Usual delightful variety to extend the vocabulary – 5d is one such. Once flew with 24a – there was a fly buzzing on the plane and we were served lukewarm, brown lemonade.
ACROSS
1 Muffle old phone I dropped MOBLE MOB[I]LE
5 Pointedly knowing about instrument SHARPLY HARP in SLY
10 Old rival, energy and stubbornness personified? EMULE E + MULE
11 Closing notes from Virginia covered by frenzied cry EVOVAE VA in EVOE expressing Bacchic frenzy – evovae is name for a Gregorian cadence
12 Class recalled about mistake linked to a type of earth TERRA ROSSO (ERR A) in ASSORT<
14 Thrushes stand awkwardly, concealing twisted bone ANTBIRDS RIB< in (STAND)*
16 Revolutionary artillery restricted by common cannon RA< in COM
17 Passionate to probe deformed crania of ancient kings CARLOVINGIAN LOVING in (CRANIA)* of dynasty of Frankish king Karl the Great or Charlemagne
19 Something like a tree well captured in Arab knowledge one overlooked ARBORESCENCE BORE in AR SC[I]ENCE
21 Scots porridge? Bishop felt nauseous BROSE B + ROSE
24 Heading for Omsk? For late flying – try us? AEROFLOT (O[msk] FOR LATE)* Russian airline – witty
25 Instrumental passages in score start to rankle in one not well recalled RITORNELLI RIT score R[ankle] in ONE ILL<
26 Power in resistance running short? Such is destiny KARMIC ARM in KIC[k]
27 Test on foetus in utero in May held back AMNIO hidden clue reversed uter0 IN MAy
28 Isolates stores, moving second back ENISLES ENSILES moving 1st S towards rear
29 Steal one lot of shipwrecked goods LAGAN LAG AN
DOWN
1 Life in school mostly picked up, involving 100 fish MEDACCA C 100 in ACADEM[E]<
2 Pure ______ , I fancy, found in a peritoneum OMENTA (PURE OMENTA I)* equals (A PERITONEUM)* omenta is plural of omentum which is a fold of peritoneum – this clue is a compound anagram and &Lit
3 Serving dish the target with right man coming in to dine BUTTERBOAT BUTT R BO man in EAT
4 Strange East European country cropping up EERIE E EIRE<
5 Apology no longer in reserve, but laid out, encompassing Queen and Church SIR-REVERENCE R in (IN RESERVE)* CE 17th century apology when finding excrement or turd
6 Failing masters I shed? HEADMISTRESS (MASTERS I SHED)* &Lit
7 Grub gets on fixed positions ROOTAGES ROOT AGES
8 Whip mostly very good rope LASSO LAS[H] SO very good
9 Roofing material giving you a lot of relief YEALM YE ALM[S]
13 Groom tucking into liquor a small amount SPRINKLING PRINK groom in SLING drink
15 Flourishes in prosperous times, losing nothing to deprivation BLOSSOMS LOSS deprivation for O nothing in BOOMS prosperous times
18 Particle as discovered by Rontgen in gas NEUTRON UT as R rontgen unit in NEON gas
20 Membranes? Check one filling openings CHORIA CH check (chess) I one in ORA plural of OS a mouth or opening – choria plural of chorion embryo membrane
21 English King’s difficulty reversed with murder BURKE (E K RUB)< Burke – Edinburgh Irishman (hanged 1829) who sold his victims’ bodies for dissection
22 Welsh girl hurried after receiving greeting RHIAN HI in RAN
23 Gangster’s associate grabs one regarding amount of substance MOLAL A in MOLL
( )* = anagram [ ] = omitted < = reversed