Tees again in the “easy” slot…
Some took a bit of teasing out but mostly OK, I have a couple of quibbles where I’m not sure quite what Tees is getting at.
Cheers Teeser
Across
9 Global peacekeepers against entering Israel maybe (9)
UNIVERSAL
U(nited) N(ations) & V for against inside an anagram maybe of ISRAEL*
10 Black gold found in Virginia? There you have it! (5)
VOILA
OIL is black gold inside VA for Virginia. If you are starting out to learn crosswords, always look for the US states and their abbreviations.
11 Snatching grouper’s tail, ray wants another fish (5)
BREAM
Tail of (groupe)R inside BEAM = ray
12 Avoid transcription errors for author’s protection (9)
COPYRIGHT
You need to COPY correctly
13 Prompt in studio as traffic jam reported (7)
AUTOCUE
I spent too long looking at the grid thinking ARTICLE before looking at the clue, sounds like AUTO(mobile) QUEUE
14 Senior church official meets heartless woman (7)
ELDERLY
A church ELDER & a heartless L(ad)Y
16 Cook with spice escaped death in retirement (5)
DEVIL
I had devil as the only fit for ages. Devilled kidneys and all that. If you escaped death you LIVED, reversed
18 Leading lady married still (3)
MAY
Ahh the defintion here? Mrs MAY can barely be called a leader anymore so perhaps the MAY Queen who leads the parade.
M(arried) & AY – but = still
19 Father always in poetry less restrained (5)
FREER
FR for father & a poetic E’ER for ever = always. This row starts DEVIL MAY … but freer doesn’t seem to fit
21 Element in kitchen discussed with hesitation (7)
GALLIUM
Sounds like GALLEY & UM for err hesitation
22 Indication from sassy MP to Minister (7)
SYMPTOM
It’s hidden in sasSY MP TO Minister
24 Comment from church on complete article (9)
UTTERANCE
UTTER = complete & AN for article & C.E. for church of England
26 Continuous murmur from hard right in corporation (5)
THRUM
H(ard) & R(ight) both inside TUM(my) for stomach = corporation
27 Greeting the ambassador will love (5)
HELLO
H(is) E(xcellency) & ‘LL = will & O for nothing = love
28 Blue indeed where Oxbridge students learn English? (9)
UNDERDONE
As in steaks, the students would be UNDER a DON & E(nglish). Are Dons purely oxbridge things?
Down
1 Trophy on table for press (8)
CUPBOARD
Cup = trophy & BOARD = table, as for the def well don’t know I can just about justify but can’t find it in Chanbers or SOED
2 Cross for short time with another drunk (6)
BISECT
BIT = short time, so does SEC drunk by it
3 Pasta sick priest sent up to catch rodents (10)
VERMICELLI
ILL = sick & REV possibly for priest all reversed with MICE = rodents inserted
4 Spy crushed revolutionary spirit (6)
PSYCHE
A crushed SPY* & CHE, he of Cuba
5 Not providing firm foothold — like moccasin? (8)
SLIPPERY
Well moccasins are a bit like a slipper
6 Six balls remaining (4)
OVER
Simple double def.
7 Structure rigged so as to yield under pressure (8)
DISGORGE
A structured [RIGGED SO]*
8 Crude or exuberant putting husband down? (6)
EARTHY
HEARTY for exuberant with the H for H(usband) moved down a bit
15 Successive characters passionate and disparaging (10)
DEFAMATORY
D, E and F are successive letters in the alphabet & AMATORY is passionate. AM A TORY could also refer to certain politicians who put it about a bit.
17 Explosive rodent conceals swishing tail (8)
VOLATILE
A swished TAIL* inside a VOLE which is a rodent
18 Ginger group with driving power (8)
MOMENTUM
I guess this a double def, momentum is a somewhat labour movement and driving power but I feel I’m missing something
20 Recall soldiers and arm (8)
REMEMBER
R(oyal) E(ngineers) & an arm is a MEMBER of the body
21 Left in Paris? That’s awkward! (6)
GAUCHE
Double def
22 Firmly fixed in place close to boundary (6)
STEADY
STEAD – place & the closing bit of (boundar)Y
23 Apathy about received pronunciation? Too right! (6)
TORPOR
R(eceived) P(ronunciation) – think BBC English from the 1950’s inside TOO & R(ight)
25 England skipper takes time with Aussie bouncer (4)
ROOT
(kanga)ROO & T(ime).
*anagram
1d. The OED has for Press: A large (usually shelved) cupboard, esp. one placed in a recess in the wall, for holding clothing, books, etc. Cf Clothes-press
Took me longer than most Mondays, not least because I spent a long time on my last in, BISECT.
Had the same questions as the Flash about MOMENTUM, plus had to forcibly disconnect from the technical (physics) meaning and focus on informal usage.
Also had to look up press to verify it.
I don’t like the sound of an explosive rodent! Seems like a kitty could get her whiskers burned hunting him … *swishes tail*
My favourite today is TORPOR.
Thanks Tees and Flashling.
No problem with MOMENTUM for me although you could say it is an unindicated definition by example I suppose,.
Very Mondayish except for the few at the end that weren’t!
Not quite an easy Monday stroll – UNDERDONE took a bit of teasing out and 2dn had us completely flummoxed – we couldn’t see how any of the 20+ offerings from our wordfinder for -I-E-T fitted the clue – although it’s obvious once explained. But we liked BREAM, AUTOCUE, VERMICELLI and VOLATILE.
Thanks, Tees and flashling.