Lucid and far from flimsy fare
ACROSS
1 SECONDHAND dd
7 COKE pop OK certainly in CE church
9 OBOE hidden backwards in sterEO BOoming
10 RETRACTION withdrawal TR in REACTION
11 ARMADA ships MAD reckless in A RA a rear admiral
12 EYESIGHT vision homophone I SITE
13 DOMINEER boss MINE wealth in DOER agent
15 TOWN Ripley (Derbyshire) W women in anagram (alien) of NOT
17 ESPY clock [T](YPES)*
19 PROTRACT increase PRO for TRACT period
22 LONE WOLF (FELLOW NO)*
23 EXOCET tactical missile OC in river EXE [bai]T
25 KINGFISHER flyer, government G in (FRESH INK I)*
26 ANTI not in favour ANTI[QUES]
27 ISLE S small L[and] in IE that is
28 NOTEWORTHY big laddiE in (TOY THROWN)*
DOWN
2 EMBARGO boycott B[owls] in (GAME OR)*
3 OMEGA letter O MEGA nothing great
4 DARK AGES DA[d] K king in RAGES
5 AT THE DROP OF A HAT dd
6 DEADEN numb hidden in insiDE A DENtist
7 CAT LITTER ‘dropping’ tray (C IT LATER)*
8 KNOW-HOW studious person WONK< (WHO)*
14 IVY LEAGUE universities (I LEAVE GUY)*
16 HOMEBREW alcohol HOME in BR Britain WE<
18 STORIES lies S[pread] TORIES
20 CHEETAH fast runner HE in (CHEAT)*
21 POTION concoction OP< work up (INTO)*
24 ON AIR put out hidden backwards in [Ma]RIA NO[w]
( )* = anagram < = reverse [ ] = omit dd = double definition
Definitely not flimsy, some of it put up quite a fight, although I don’t know why as on a second look it is all fairly obvious. Thanks to setter and blogger
Thanks Jed and Flimsy. Favourites 22 LONE WOLF and 27 ISLE, both seemed pretty much perfect.
Very good lunchtime solve. Only 13 threw us.