Solving time: 34:27
As the time suggests, far too difficult for me. Gives me even greater admiration for the folk who complete the Prelims (let alone the Grand Finals) all correct and in the given time. All my woes came in the supposed starting corner, NW. So concentrated on the RH side where the long answer came easily (unlike 3dn) and led to a few “ins”.
Across
1. CUT-GLASS. G (good) inside CUTLASS. And there I was looking for a homophone-type (see 16ac).
5. THROAT. Cryptic def. First assumption: “a frog” = UN or UNE.
10. SWING. Last letter of “1920S”, WING (flapper). Seamless surface.
11. BIOSPHERE. Anagram of “bishop”, ERE (before).
12. BREATHING. BREA{k} (separation), THING (affair). No McT, it wasn’t “fling” (see 3dn).
13. ARGOT. The R from “woRds”, GOT (understood) after (by) A. And an almost complete &lit.
14. CAPRICE. This is “cap”, “price” (limit cost). If they share the P (pence) from the end of the first and start of the second, you get CA-P-RICE. Could I see this without the initial C?
16. DRAGON. I.e., “drag on” (seem interminable). Another one where I was looking for a homophone (see 1ac).
18. NOGGIN. {s}NOGGIN{g}. One for lovers of Postgate and Firmin’s Samizdat adult novel Snoggin’ with Noggin and Nooka, or What Really Goes on Under the Hill.
20. CONCERN. C (class), ONCE (whenever), RN (Navy, service).
22. ADEPT. Hidden, reversed.
23. PRINTABLE. PR (public relations), IN TABLE (arranged by columns … and rows?). Another semi-&lit (see 13ac).
25. PATRICIDE. PATRIC{k} (saint), IDE{a}.
26. OLDER. {p}OLDER. Land protected by dikes.
27. SORBET. ORB (globe) inside SET (prescribed for study).
28. FARE,WELL. Will be familiar to those who did ST 4561 on 27th October (see 12ac there).
Down
1. CASHBACK. B (billions) in SHACK after CA (circa, “give or take”). Is “give or take” quite right for “circa”? I recently saw a program on the history of the Universe where the narrator said something like “… give or take about six billion years” where I took the “about” to be the same as “circa”. And the “give or take” to mean “plus or minus”. No doubt someone will find a suitable alternative usage.
2. TWINE. TINE (prong of a fork, antler, etc. ... that sticks out), inc W (with). I won’t say how long I looked at this one trying to fit in AS for “when”.
3. LIGHTNING STRIKE. Two meanings, one industrial, one meteorological. Wish I’d got this earlier without having to wait for crossing letters. The F (for FLING) pencilled in at 12ac was little use.
4. SUBLIME. S{oviet} U{nion}, BLIME{y}. One for me and the other two people in the world who do the Times and read Kant’s Kritik der Urteilskraft. Not to be confused with the “ubslime” which he doesn’t mention.
6. HOPE AGAINST HOPE. Two meanings, one ... ahem ... comic.
7. OVEN GLOVE. Cryptic def. Spoiled the rest of the brilliant clueing. Well, perhaps not all, given ...
... 8. TREATY. Two meanings where we are invited to hear the second as “like a treat”.
9. DOGGED. Lift and separate “grand” and “duke”. So G from the first inside DOGE, then D from the second at the end. One for lovers of Guardi.
15. PROTESTER. PESTER (nag) inc ROT (baloney). Something to do with horse meat in the hmburgers?
17. INTEGRAL. Anagram. There’s also: ALERTING, ALTERING, RELATING and TANGLIER. Watch out!
19. NAPKIN. KIN (flesh and blood) under NAP (raised threads).
20.CHIMERA. HIM (that man) in {i}C{e}, ERA. One to go with 14ac if you fancy.
21. CAMPUS. CAMP (temporary lodging), US. A certain Vice-Chancellor I knew threatened/promised to write a book called Mein Campfus.
24. BUDGE{t}. Hence the expression frequently used by Vice-Chancellors: “Budget or budge!”
• How come the font changed? Anyone know?