Tough and a pleasure
Across
1 One damaged pair I observed in Washington area, resembling pierced rocks
DIAPIRIC I (one) (PAIR)* I in DC (District of Columbia)
7 Expel old Fellow after derisive comment HOOF
HOO (derisive comment) F (fellow)
10 Lung damage, under pressure? Boozer turned to booze, swallowing one then another BAROTRAUMA
BAR (boozer) TO< A (one) in RUM (booze) A (one)
11 Stern way with collection of animals STARK ST (way) ARK (Noah’s)
12 Orally develop article after support TEETHE TEE (support) THE (article)
14 Urbane men etc. confused by fuel quality measure CETANE NUMBER
(URBANE MEN ETC)*
15 Disinfectant only beginning to clean? Failure on reflection CRESOL
C[lean] LOSER< (failure back)
17 Man taking book study as dull stuff HEBETUDE
HE (man) B (book) ETUDE (study)
18 Tense, grabbed by returning policemen? It’s a source of tension STRESSOR
T (tense) in ROSSERS< (policemen<)
22 Bird, circling chimney, to light again RELUME LUM (chimney) in REE (bird)
23 Dished up ice-cream a day when students are around ACADEMIC YEAR
(ICE-CREAM A DAY)*
25 Explain about one area of fungal clusters TELIAL I (one) in TELL (explain) A
26 Supporter bagging singular single? ASIDE S (singular) in AIDE (supporter)
27 Recording seen to be modified with this insertion of sound EPENTHESIS
EP (recording) (SEEN THIS)*
28 BBC chief engaging artist for TV activity? DRAG (transvestite)
RA (artist) in DG (Director General)
29 Truly sacred, enshrining refuge HONESTLY NEST (refuge) in HOLY (sacred)
Down
1 Section of road is connecting a number of tracks DISC hidden in
[roa]D IS C[onnecting]
2 Little space in cities, rent being outrageous INTERSTICE
(CITIES RENT)*
3 Subsided a brief time in sleeping ABATED A T (little time) in ABED (sleeping)
4 Source of nuts going up round rear of vehicles (extreme event)? PARASCENDING ??
5 Was more depressed without flowers ROSELESS
ROSE LESS (was more depressed ……?)
6 About to get further employment in department CREUSE (France)
C (about) REUSE (further employ)
7 I host a measly compound breaking down blood corpuscles HAEMATOLYSIS
(I HOST A MEASLY)*
8 Aberdonian in open air mislead you about disease OUTBY
TB (disease) in (YOU)*
9 Language of sea, ‘ere at sea FAEROESE (OF SEA ERE)*
13 Man wrong (almost entirely) about Dominican every Sunday? HEBDOMADAL
HE (man) DOM (Dominican) in BAD (wrong) AL[l] (almost entirely)
15 Condition in fish having certain bones COSTATED
STATE (condition) in COD (fish)
16 Native rarely near Gobi rocks ABORIGEN (NEAR GOBI)*
19 Quietly carrying firearm where weapon’s stored SHEATH
HEAT (firearm) in SH (quietly)
20 Man at table is blocking tableware? Not right CUEIST (snooker/pool)
IS in CRUET (tableware) minus R (right)
21 Blow applied to a helmet GALEA GALE (blow) A
24 Bank having very much, but not very much? RELY
REALLY (very much) minus AL[l] not very much?
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse definitions in bold italics
7ac I parsed as HO for derisive comment, plus O(ld) F(ellow). In Chambers, “derision” actually appears in the definition for HO and HOOF meaning expel is not given as an archaic meaning.