Across
If clue initially reads badly, strike it! (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IF CLUE + first letter of (initially) READS anagrammed (badly) I got what was going on here immediately, but had forgotten the term ‘lucifer’ for ‘match’.
Hydrogen injected into carbon, mainly to support frame (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
H (hydrogen) in (injected into) C (carbon) + most of (mainly) ASSIST (to support)
Try to make sense of painter prettifying houses (9)
Bit of Scrabble on Boxing Day, Mark? (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
TILE (bit of scrabble) around (on boxing) D (day)
Feeding spirit, shattered tenor had kip, missing intro to national anthem (5,3,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
anagram of (shattered) TENOR HAD KIP without (missing) first letter of (intro to) NATIONAL in (feeding) ZEST (spirit)
What's here: villains ideally? (6)
Sign me up to gain access to beauty contract (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I’M IN (sign me up) in (to gain access to) DISH (beauty)
I note response to where duke's suffering embarrassment (2,3,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I N (note) THERE (response to where) D (duke) I didn’t get this at all until I discovered upon writing the blog that ’embarrassment’ can mean ‘difficulty in money matters’ (Chambers).
Starting to gag's consistent with smoke (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
first letter of (starting to) GAG + (‘s) AS PER (consistent with)
Sorry if this is crude way to make showman be shown? (6,2,6)
Casual trade in island, American island (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BIZ (casual trade) in I (island) A (American)
Aptly-placed lawyer's battleground (9)
Short head's feature of mouse? (7)
Maximally in pain after irrational hour boomeranging (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PEST (pain) after PI (irrational) H (hour) reversed (boomeranging) Liked this definition!
Down
Bet core part of livelihood's to be superseded by ChatGPT, etc (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
middle letters (core part) of LIVELIHOOD replaced (‘s to be superseded) by AI (ChatGPT, etc)
Accountant cycling in retirement, huffs and puffs and rests (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
CA (accountant) cycling the letters of PANTS (huffs and puffs) reversed (in retirement)
It's strange if one daughter's not had drink after sacrifice in God's name (3,8,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
ODDNESS (it’s strange) if one D (daughter) is removed (‘s not had) + SAKE (drink) all after FORGO (sacrifice)
It can be difficult to find equal treatment with power ceded to queen (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PARITY (equal treatment) with P (power) replaced by (ceded to) R (queen)
Peach or prune that is seen peeled (5-3)
Bit of a hoo-ha derailed precautions at llama farm ultimately (1,5,2,1,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
anagram of (derailed) PRECAUTIONS AT + last letters of (ultimately) LLAMA FARM
Dreadful opening piece from Italian serial composer (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
anagram of (dreadful) first letter of (opening piece from) ITALIAN + SERIAL Great surface reading here!
Wear this running in street? (10)
Wet blankets outside during short run (10)
Continue unchanging message, penning discrimination and slurs (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BE (continue unchanging) SMS (message) around (penning) EAR (discrimination) These definitions stretched my sanity. But ‘ear’ does mean ‘the faculty of distinguishing sounds’, and ‘be’ does mean to continue without change. It’s just… sigh. Another clue that took ages.
Lacy kit's modelled in such a way? (7)
Vivid description of old Northerner having curries regularly (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PICT (old Northener) + (having) every other letter of (regularly) CURRIES Glad I remembered the Picts.
Ray's maybe aloof (6)
One piece of information is all I have uncovered (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
ESTATE (all I have) with first and last letters removed (uncovered)
Type letters or click words in the clue