Got into this quickly, then got a little stuck on the last few. Lots of nice (and typically Paul) clues – my favourite might be 24dn.
Across
1 Undoing screws I seem to break edges of nuts (7)
NEMESIS
=”Undoing”. (I seem)*, inside N[ut]S
5 Jump into well — or dive? (7)
FLEAPIT
=”dive”. LEAP=”Jump”, in FIT=”well”
9 Cook was sick after falling over (5)
DELIA
=”Cook”. Reversal (“falling over”) of AILED=”sick”
10 Underwear for the tits? Popular for ass! (9)
BIRDBRAIN
=”ass”. BIRD BRA=”Underwear for the tits”, plus IN=”popular”
11 Group feeling royalist out to conceal documents (10)
SOLIDARITY
=”Group feeling”. (royalist)* around ID=”documents”
12 Glance through introduction to sad Kipling novel (4)
SKIM
=”Glance through”. S[ad] plus KIM=”Kipling novel”
14 Socialite someone on the brink of victory? Not I! (3,5,4)
MAN ABOUT TOWN
=”Socialite”. MAN ABOUT TO W[I]N=”someone on the brink of victory” without the I
18 Rotter is binding pieces together (6,6)
COMPOS MENTIS
=”together”. COMPOST=”Rotter”, plus IS, around MEN=”pieces” in e.g. chess
21 Currency source of opportunity way across the Channel? On the contrary (4)
EURO
=”Currency”. Reversal (“On the contrary”) of: O[pportunity], plus RUE=”way across the Channel”=street in French
22 Gymnastic equipment sees work flipping between rails (10)
TRAMPOLINE
=”Gymnastic equipment”. Reversal (“flipping”) of OP=”work”, in between TRAMLINE=”rails”
25 Tory prime minister in decline, contributing to damn all, I’m Cameron! (9)
MACMILLAN
=”Tory prime minister”. Hidden reversed in “damN ALL, I’M CAMeron”
26 Educated girl eating a dish from India (5)
RAITA
=”a dish from India”. RITA is from Educating Rita, a film with Julie Walters, and goes around A
27 Ladder out for fugitive (7)
RUNAWAY
=”fugitive”. RUN=”Ladder” in knitting, plus AWAY=”out”
28 Pig far from genuine in bed (7)
HAMMOCK
=”bed”. HAM=”Pig” plus MOCK=”far from genuine”
Down
1 Brown up first, one tanning all over? (6)
NUDIST
=”one tanning all over?”. Reversal (“up”) of DUN=”Brown”, plus IST=1st=”first”
2 Young activist in education a degree superior to such a land of impossibility? (6)
MALALA
=”Young activist in education” – see malalafund.org. MA=”degree”, above LA-LA=”a land of impossibility” – ‘la-la land’ is a state of being divorced from reality
3 Plant shrew beneath crack (10)
SNAPDRAGON
=”Plant”. DRAGON=”shrew”, beneath SNAP=”crack”
4 Serious, thus drink taken half-heartedly (5)
SOBER
=”Serious”. SO=”thus”, plus BE[e]R=”drink taken half-heartedly”
5 Tree then, or kind of plant (9)
FIRETHORN
=”plant”. FIR=”Tree”, plus (then or)*
6 Island qualified for uprising (4)
ELBA
=”Island”. Reversal (“uprising”) of ABLE=”qualified”
7 Idiot put on weight — it’s the whale diet! (8)
PLANKTON
=”the whale diet”. PLANK=”Idiot”, plus TON=”weight”
8 Rented accommodation where a number stick without roof (8)
TENEMENT
=”Rented accommodation”. TEN=”a number”, plus [c]EMENT=”stick with without roof”
13 Salacious entertainment, wild experience in orgasm, perhaps? (10)
STRIPOGRAM
=”Salacious entertainment”. TRIP=”wild experience” in (orgasm)*
15 Commercial trial at sea in this setter’s naval law (9)
ADMIRALTY
=”naval law”. AD=”Commercial”, plus (trial)* in MY=”this setter’s”
16 Headlining toddler? (8)
SCREAMER
=slang for a sensationalist headline; =”toddler?”
17 US pastor’s conclusion about religious instruction starts to come apart (8)
AMERICAN
=”US”. AMEN=”pastor’s conclusion”, about R[eligious] I[nstruction] and the starts to C[ome] A[part]
19 Perfect child overcomes first of obstacles in martial art (6)
AIKIDO
=”martial art”. AI=A1=”Perfect”, plus KID=”child”, plus O[bstacles]
20 Gospeller supporting religious teachings, it’s said (6)
REMARK
=”it’s said”. MARK=”Gospeller”, supporting R[eligious] E[ducation]=”religious teachings”
23 Champ artist (5)
MUNCH
=”Champ”=bite; =Edvard Munch the artist
24 Opinion the four of us brought up (4)
VIEW
=”Opinion”. Reversal (“brought up”) of WE IV which using roman numerals = ‘we four’ = “the four of us”
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