Times 25435

Solving time: 1:10:48

As you can tell from my time, I found this an enormous struggle from start to finish. There was a lot of fiendish wordplay, quite a few unusual words, and some very well disguised definitions. Overall it was an excellent puzzle - tough but fair. I just wish I hadn't had to blog it, particularly while I'm still on holiday in Portugal!

There were plenty of contenders for COD here - 13a, 7d (my LOI) and 15d were all very good, but 25a just takes it for me.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removals like this

Across
1	PORTICOED = OR (men) + Training all in PI (religious) + COED (school)
6	BATCH = MATCH (pair up) with B replacing M
9	RAVES = RAVEN (jet as in black) with S replacing N
10	TRAFALGAR = RAG (old cloth) + LT (lieutenant) about AFAR (at a distance) all rev - Cape Trafalgar in SW Spain, the location of the famous Battle, of course.
11	DILEMMA = EMMA after LID rev
12	HOS(TAG)E
13	STRAIGHT AS A DIE = SIGHT (seeing sense) about ART (drawing) rev + A + SADIE (girl)
17	CONCRETE JUNGLE = (CONJECTURE GLEN)*
21	CHE + QUERy
23	EVACUEE = VAC in EU + completE nightmarE
25	THEME TUNE = THE MET (police force) + UNE (French one) - 'Air show may start with' was the well disguised definition.
26	OXEYE - rev hidden
27	HAlTED
28	FORTY-FIVE = (OVER FIFTY)* - For those under the age of 30, before CDs we had records made of vinyl, and singles used to spin at 45 rpm so were known as 45s.
Down
1	PAR(OD)IS + T
2	RIVAL = V in LAIR (Earth, as in a fox's den) rev
3	INSOMNIAC = (CONMAN IS + I)*
4	mOUT(WAS)H
5	DRA(CH)MA - No (or Noh) being a form of Japanese drama that crops up quite regularly in these puzzles
6	BRASS - dd
7	TOG RATING = TO (not coming from) + GRATING (ventilation cover maybe) - The tog rating is the measure of how much insulation a duvet offers.
8	lusH + ARDEN
14	ROOSEVELT = (VOTE-LOSER)*
15	ADULATORY = A in ADULT / TORY using a shared T, two alternative meanings of 'blue'
16	GENEVESE = GEE (My!) about SEVEN (cardinal) rev
18	EARMUFF = (FAME + FUR)*
19	EYEWEAR = Afternoon in YE rev + EWER
20	SCOTCH - dd
22	UP (produce bubbly?) + END (aim), 'tip' is the definition - someone will have to explain to me why 'produce bubbly' is UP. On edit: Produce may just be filler, meaning bubbly is UP, as in happy, which makes a certain amount of sense. Thanks to mctext.
24	UTERI = alternate letters of CULT REFRAIN