Sorry for the late and very rushed blog which meant I had little time to savour this puzzle, just a mad rush to get the puzzle solved and written-up, including much cheating. Thank you Tramp.
Across
8 Bit of adultery? The man’s reason for going red(8)
ERYTHEMA
found in (a bit of) adultERY THE MAn’s – redness due to inflammation of the skin
9 Read “Help” — iPad needs original leads only for charger(5)
RHINO Read (read) Help (help) then Ipad Needs Originally (first letters of, leads only)
10,26 Sweet thing, female round JFK?(8)
FLAPJACK F (female) LAP (round, eg a round of a track) and JACK (nickname of John F Kennedy) – definition is ‘sweet thing’ – but I don’t understand the rest. Some sort of cryptic reference to females sitting on Jack Kennedy’s knee?
11 Padding reply out, she doesn’t end break up 10)
UPHOLSTERY anagram (break up) of REPLY OUT and SHe (not ending)
12 Difficult to control increase with compassion(6)
UPPITY UP (increase) with PITY (passion)
14,23 Part of “body found in …” (mostly lost) — Candle in the Wind 8,6)
ACHILLES TENDON anagram (winding) of LOSt (most of) CANDLE IN THE
16 Speak from text on the radio — temporary defence (7)
REDOUBT sounds like (on the radio) “read out” (speak from text)
18 Be faithful to start of Block-Heads cuttingLaurel and Hardy’s final pieces (5,2)
STAND BY B (start of block-heads) in (cutting) STAN (Laurel) and DY (final letters of hardy)
21 Launcher of old institute, within Ed’s charge, having lost vote(8)
BALLISTA
I (institute) inside (within) BALLS (Ed Balls, politician) TAx (charge) missing X=vote – a Roman catapult
23 See 14
24 It might be used when picking up it girl? Work on love first (4-1-5)
OOPS-A-DAISY
SA (sex appeal, it) DAISY (girl) following OP (opus, work) on O (love) definition is ‘it might be used when picking up’, as of a child
26 See 10
27 European measurements written round collar 5)
SEIZE SIZE (measurements) round E (European) – to collar is to pick up
28 Exposed in Which? — Oil of Olay eau conclusively invented “without signs of aging” (8)
YOUTHFUL OUT (exposed) in anagram (invented) of whicH oiL oF ulaY eaU (concluding letters of) – definition is ‘without signs of ageing’. I suspect there is also a reference to some expose of marketing claims in here, but unfortunately I don’t have time to investigate further.
Down
1 Slip out of place for endless sex after drink (8)
PROLAPSE PRO (for) then SEx (enless) following LAP (drink)
2 See 17
3,13,25 Don’t judge a book by its cover — Playboy seeks it in nude spread (6,2,4,4,4)
BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP (PLAYBOY SEEKS IT IN NUDE)* spread=anagram
4 One stops slips — bowled at helmet taking maiden (4,3)
BATH MAT B (bowled) AT HAT (helmet) including (taking) M (maiden)
5 Spoken occasionally within four walls (4)
ORAL fOuR wAlLs (occaisional letters of)
6 Intimate Secrets blue movie, at last — left pub to provide case (5,5)
DIRTY LINEN DIRTY (blue) with moviE (last letter of) in (cased by) L (left) INN (pub)
7 See 20
13 See 3
15 Sexy entertainer’s no saint (3)
HOT HOsT (entertainer) missing S=saint
17,2 Picture small cleavage for breast augmentation … (3,4)
BUS STOP
S (small) in (cleaving) BUST OP (breast augmentation) – definition is ‘picture’, starring Marylin Monroe
19 … its members might get a reduced volume in breast, admitting “bad luck” 4,4)
BOOK CLUB BOOB (breast) including (admitting) LUCK* anagram=bad – “reduced volume” refers to a discount available to purchase books for book club members? – or is it something to do with Readers Digest style condensed books?
20,7 My minor role playing with an actress (7,6)
MARILYN MONROE (MY MINOR ROLE with AN)* anagram=playing
22 Animate musical without limits 6)
AROUSE cAROUSEl missing limits (outside letters)
23 Test score — dismissed (3,3)
TRY OUT TRY (score, rugby) OUT (dismissed)
25 See 3
26 Furnish my lover’s toilet (4)
JOHN David Furnish os the partner of Elton John – definition is ‘toilet’, americanism
*anagram
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