Times 28143 – no stone unturned.

A rapid solve for me with nothing unknown or uncomfortable. Unusually, two and a half homophones. Not as much fun as some recent Wednesdays, but pleasant enough.

Across
1	One-time citizen’s infant boy consuming half of capital (10)
	BABYLONIAN – infant boy = BABY IAN, insert LON(don) = half of capital. Hard to spot from cold, but once I had 1d and 5d, easy enough.
6	Where a cobbler may be, missing Times unfortunately (4)
	ALAS – AT (his) LAST loses its Ts for Times.
10	Endless longing for painkiller (7)
	ASPIRIN – ASPIRING = longing, loses its G.
11	Reserve force with revolutionary goal, keeping one illuminated (7)
	MILITIA – goal = AIM, reversed = MIA, insert I LIT.
12	Wading bird changes colour (9)
	TURNSTONE – TURNS TONE = changes colour. A bird I had heard of.
13	Discernment of staff originally employed in gallery (5)
	TASTE – S (staff originally) in the TATE.
14	Economise, writing novel in health resort, mostly (5)
	SKIMP – KIM (a novel by Kipling), insert it into SP(A).
15	Remove arms from girl’s political representative? (9)
	DISMEMBER – DI’S MEMBER (of Parliament).
17	Go too far past stretch of river (9)
	OVERREACH – OVER = past, REACH = stretch of river.
20	Curious about current emitting loud sound (5)
	NOISY – I for current, inside NOSY = curious.
21	Dark period man on board reported (5)
	NIGHT – sounds like KNIGHT as in chess.
23	Period in Alabama principally surveying transport hubs (9)
	TERMINALS – TERM (period) IN AL(alabama) S(urveying).
25	Current measure blocking fashion for disorderly behaviour (7)
	RAMPAGE – AMP (current measure) inside RAGE (fashion).
26	Head off duck trapping seabird — it’s never-ending! (7)
	ETERNAL – TERN a seabird goes into (T)EAL) a headless duck.
27	Solitary-sounding advance (4)
	LOAN – sounds like LONE.
28	European capital initially involved in urchin’s discharge (10)
	BRATISLAVA – BRAT’S (unchin’s) LAVA (discharge) insert I (initial letter of Involved). Capital of Slovakia, a pleasant enough city.

Down
1	Most appropriate accommodation for a farm animal (5)
	BEAST – A is accommodated in BEST.
2	I share in light meal comprising two elements (9)
	BIPARTITE – I, PART (share) inside BITE (light meal).
3	Bishops left US airports I’d left, surprisingly (5,9)
	LORDS SPIRITUAL – (L US AIRPORTS ID L)*. We had this very recently so it was a write-in then check the anagram fodder.
4	Sister’s position: not one picked up by poet (7)
	NUNHOOD – NUN sounds like NONE, then HOOD an English poet. Thomas Hood is ranked 230 out of the top 500 on a poetry website I found, so no wonder I was unaware of him.
5	Article by this writer’s not so lacking in purpose (7)
	AIMLESS – A (article) I’M (this writer’s), LESS (not so… ).
7	Plant a great number around university (5)
	LOTUS – U inside LOTS.
8	Darkish-coloured pan Lady Jane possibly used? (5-4)
	SLATE-GREY – SLATE = pan, criticise; GREY as in Lady Jane Grey, the great-granddaughter of Henry VII who was Queen for nine days until being deposed by Mary and executed. She was only seventeen.
9	Slovenly nature of old nurse drinking coffee at bar on ship (14)
	SLATTERNLINESS – SRN (state registered nurse) has LATTE (IMO disgusting milky coffee) inserted, then LINE – bar, SS = ship.
14	Rascal caught in narrow channel on lake (9)
	SCOUNDREL – C (caught) in SOUND (narrow channel) RE (on) L (lake). The word always reminds me of Dr Johnson’s allegedly having said patriotism was “the last refuge of a scoundrel” but perhaps it should have been ‘politics…”.
16	Helmeted woman’s time in Bahrain, travelling without husband (9)
	BRITANNIA – (T IN BA RAIN)* where the H is omitted from the anagrist.
18	African native given a set of books to carry (7)
	ANTBEAR – A, NT (set of books) BEAR (carry). Another name for the aardvark.
19	Possess way to gather first of ripe crop (7)
	HARVEST – HAVE (posess) ST (way) insert R (first of ripe).
22	Continental character setting up a male publication (5)
	GAMMA – All reversed, A M(ale) MAG.
24	Latin American dance additionally used briefly in South Africa (5)
	SALSA – SA (South Africa) has ALS(O) = additionally used briefly, inserted.

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