| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ABSOLUTELY | |
| By all means use lot mixed in well (10) | Anagram of USE LOT inside ABLY | |
| 6 | LOUD | |
| Rowdy pair left a different way (4) | (DUO + L) reversed | |
| 10 | PROPS | |
| They support items seen on stage (5) | Double definition | |
| 11 | ERADICATE | |
| Get rid of distracted dear that is occupied with cat (9) | Anagram of DEAR + (CAT inside IE) | |
| 12 | RETAILED | |
| Sold dog in a rush (8) | TAIL inside REED | |
| 13 | NO-GOOD | |
| Worthless sentimentality stuffing affirmative action (2-4) | GOO inside NOD | |
| 15 | DAUGHTER-IN-LAW | |
| Handle guitar restored by widower’s first son’s wife (8-2-3) | Anagram of HANDLE GUITAR + (W)IDOWER | |
| 18 | NUCLEAR WEAPON | |
| Warplane, on cue, deployed a destructive device (7,6) | Anagram of WARPLANE ON CUE | |
| 22 | LOCUST | |
| Place stripped its false acacia? (6) | LOCUS + I(T)S | |
| 24 | FLOUNDER | |
| Come unstuck trapping large fish (8) | FOUNDER outside L | |
| 26 | WINNEBAGO | |
| Camper’s accommodation secured by network in the past (9) | INN inside WEB + AGO | |
| 27 | DELAY | |
| Head of department backed American school’s suspension (5) | (D)EPARTMENT + (YALE reversed) | |
| 28 | RAYS | |
| Pick up sound beams (4) | Sounds like RAISE | |
| 29 | CONSIDERED | |
| Fool, embarrassed about large body part, should be studied (10) | CON + (RED outside SIDE) | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ASPIRE | |
| Have high ambitions as detective progressed at the centre (6) | AS + PI + PROG(RE)SSED | |
| 2 | SPOTTED | |
| Polka-dot snotrag initially put in pocket (7) | (S)NOTRAG + POTTED | |
| 3 | LASSITUDE | |
| Lab mostly studies treated apathy (9) | (LA)B + anagram of STUDIES | |
| 4 | THERE THERE | |
| The retired in this place don’t cry (5,5) | THE + RET + HERE | |
| 5 | LOAD | |
| Prepare to fire young man outside ring (4) | LAD outside O | |
| 7 | ON A ROLL | |
| List of distinguished people reportedly having continued success (2,1,4) | Sounds like HONOUR ROLL | |
| 8 | DEEP DOWN | |
| Page in legal document now modified fundamentally (4,4) | P inside DEED + anagram NOW | |
| 9 | LINO | |
| Strip of vinyl in ordinary floor covering (4) | vinyL IN Ordinary | |
| 14 | REBELLIOUS | |
| Be unfortunate with upturn in fluctuating euros defying lawful control (10) | [BE + (ILL reversed)] inside anagram of EUROS | |
| 16 | IMPOUNDED | |
| Legally seized drugs primarily used in shady opium den (9) | (D)RUGS inside anagram of OPIUM DEN | |
| 17 | IN FLOWER | |
| Come to a conclusion about poor blossoming (2,6) | INFER outside LOW | |
| 19 | COCKNEY | |
| Unloved one embraced by arrogant Londoner? (7) | O(NE) inside COCKY | |
| 20 | NODULAR | |
| Unload broken container finally with a few bumps (7) | Anagram of UNLOAD + CONTAINE(R) | |
| 21 | PRAYED | |
| Padre, upset about conclusion of homily, talked to God (6) | Anagram of PADRE outside HOMIL(Y) | |
| 23 | SEEN | |
| 7 – 5 = 2? (4) | SEVEN minus V | |
| 25 | TACO | |
| Types bound to eat a cooked Mexican dish (4) | eaT A COoked |
23d: It’s worth mentioning that the “2” is a reference to the answer of 2 Down.
David – there’s a typo on this page: 7 ? 5 = 2? (4). The first “?” should be a “–”.
Thanks Greg, not so much a typo than a programming deficiency. I have a program that converts text output from my crossword program into the HTML for the solution. Otherwise it would take me ages to put it together. The program obviously had trouble with the content of this number-based clue.
Stickler
David,
for 23-ac, was it just fortuitous happenstance that the equation is correct, i.e. that the answer is a synonym of 2-dn (and there is no 2-ac) or did you seed the grid with SPOTTED at this location? Wonderful clue.
Steve = : ^ )
I thought it was great that David had spotted this unusual situation and deserved congratulations for it. The opportunity for this additional complexity would seldom arise.
If it’s OK, I’ll write about how this clue came about in my next blurb.
Stickler
I wait with breath abated.
Steve = : ^ )
me too