Thanks Provis for an enjoyable puzzle (which I had to do in a hurry; and sorry for the delay). Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Support person on call (5,2)
STAND BY : STANDBY (or “stand-by”, one ready to act in an emergency).
Defn: As a verb.
5 Capricious to show a sign of nervousness after blunder (7)
ERRATIC : A + TIC(a muscular spasm as a sign of nervousness) placed after(after) ERR(a blunder).
9 Taxes initially rise astronomically, then eventually stabilise (5)
RATES : The 1st letters, respectively, of(initially) “rise astronomically, then eventually stabilise “.
10 Surprisingly, Attlee ran as deputy (9)
ALTERNATE : Anagram of(Surprisingly) ATTLEE RAN.
11 Declared her possibly dead after church (10)
PRONOUNCED : PRONOUN(an example of which;possibly is the word “her”) + [ D(abbrev. for “dead”) placed after(after) CE(abbrev. for the Church of England).
12 Employs corrupt practices after sailor leaves (4)
USES : “abuses”(corrupt practices) minus(after … leaves) “AB”(abbrev. for “able-bodied seaman”;a sailor).
14 Operating on NHS at times causes surprise (12)
ASTONISHMENT : Anagram of(Operating) ON NHS AT TIMES.
18 Story about a strange female cat is acceptable (12)
SATISFACTORY : STORY containing(about) { A + anagram of(strange) [F(abbrev. for “female”) + CAT IS] }.
21 Rule out an inducement (4)
LURE : Anagram of(… out) RULE.
22 In a state of depression, head of department dismissed empty legacy (10)
DEJECTEDLY : The 1st letter of(head of) “department ” + EJECTED(dismissed;forced to leave) + “legacy ” minus all its inner letters(empty …).
25 Cutting ditch next to a new junction (9)
TRENCHANT : TRENCH(a ditch) plus(next to) A + N(abbrev. for “new”) + T(a type of junction where a road meets another but does not cross it).
Defn: Keen;incisive.
26 Some Cumbria rhododendrons form a prickly shrub (5)
BRIAR : Hidden in(Some) “Cumbria rhododendrons “.
27 Evil prophet said to be genuine (7)
SINCERE : SIN(an evil) + homophone of(… said to be) “seer”(a prophet).
28 Encouraged a plot to capture alien aircraft finally (7)
ABETTED : A + BED(a plot, say, in a garden) containing(to capture) [ET(abbrev. for “extra-terrestrial”, the alien) + the last letter of(… finally) “aircraft “].
Down
1 Band is ready after half past (6)
STRIPE : RIPE(ready;mature, eg. for consumption) placed after(after) the last 2 letters of(half) “past“.
2 CIA not involved in court case (6)
ACTION : Anagram of(… involved) CIA NOT.
3 Daughter is to have strip of land (10)
DISPOSSESS : D(abbrev. for “daughter”) + IS + POSSESS(to have).
Defn: To strip one of his/her land.
4 Long to get paid by the end of May (5)
YEARN : EARN(to get paid for services done) placed after(by) the last letter of(the end of) “May “.
5 Mix with street revolutionary on the far left, say (9)
EXTREMIST : Anagram of(… revolutionary) [ MIX plus(with) STREET].
6 Unusual resistance to song being sung (4)
RARE : Homophone of(… being sung) [R(symbol for electrical resistance, in physics) plus(to) “air”(a song)].
7 Umpire’s new skill set up move to another place (8)
TRANSFER : Reversal of(… set up, in a down clue) [ REF(short for “referee”;an umpire)‘S + N(abbrev. for “new”) + ART(a skill) ].
8 Spray trees with carbon dioxide as a wood preservative (8)
CREOSOTE : Anagram of(Spray) [TREES plus(with) COO(or CO2, the chemical formula for carbon dioxide) ].
13 Kind of fish, albeit bizarre (10)
CHARITABLE : CHAR(a fish related to and resembling the salmon) +anagram of(… bizarre) ALBEIT.
15 Typically bring up refusal to state how old one is (2,7)
ON AVERAGE : Reversal of(bring up, in a down clue) NO(a refusal) + AVER(to state;to declare) + AGE(the measure of how old one is).
16 Cuts off income support, when collecting well behind time (8)
ISOLATES : IS(abbrev. for “income support”, as used by the UK government) containing(when collecting) [SO LATE](well behind time).
17 About time he operates as first minister (8)
STURGEON : T(abbrev. for “time”) contained in(About …) SURGEON(he who operates).
Answer: Nicola, First Minister of Scotland.
19 He can’t stop to build on the new technology (6)
ADDICT : ADD(to build on) ICT(abbrev. for “information and communications technology”).
20 Cross lengthy bridleway in the middle (6)
HYBRID : The middle 6 letters of(… in the middle) “lengthy bridleway “.
Defn: … between species or types.
23 In addition, there is no need to run for it (5)
EXTRA : Double defn: 2nd: Cryptically, a point in cricket where you don’t have to make a run for it.
24 Active communist is a pain (4)
ACHE : A(abbrev. for “active”) + CHE(Guevara, renowned communist or Marxist).
Thanks Provis and, especially, scchua for providing a blog on a busy day.
Not as easy as some Quiptics, but at least we can’t claim that “it was harder than today’s Cryptic” – that’s Nutmeg instead of the usual Rufus.
I loved CREOSOTE – COO indeed!
Is A really an abbreviation for “active”? In what context might it be used?
Thanks scchua, for the blog, and Provis for an enjoyable puzzle.
I had ISOLATES as IS [Income Support] round SO LATE [well behind time] – great surface!
Definitely harder than usual for a Quiptic. I haven’t done today’s Cryptic so I can’t compare them.
I parsed ISOLATES in the same was as Eileen @2. Like muffin @1, I was wondering about A for “active”. I’ve only been able to find it as part of unfamiliar acronyms.
My hands-down favourite was CREOSOTE – lovely clue.
Thanks to Provis and scchua.
Thanks both. Pedants corner: 23 d, EXTRAS in cricket. You don’t have to run for a wide, but byes and leg byes generally require running (unless the ball goes straight to the boundary), and you can run off a no ball. So for the majority of extras, there IS a need to run for it!
Thanks Provis and scchua.
Yes, harder than usual, as was the Cryptic – we must all have been moved up a form now that it is a new school year.
CREOSOTE was great.
Thanks, scchua, for explaining the cricket definition of EXTRA.
My favourite was CREOSOTE.
I failed to solve STURGEON – I was beaten by the clue – I know the fish but the first minister did not spring to my mind!
I parsed ISOLATES in the same way as Eileen and jennyk
Thanks Provis and scchua
Thanks, Shirl, for the EXTRA clarification.
Thanks Eileen and jennyk for IS. I was pressed foe time and didn’t delve too deeply. Blog amended. Re EXTRA, I guess Provis was referring to the particular.
Thanks, scchua – I think occasionally we all forget that bloggers have other stuff to do besides getting a blog up at a reasonable hour.
Some toughish ones in here for me, but overall a good puzzle. I too loved CREOSOTE.
And what others have said about EXTRA. Never mind pedants’ corner, Shirl – cricket and cryptic crosswords are BFF. You could in fact run off any of the deliveries offering extras; but we knew what Provis meant, so fair play. I seem to remember from a while ago that EXTRA is one of the most popular five-letter solutions in crosswords, mainly because naff all else sensible fits E?T?A.
Michelle, how can our dear leader Nicola not be at the front of your mind…? 😉
muffin and jennyk —
I bet that A is used as an abbreviation for Active in writing on linguistics and / or grammar, referring to the active voice.
I had a mental block that prevented me from getting ADDICT. I didn’t know the abbreviation ICT, but I certainly should have gotten it from the definition and crossing letters. Oh, well.
Good puzzle!
I find Active is used quite frequently in abbreviations that contrast with Retired.