Great fun from Goliath.
An enjoyable and well-constructed puzzle.
ACROSS
1. Picture of parrot designed by computers (8)
PORTRAIT
PARROT* (*designed) by IT (computers, Information Technology)
5. Creative type playing sitar first on TikTok (6)
ARTIST
SITAR* (*playing) + T[ikTok] (first on)
9. See scam is real (8)
CONSTRUE
CON’S (scam is) + TRUE (real)
10. Current account is allocated chiefly for the plant (6)
ACACIA
AC (current, alternating current) + AC (account) + I[s] A[llocated] (chiefly)
12. African panache shown by Chad, finally (5)
ELAND
ELAN (panache) shown by [Cha]D (finally)
13. Fluency in Spanish: what stops billionaire going to church (9)
ELOQUENCE
QUE (in Spanish, what) stops ELON (billionaire, Musk) going to CE (church, Church of England)
14. We should leave sacks (4,2)
LETS GO
16. Grant him blessings securing digital protection (7)
THIMBLE
[gran]T HIM BLE[ssings] (securing)
19. Candy that’s found in lounges (7)
LOLLIES
I.E. (that’s, id est) found in LOLLS (lounges)
21. International agreement of request to abolish European borders (6)
TREATY
[en]TREATY (request, to abolish E[uropea]N (borders))
23. Taunt by one and all turned uncomfortable (3,2,4)
ILL AT EASE
TEASE (taunt) by I (one) and ALL< (<turned)
25. Soundly improves parts of Oxford (5)
HEELS
“HEALS” (improves, “soundly”)
Oxfords being a type of shoe
26. Reason networks contain lines (6)
SONNET
27. Getting rid of call about returning bribes (8)
DISPOSAL
DIAL (call) about SOPS< (bribes, <returning)
28. School is smug, not half producing discord (6)
SCHISM
SCH (school) + I[s] SM[ug] (not half, i.e. remove half of each word)
29. We saw it with our own eyes, say some people on a smartphone (8)
PLEONASM
[peo]PLE ON A SM[artphone] (some)
A pleonasm is a phrase using an unnecessary number of words to express something, for emphasis or by error
DOWN
1/24. Prepared meal wasn’t interesting to Spooner (6,5)
PACKED LUNCH
LACKED PUNCH (wasn’t interesting, to Spooner)
2. Someone at a door might sound familiar (4,1,4)
RING A BELL
3. Appreciated some wine touring empty apartment (5)
RATED
RED (some wine) touring A[partmen]T (empty)
4. Routine arrangement before birth (2,5)
IN UTERO
6. Solitary evil curse cast (9)
RECLUSIVE
7. South American getting preserved (5)
INCAN
8. Net, they say, helps sporting equipment (8)
TRAPEZES
TRAP (net) + “EASES” (helps, “they say”)
11/21. Settle with police officers supporting measure (4,3,4)
FOOT THE BILL
THE BILL (police officers, UK slang) supporting FOOT (measure)
15. Lazy and lacking motion around the beginning of February (9)
SHIFTLESS
SHITLESS (lacking motion) around F[ebruary] (beginning of)
Motion referring to bowel motion
17. Fish containers in London area (9)
BATTERSEA
BATTER + SEA (fish containers)
A fish might be covered in batter, or found in the sea, so either could ‘contain’ a fish
18. Outrageous lies about kissers… (8)
ELLIPSES
LIES* (*outrageous) about LIPS (kissers)
20. Break for photo (4)
SNAP
22. Runaway finally went into a ghetto for refuge (6)
ASYLUM
[runawa]Y (finally) went into A + SLUM (ghetto)
25. Member of endangered species needs joint operation that’s coming up (5)
HIPPO
HIP (joint) + OP< (operation, <that’s coming up)