Across
Heckle leader caught in booze store where people have reservations (7,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BOO (heckle) KING (leader) OFFIE (off licence, booze store), insert C for caught. Where people make reservations, I think, more than where they have them, but that would be too easy.
Picked up medium for sculptor or modern artist (4)
Device for paying person with a transport phobia? (4,6)
At home in America's capital, say (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
even though I have a degree in chemistry, it took me a while to spot the setter’s tricky definition, a chemical symbol, as we more often see with As for arsenic. A[merica’s}, STATE = say, insert IN for at home. Astatine being below iodine in the halogens group, element 85, and the rarest in the earth’s crust as its longest lived isotope has a half-life of only 8 hours. If you (theoretically) had enough of it to form a solid piece, it would immediately evaporate because of the heat of its intrinsic radioactivity.
Skill about carrying common person in carriage (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
ART (skill) reversed around OIK (a common person, in slang). Russian carriage pulled by three horses, as seen in Dr Zhivago I remember. Ah, Julie Christie, magnificent.
Mercian king returning by wild desert covered in greenery (10)
Very large drilling article close to mine shaft (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
XL (very large), inside A (article) E (close to minE).
Split ends occasionally spotted, perhaps (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
alternate letters as above. Usually used in the names of birds.
Almost performed The Merchant of Venice in US city (3,7)
One game to plug venture capital (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BET (venture) with I (one) RU (game) inserted.
Old fraud in business, having time for Buddhism? (8)
Manuscript proceeds haltingly, and is translated into French after a year (10)
Primarily, milady's helper? (4)
Something traveller has seen with visit abroad, observing capitals? (4-9)
Down
Lively people's party cancelled with father around (5,2,4)
Work in the theatre, or just over half of one (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
OPERA can also be 5/9ths of OPERATION, a “work in the (other kind of) theatre”.
Appeal during boring game creates irritation (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IT (appeal), CHESS (game) is “bored” by IN = during.
Fellow about ready to fight big girl's blouse, say (7)
Maiden king's taken in hand (5)
Lover got a Roman imperator somewhat upset (9)
... stripped off woman often painted naked (3)
Big profit this person's invested in case of trouble, being a waiter? (7,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
KILLING (making a big profit, à la Baroness Mone perhaps), I’M inside T[roubl]E.
Attendants in group of monks can't be trusted (9)
Producer of 2 into diet changes, eating unknown quantity (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
insert Z an unknown into (INTO DIET)*. Chap who wrote over 80 operas, of which Lucia di Lammermour is the only one I’ve heard of. I’m not an opera fan.
Part of an atom of gas probed by London university (7)
Best rating for literary motif (5)
Shower heralds ultimately clean feet, with area scrubbed (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
the plural of nimbus, meaning cloud; so heralding rain. Also a halo or brightness around the pictured head of a god to “show” he/she/it is of that ilk. N the end of clean, IAMBI = (poetic) feet, with A for area removed.
Cliff, no good, going around bend (3)
Type letters or click words in the clue