Knut is often very topical
But not today as far as I can see, just a fairly friendly solve. Although the exhortation to tell SID may bemuse some.

A new approach to [ASSANGE RETHINKS]* Knut’s rather good at this anagram malarkey
A cooked [RAW RICE]*
A cricket term dontcha know, PLAYS – 23 – dramas & ON, it’s started, it’s on
PUG and I’D reversed
A physics law on the behaviour of gasses – Sounds like BOIL SLAW
CHI – greek letter inside a travelling TROUPE*
A sample of bILE A Constituent
A drained A(rmagna)C the RID – to free
RA twice & R(egina) inside SKIT – sketch
I(taly) inside a crazy [MAD BERKS]*
RA(dium) inside D(aughter) & MA – mother
Change the MP in I(mp)LICIT to L(liberal)
R(omeo) inside A MOIST
A reformed [URGED NATURAL GAS]*
Bit unsure of the definition here – NATS – nationalists reversed & the D.U.P. & the head of P(arty) & ADDLING – going off
The former diplomat as Madeleine ALBRIGHT so you need to remove the B – (second class)
Alternate letters of gEeZeR & A & POUND – place of confinement. Lovely chap, , well no not really.
An unsettled BWANA*
Cryptic def re prices in pubs or bars for a short period uusually early evening to draw punters in
Two definitions
ABS – tummy muscles and an exercised LOVE*
An anagram new of [RASTA SWITCHED ON]*
HERB AL(PER)T less PER (a) & E(mpanada) & A
IN – at home & SID & IOUS – debts. Back when the gov flogged off British Gas we were bombarded with ads imploring us to tell “Sid”
Where’s Pierre? A rosella is a type of parrot – ROSE – got up and ALL reversed – got up in a down clue
I’M (Knut is) & AGING
Well Macs are not PCs in the traditional sense so MAC & A(merican) & U(pper-class)
Exposed (i)VANK(a) and reversed & E(uropean)
I think the def for 1d is to do with paddle-boarding but it’s not a sport with which I’m familiar. But they do stand and use a long paddle which is sort of an oar. Best I could come up with.
Favourites today included AIRCREW, DIG UP, RA-RA SKIRT, ILLICIT, GRANULATED SUGAR, HAPPY HOUR, SANDWICH TOASTER and INSIDIOUS because it does take me back to – was it the 1980’s?
Plenty of fun today in an approachable puzzle.
Thanks Knut and flashling
Enjoyable Monday puzzle which did DIG UP a few old memories – the SID advertisements of the late 1980’s and the even earlier HERB AL(PER)T and the Tijuana Brass in particular. Nice to see our lovely ROSELLA(s) get a mention too. I seem to remember reading years ago that there was an introduced population of Eastern Rosellas in in Kent but couldn’t find anything more about this on an (admittedly quick) search today.
I liked many of the surfaces, especially that for RA-RA SKIRT.
Thanks to Knut and flashling
An enjoyable start to Monday solving – I do remember SID. My favourites were 12a and 14d
Thanks very much to Knut and flashling
I enjoyed KNUT’s puzzle. It may have been friendly, but it was also interesting (RA-RA SKIRTS!) and had an entertaining selection of clues to work with and learn from. Especially enjoyed HAPPY HOUR and PLAYS ON. Didn’t know Sid but it went with the iou’s. The only Sid from over there that rings a bell is/was the great Sid James. Great blog too. Thanks.
Lovely start to the day!
Thanks both. My research informs me of a sport called standup paddle boarding which for some may not be close enough to 1d. It was otherwise GK I lacked but was able to guess. I knew Sid but not PETRUCHIO, and knew of Herb Alpert but not sufficiently to make the connection
Cheers flashlng and Knut.
Re 1d:
– What’s he doing upright on that surfboard?
– He’s [stand-up paddling/sticking his oar in]
…works for me. Favourite was HAPPY HOUR, though lots of other fun to be had here.
Mev@7 In principle, I agree, just that the professional sport has a similar but different name, so the answer is a coherent but unrecognised one. You may have seen the ‘green car’ discussion on this forum recently….incidentally of no consequence to me, as I didn’t know either before today
Thanks for the blog, dear flashling, and thanks to those who commented. I’m always on the lookout for new 15-letter entries and I saw a few people on paddle boards during a recent heatwave-escaping visit to one of the Black Forest lakes. Insofar as I know, everyone refers to the activity as “stand up paddling” rather as people talk of playing a game of squash rather than “squash rackets”.
Best wishes to all, Rob/Knut
Well, I speculated the 1dn might be STAND UP PADDLING but it seemed so unlikely a phrase I left that blank.
Most enjoyable puzzle – thanks to Knut. 1a SNAKE IN THE GRASS, 12a BOYLES LAW, 25a AMORIST, 27a GRANULATED SUGAR, 5d HAPPY HOUR and 19d IMAGING were all ticks for me (some already mentioned favourably by others above). Thanks for explaining a couple of clues I couldn’t parse in full, flashling. Rob(Knut)@9, I appreciated the backstory about 1d – we call the boards SUPs (stand-up paddleboards).