Across
Incompatible staff given role following appeal (5,5)
Saccharin oddly dropped as energy drink ingredient (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
{s}A{c}C{h}A{r}I{n} [oddly dropped]. The word has come up before, even as recently as this month in a Sunday puzzle, but it’s the first time it has been clued as anything other than a berry or fruit. Collins has: açaí – a berry that grows on palm trees in the Brazilian rainforests. Because it is rich in nutrients, it is used to make energy drinks.
Leader of Soviet revolt stifles resistance, causing shock (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
S{oviet} [leader of…] + UPRISING [revolt] contains [stifles] R (resistance)
Maybe Russian in bar almost drinking litre (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
SAV{e} (bar – except) [almost] containing [drinking] L (litre)
Seeking Parisian in Angola's capital gobbling sandwiches (12)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
EN (Parisian ‘in’), then DEVOURING (gobbling) contains [sandwiches] A{ngola’s} [capital]
Most stout and claret drained, with partners tucking in (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
HUBBIES (partners) contained by [tucking in] C{lare}T [drained]
Two kings with large housing areas in African village (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
K+R (two kings) + L (large) containing [housing] A+A (areas)
Something played in prom breathtakingly (5)
Useless and, for Marx, boring socialist worker, say (9)
Dissolute rake seized by school head — odd character! (12)
Humorous use of language, not unknown in press (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IRON{y} (humorous use of language) [not unknown – y]
Showed the way job's secured in design originally (10)
I'm grateful after unwrapping some yarn, say (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
{t}HANK{s} (I’m grateful) [after unwrapping]. This is a circular loop of yarn or thread etc, sometimes of a specific length.
Left the setter twinkling rings, getting amount paid (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
INSTANT (twinkling of an eye) contains [rings] L (left) + ME (setter)
Down
Hard drink turned up in market (4)
Colourful bird from which bank of Liffey? (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
‘Which bank of L{iffe}Y?’ gives us a choice of L OR Y
Reason clock stops working in American's holidays (6,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The cryptic intro got me to the answer. Although its meaning is self-explanatory I wouldn’t have considered ‘spring break’ as a lexical term, but my AI assistant now renamed Gemini advises: ‘Spring break’ in America is a time-honoured tradition for students, a week-long escape from classes and exams. It typically falls between March and April.
Silly sports coats and old hat (5)
Brought up-to-date wine plugged by European tax-free? (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
RED (wine) contains [plugged by] NO VAT (tax free) + E (European). VAT = Value Added Tax.
State commercial breaks Italy broadcast cease to work (4,2,1,3)
Ask to box good fighter, turning up to prevent cheating (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
INVITE (ask), containing [to box] G (good) then ALI (fighter) reversed [turning up]
In France, noble ruler's excessively liberal means of punishment (7,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
DUC (in France, noble – duke), KING’S (ruler’s), TOO (excessively), L (liberal)
Rich person in Ithaca developed test for believers (3,2,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
TOFF (rich person) contained by [in] anagram [developed] of ITHICA
Eastender's ashamed, inhabiting urban area in disrepair (10)
Going out with no one, southern Frenchman's upset (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
NO + I (one) + S (southern) + SERGE (Frenchman) all reversed [upset]
Group's reason for not playing badminton? (5)
What might swell looker sport as well as yuppie's jackets? (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
S{port}T + Y{uppi}E [jackets]? Styes affect eyelids so we have to interpret ‘eye’ (looker) as more than just the eyeball itself.
Polish detective in film (4)
Type letters or click words in the clue