Across
Choice between girlfriend and church that can weigh heavily? (1-5)
Place for devil's advocate at first with unusual stamina (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [unusual] of STAMINA, then A{dvocate} [at first]. I took ages to think of the answer here, yet I knew of the ‘Tasmanian Devil’ by name. What I didn’t know until I just looked it up is that it’s a small ferocious carnivorous marsupial; for some reason I’d always thought it was a butterfly or moth.
Pattern of short-term worker running behind (8)
Silk wrap from Chanel maybe being worn (6)
Narrow escape concludes experience (5,5)
Informally says "about time for some enthusiasm" (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
SEZ (says, informally) reversed [about], then T (time). This spelling of ‘says’ is described by Collins as ‘humorous and ironic’. I remember there used to be a TV show starring Les Dawson called Sez Les.
Queen's standard uncovered (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
{b}ANNE{r} (standard – flag) [uncovered]
Female relative to bust some moves, not showing initial anxiety (10)
Instruction for chap to start eating without a US resident (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
KEN (chap), TUCK IN (instruction to start eating) containing [without] A. Presumably some have moved abroad, but we get the idea.
Fabric of a Frenchman (4)
How smart you are, apprehending king approaching a country (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IQ (how smart you are) containing [apprehending] R (king) + A
Short amphibian with teeth seen around lake? That's novel (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
NEW{t} (amphibian) [short], FANGED (with teeth) containing [around] L (lake)
Insect biting woman in tropical land (6)
Fish's bottom served with cream (3,5)
Some data from faulty battery given energy (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [faulty] of BATTERY, then E (energy)
One who painted rubbish hotel floor (6)
Down
Independent swimmer in the country (9)
Contents of letter I posted for Sally (7)
Period drama finally shown after hesitation (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
ER (hesitation), {dram}A [finally]
Character of a group of soldiers once? (5)
Present system of arcane tests scrapped (6,5)
A large vehicle collecting an unknown number for fortress (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A, L (large), CAR (vehicle) containing [collecting] A (an) + Z (unknown number). Spanish for a palace or fortress. Unknown to me but I found it eventually from wordplay having wasted time trying to make Alcatraz fit.
Clubs working to infiltrate US tax organisation (5)
Actor dancing on screen with an unknown (4,7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [dancing] ON SCREEN AN, then Y (unknown). “Shurely shome mishtake” I thought, with The Times breaking its rule about living persons as somehow I had managed to avoid hearing news of the actor’s demise in 2020.
Energy comes from tea, not alcohol primarily (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
CH{a}I (tea) [not alcohol primarily]. Spiced Indian tea apparently. If I ever knew this I had forgotten it.
Detritus that's circling area on boat? (5,4)
Equal it shot for shot? (7)
Go at a brisk pace, and bump into socialist (3,4)
Old steward overturned change of direction on energy (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
VEER (change of direction) reversed [overturned], E (energy). A reeve administered the property of another. There was a Reeve’s tale in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. We had this word only yesterday!
Used to be extremely tiresome and refuse (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
WAS (used to be), T{iresom}E [extremely]
Jane perhaps picked up melody (3)
Type letters or click words in the clue