Across
Only fair (4)
Special tool for cutting small tree, if Ken is bothered (5,5)
Sir Arthur missing a new and an old ball? (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
CON{an} D{o}YLE (Sir Arthur) [missing a + n (new) and an o (old)]. Collins: the rounded projection on the articulating end of a bone, such as the ball portion of a ball-and-socket joint. The lesser-spotted ‘condyle’ has never been seen in these parts before or since its one appearance in a Club Monthly 10 years ago.
Work with paper in Tokyo, Riga, Miami (7)
Animated Child Catcher of UK's ultimate auteur (6,9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [animated] of CHILD CATCHER OF, then {u}K [’s ultimate]
Remarkable message (6)
Show respect, then show disrespect when receiving king in Spar (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BOW (show respect), SP~IT (show disrespect) containing [when receiving] R (king). A spar running out from a ship’s bow, to which the forestays are fastened.
Solo quietly leaving excellent hotel celebration (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
HAN (Solo), then {p}UKKA (excellent), [quietly leaving], H (hotel – phonetic alphabet). I’ve never seen Star Wars so I had to check the Solo reference whilst blogging.
After exercise bubblier, regularly lost a stone (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PE (exercise), B{u}B{b}L{i}E{r} [regularly lost]
Copy FT and publish extent of emissions (6,9)
Back in Tehran, I'm escaping group meeting (7)
Boots might have this pain ointment initially by November (7)
Women's drunken hen party crashed by maiden Daphne? (5,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
W (women), then M (maiden) contained [crashed by] anagram [drunken] of HEN PARTY
Star last to depart Sin City (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
VEGA{s} (Sin City) [last to depart]. The nickname for Las Vegas is thought to have originated in the 1930s.
Down
Charlie, a contract killer missing his last shots, exhausted (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
JACKA{l} ( a contract killer) [missing his last], S{hot}S [exhausted]
Next generation Colt a bit of a rascal? (3,2,1,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A cryptic hint with reference to the fire-arm manufacturer Samuel Colt precedes the main definition of the jocular American expression meaning a rogue or rascal. I associate it with the bewhiskered actor George ‘Gaby’ Hayes who appeared in many old Westerns on film and TV.
Laugh almost about tense work to cut ivory (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
TEE~HE{e} (laugh almost) containing [about] T (tense). I suppose ‘work to’ belongs with the definition but am not at all sure. It’d be too intrusive as a filler.
Taking on commercial financial derivative (8)
Order, order at length irks PM (7,7)
Moon landing had upset state (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IO (moon of Jupiter) containing [landing] HAD reversed [upset]
Alternative to paper for those trying to make plane? (1-6)
Phone card Kerry lost somewhere on the Tube (4,4,6)
Fed up with this chatter, a constant for those attending (6,3)
With which to reach Spooner's distant county? (3-5)
Journalist witnessed item smuggled into gaol? (7)
Land reportedly more rocky beneath earth (7)
Mafia family boss killing over hat (6)
Relax with joint cycling (5)
Type letters or click words in the clue
