorated (4)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

I(one), CE(church), ‘D(had)

23a

Projection of sentimental stuff suiting the nobs? (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

CORN(sentimental stuff), U(suiting the nobs). Got this from wordplay.  Since there’s a bunch of comments about this answer, I’ll add my two cents.  Cornu is Latin for horn, and in English means either a horn or a hornlike pattern in nature, so a projection. More commonly found as the first part of CORNUCOPIA, horn of plenty. It might be more common in the USA, but CORN or CORNY meaning sentimental or trite came quickly to me.

24a

What makes Oxford look bright? (9)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Officer studies information schematically presented (9)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Piece of cloth I found behind organ (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

I after LUNG(organ). Another from wordplay – last appeared in a Times puzzle in 2015

27a

Duck is some swimmer, seriously! (7)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Hearing that is very irritating (6)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Publicity bod hurried round about and was successful (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

PRO(Public Relations Officer, publicity bod) then SPED(ran) surrounding RE(about)

2d

Series of deliveries managed but took too long (7)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Table with a flower still to be put up outside (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

A, PO(flower) with YET(still) reversed surrounding. Another from wordplay, and a search of the site shows it popped up in two Jumbos in 2016 and 2012, but has not been seen before in a daily.

4d

Fellow consuming cold mineral (5)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Solitary advance amount of cash reported (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Bird with leg in something mouldy (7)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Country boy with change of direction finally (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

NIGEL(boy we’re only making plans for) with L changing to R

8d

Bishop back, having embraced the brief time out? (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

B(bishop) and REAR(back) containing THE

15d

Ignore heartless nut spouting gas (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

anagram of IGNORE and NuT minus the central letter

16d

Heather coming across snake and running (9)

Generating...
17d

A revolutionary socialist restricts fair person who'd make small changes (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

A then RED(socialist) reversed containing JUST(fair)

19d

Problem gripping Rex in a state (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

SUM(problem) containing R(Rex), IN, A

21d

Drink? Church worker imbibes oneand another one (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

CH(church), ANT(worker) containing I(one) and then another I

22d

Bird losing tail, pinned down by wood and stone (6)

Generating...
23d

A court beset by a hundred and one plants (5)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Black farm building time's forgotten (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

STABLE(farm building) minus T(time)