Across
Dessert that's cold and wet I care about (5,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
An anagram (about) of WET I CARE. I’d call it a sorbet, otherwise it sounds a bit plain.
Pupil primarily in uniform perhaps to be examined (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
First letter of P[upil] then ROBED as in uniform. I think the “perhaps” is there because a robe is not necessarily a uniform
To try something new was depressing? No, oddly (6,4,5)
Bit of a lump, very soft, in water (5,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The prominent appearance of the larynx, usually more visible in males, the origin myth being that Eve’s proffered apple stuck in Adams throat. It’s PP for very soft in ADAM’S ALE, another culling from Genesis suggesting that for Adam, being (before the apple) innocent, water was a sufficient man’s drink, and therefor good Christians should also eschew anything stronger. I’m inclined to get Real.
Collection of myths, each with divine content (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Strictly, the collections of ancient Scandinavian hero stories and songs. EA[ch] contains D[octor of] D[ivinity], a divine.
Fulfil our destiny to some extent in place of pilgrimage (7)
Minimal growth — number of workers reduced? (4,3)
More stupid old boy given boot finally by employer (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
O[ld] B[oy] plus the last of [boo]T placed beside USER for employer. A comparative, I think, rarely encountered in the wild.
Welshman's penning false account in papers (7)
Novice politician cycling backwards (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Takes a bit of sorting out. The politician is a TORY. If you cycle it moving one letter, it becomes ORYT. Then write it backwards.
Control furore, cut short during a social event (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I believe furore is meant to give SCENE, which is cut short and inserted into A DANCE for a social event
Start to retreat to the cricket pavilion? (3,3,3,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I initially thought this was a CD, but the definition is just start. If you’re on the cricketing field of play, this is how you retreat to the pavilion.
No fellow crossing river — crosser of Channel! (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
NO plus MAN for fellow with R[iver] inserted. Reference 1066 and all that.
Learners in capers collecting low grades (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Capers are STUNTS, the low grades are D and E.
Down
Song rendered by idiot in yell (7)
Black stuff in bottomless lake (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I remember a young teen being blown away by the perfect beauty of TARN Hows, to the NE of Coniston Water, one of many small mountain lakes but the only one I care about. Remove its bottom (this is a down clue).
Exceptionally sharp poet, one waxing enthusiastic (10)
Noise made by the greedy Conservative politician enthralling House (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
C[onservative] MP for politician enclosing HO[use]
Girl, it's said, is one of eight on river maybe (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
If you include the “is”, you’re looking for a 3rd person singular verb. ROSE is your random girl, and our answer is an aural representation.
Blessing has been taken amiss — a feature of speech (11)
Some French jargon that is sung (7)
Agent left, someone very good having had to be substituted (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Agent is REP, add L[eft] ACE for someone very good and [ha]’D
Spiker of drink? Grown-up needs time to recover finally (11)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Grown-up: ADULT, time: ERA, TO [recove]R finally.
Perplexed American playwright needing surprise ultimately in plot (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
(Thornton) WILDER, though I went from (Oscar) WILDE to stop with (Billy) WILDER who was strictly a screenwriter. Whichever, add E from the end of surprise and put the lot into BED for plot.
US city artist turning up, a drunkard grabbed by Salvationists (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
It’s in Florida. (I looked it up!). Artist R[oyal] A[cadamician] reversed, plus A SOT from drunkard, all in S[alvation] A[rmy], the Salvationists. A trust-the-wordplay sort of clue, because it’s nor Saratoga.
Figure month will finish with endless pain (7)
Instruments sending sound up in urgent message (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Wasted time scouring the orchestra. There are probably several ways to get to DEEP from sound. I did it via sound/deep sleep. Once you have it, reverse it (sending up) and insert into SOS for urgent message.
Discharge for one set astray (5)
Old king is tender, as some might say (4)
In auditorium win a cricket trophy? (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
And another aural representation: win gives EARN. The Urn is the famous trophy played for by England and Australia at cricket, apocryphally containing the Ashes of deceased English cricket after a very, very rare defeat.
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