| Across 1 Herbal tea, a popular blend (8) 2 Clean, as may happen to driftwood (4,2) 10 Nothing in ramshackle inn’s quite clean, not that it really matters (15) 11 Nettle perfume (7) 12 Young bird to pucker up when embracing Labour leader (5) 13 Slate a computer with a LAN backup to high-speed connection (6,5) 16 Vehicle knocked over junior editor (3) 17 Wise person’s inside knowledge (3) 18 Knowing better than to spoil a shared resource? (6,5) 22 Not quite deceiving Auguste (5) 24 Aunty is embellishing Western Australian Christmas tree (7) 25 For each child left in protection – and the young at heart, such as I (8,7) 27 Two guys? That’s decadent (6) 28 Say, I react badly to dairy product! (3,5) |
Down 1 Paying more for the Upper Crust, perhaps due to the cold? (5,2) 2 Girl student embracing ICT, like Lisbeth Salander or Snow White (9) 3 A hedgehog’s type of screwdriver? (5) 4 Distribute cocaine to, like, two-thirds of the planet (7) 6 Articles about Italian city, or one in the US? (9) 7 A poetic form, for measuring lines of verse; maybe even this (5) 8 Prefect’s system of exercise (7) 9 Originally named routine for reversing vessel (6) 14 Mother mixing tonic with mashed core. (Apple, no doubt) (9) 15 Give weaponless fighters a hand? Almost (3) 16 Outlaw Pussy from Indian city (9) 17 Relating to a complex character? (7) 19 Handy guide (6) 20 Games, kinky? I comply! (7) 21 Add toxin? Bad omen, after almost having a reason to turn Green (7) 23 Proust’s lost in Upper Dublin (5) 25 Is it ‘cos I’m oddly lacking? – Cold, impassive? (5) |
CrossSwords 
Yay, for once we ripped through this like a whirlwind! We briefly considered the theory that being back on the reviewing train had sharpened our little grey cells, but concluded that that was probably a…wait for it…an illusion! (Nice choice, BTW.) Favourite clues: how could we go past 3 down? But we also particularly liked 13 across and 16 down. We’re sure the pain will return, but for now we are basking in our sense of accomplishment. Many thanks!
I think the reviewing theory is good. Nothing like untangling Steven Moffat’s storylines to sharpen the wits.
(And thank you!)
My teenaged son was impressed that I got the Dr. Who ref in 3d.
🙂 Always good to get some cred with the kids! My son texted me a crossword clue he made up today at school (which fortunately I was able to get…)