[New comment layout] - details here
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
I seemed to race through this one, although writing in USABLE at 16ac eventually caught up with me. Many thanks to Gaufrid for helping me clear up the last couple of explanations.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | AMBLED – A + M + BLED. |
| 5 | A-SIDES – A + SIDES. An “are” is apparently “the unit of the metric land measure, 100 sq m”, with a as its abbreviation here. |
| 9 | VOCABULIST – V + (IS TO + A CLUB)*. |
| 10 | ANGOSTURA – (RANG OUT AS)*. |
| 13 | PARANOEA – AE + (ON A RAP). |
| 14 | OFTEN – [-s]OFTEN. |
| 16 | USABLY – USA + BL[-a]Y. |
| 17 | TUNDUN – TUN + DUN. |
| 18 | OTIOSE – IT< in [-g]OOSE. |
| 20 | PATENS – PA + TENS. |
| 23 | ARRET – RE “to be secured by” ART. |
| 24 | CARACARA – CAR A + CAR A. |
| 25 | TUNING PEG – NUT< + IN + GP + EG. |
| 26 | INDUMENTUM – INDU[-stry] + MEN + TUM. |
| 27 | DESIST – DEIST “throttling” [-heathen]S. |
| 28 | GREASY – GREY “collaring” S. |
| Down | |
| 1 | AMADOU – AMOU[-r] “involving” AD. Tinder made from, of all things, fungi. |
| 2 | MAN OF STRAW – (FAN MOST)* + RAW. |
| 3 | LOOSE BOX – BO (name) “involved in” (LOO + SEX). |
| 4 | DATARY – DRY “about” (A TA). |
| 5 | ABURST – (A BUST) “involves” [-doo]R. |
| 6 | SURAT – S[-e]URAT. |
| 7 | DISORDERS – DIS + ORDERS. |
| 8 | STRAIN – ST + RAIN. |
| 11 | JEJUNENESS – (JUNE + [-o]NE) “bound in” JESS. |
| 12 | STAIR RODS – STIR ROADS “displacing A”. |
| 15 | INTRIGUE – TRIG “embraced by” (I + NUE). |
| 18 | ORCHID – OR + CHID. “Dressed” in the sense of “a dressing down”, I think |
| 19 | ELANET – E-LA “over” NET. |
| 20 | PARING – PA + RING. |
| 21 | STUGGY – GUTS< + G[-reed]Y. |
| 22 | SCUMS – SUMS “about” C. |