Across
Whacking army officer with rope that's spun around (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The army officer is a COL[onel], and the rope is a LASSO which you need to spin round.
Virtual assistant engaged by very great underworld boss (6)
Eulogistic comment out of place in inspection (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A eulogistic comment is a PLAUDIT, which (runs) out of PL[ace].
Western producer of cheap pink elastic (9)
That woman's going to dismiss a wartime danger (9)
Cover of awful seat where you possibly keep still (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The outside cover of A[wfu]L plus BUM for seat. You might keep a still photograph in an album.
Drop player who won't start with team (7)
Note this swimming stroke that's gone wrong (6)
European houses finished in capital (6)
Film with violent evildoer / hero uncovered (7)
Start of month on cape in scenic island (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
C is an accepted abbreviation for Cape, add the slightly abbreviated APR I for the start of that month.
This could be offensive weapon guards put on (5,4)
What trawlers may do about initially lucrative contract complaint (5,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Trawlers might CATCH COD, insert the first letter of Lucrative.
Retiring crime lord stuffing a drug in part of cell (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Slowed by trying to think of a biological rather than electrical cell. The crime lord is a DON, reversed into A and E, the latter, I’m informed, being a drug.
Wade through river during sport and exercise (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
R[iver] is placed between PE for sport and USE for exercise. PE is a bit loose for sport: in my youth PE was games. But it’ll do.
Left behind at large duty-free zone (4,4)
Down
Having drained cocktail, serve discriminating type (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Remove the contents of C[ocktai]L and translate serve into ASSIST.
Spooner might use this day to get into Paris Match articles (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Ah, so not a Spooner clue! D[ay] bracketed by LA and LE, the sort of articles you might find in Paris Match.
Least peculiar menu items for dieters? They're often on the house (9,6)
Inform secretary over introduction of potential extra income (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Your PA or secretary is turned over, add the first letter of Potential and a RISE for extra income.
Flight from airstrip's rescheduled, carrying a large luggage item (6,9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I’ve learned that whenever you see flight in a clue, it’s to do with stairs, so here you anagram (reschedule) AIRSTRIP’S, insert A L[arge] and add CASE for luggage item.
Abridged book by Plato on peace in print again (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Plato wrote Πολιτεία, (The) REPUBLIC. Knock off the end, and replace with SH for “peace”.
Model caught part of skirt, say, in it (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
C[aught] plus HEM of skirt enclosed in SA, sex appeal, for it, as in the It Girl and similar expressions.
Con's imprisoned about riot (6)
Time saved by rude person with a title for TV programme (4,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Still on air after an incredible 66 years, the world’s longest running children’s TV programme. A BLUE or rude PEER or person with a title includes T[ime].
Democrat that is blocking ex-president's inclination (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
D[emocrat] I E (id est, that is) interrupting the smooth flow of Ulysses S GRANT, potus 18.
See overseer's instruction to repeat hard work (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
An instruction to repeat is BIS, add H[ard] OP[us] for work.
Meagre capital of Santander bank? (7)
Stride around island, climbing frozen mass (3,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Stride is PACE, around is C[irca] and Island is I. Assembled, reversed (climbing), and redistributed.
North-facing bathroom contains very round moulding (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
North facing instructs you to reverse LOO for bathroom, then you insert V[ery] and add another round O. “A moulding with the rounded part composed of a quarter of a circle, or of an arc of an ellipse with the curve greatest at the top”. Just so you know.
Type letters or click words in the clue