Across
Composer with worry over French region (8)
Ton added to gold in room a shock (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
T (ton) AU in RM A (from the clue)
Bishop and religious fraternity row about stray dog (6,7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
B ORDER ERR in TIER
Ship carrying blubber passes swiftly (6)
American descendant touring one foreign capital (8)
Robbing criminal barged in to bag silver (10)
First couple expelled from country paradise (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
swEDEN; and a nice reference to Adam and Eve
Work always around for lauded artist (4)
Substantial cardinal sin brought about court action (4,6)
Reportedly deficient characteristic in vivid description (8)
Mental model found in Nietzsche, maybe (6)
Working to a Greek character always, who might do better? (13)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
UNDER (working to) A CHI EVER; Collins has ‘subject to the control, limitations, government, direction, instruction or influence of’ for under, as in ‘under orders’, and that’s the best I can do you for
Commercial to air in time prior to Christmas (6)
Footballer put off allowing goal in (8)
Down
Shelter soldiers from south capturing missile launcher (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BOW in REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, which my Dad was in)
Castle of the Groans — lead characters in magnificent gothic novel (11)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
THE GROANS M~ G~* (‘novel’ is the anagram indicator); I had the anagrist, but hadn’t memorised the word from the last time it came up (in the comments to a puzzle less than a month ago). Never read Peake, obvs. Gormenghast was the second novel in the series, Titus Groan being the first. So the anagram fodder is pretty clever.
Athenians for example denied their capital stinks (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
gREEKS
Ancient instrument — store it in cleaner area (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IT in CHAR (cleaner, AKA Mrs Mop) A (area); a lute-like thing played on Greek vases (also kithara)
Swirling dry northerly heading for Urals fast (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BRUT reversed U~ LENT
Old Islamic leader calls in periodically (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
cAlLs In
Kit the writer debased in unpleasant experience (7)
Scours harbour — having lost walrus? (5-6)
Rodent warranty altered to protect duck (6,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
O in WARRANTY*; never heard of this, even though I’ve been to Norway. Beautiful place – will return. Reading the Wikipedia entry, very much a case of mistaken identity. However, the Norwegians need something to keep them humble after finding they were sitting on all that oil after being the butt of Swedish and Danish jokes for so long. Also known as the common rat, street rat and sewer rat – among other things.
Old barrel brought into bar sounding full (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
O TUN in ROD; the word means resonant of voice or pompous of writing, but I can never think of it as meaning anything but fat. I should be ashamed – or shamed?
Stomach calmer in colonist, perhaps on powerful drug (7)
Dip in northwestern river curtailed after one minute (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I (one) M (minute) MERSEy; life does indeed go on day after day. So….
Glide across water with doubled force in boat (5)
No power in bass for Flower of Scotland (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
DEEp; deep, as in low in pitch
Type letters or click words in the clue