Times 29001 – shooting fish – Times for The Times

I had fun with this one, I’m sure the setter did, too. I ended with the misleading 19a, another witty one, and I’m happy with the explanations except for 2d, where perhaps I’m missing the point.

Definitions underlined in bold, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, anagrinds in italics, [deleted letters in square brackets].

Across
1	Land in the ocean shows a narrow channel (5)
	DITCH – a nice double definition.
4	Large water bird that is seen in the sky (3,6)
	BIG DIPPER – BIG = large, a DIPPER is a water bird.
9	Voice is key in brief authority (9)
	CONTRALTO – the key you press is ALT inside CONTRO[L].
10	Take from mutt a luscious bone (5)
	TALUS – today’s hidden word clue.
11	Ruling that binds you and me together? (13)
	PRONOUNCEMENT – PRONOUN CEMENT could bind pronouns, e.g. you and me.
14	Journey ending in short farewell (4)
	TRIP – [shor]T, R.I.P. rest in peace, final farewell.
15	Succeeded in moving residents, those in the minority (10)
	DISSENTERS – S inside (RESIDENTS)*.
18	With several speeches liar initially gaoled until tortured (10)
	TRILINGUAL – (LIAR G UNTIL)*, the G from gaoled.
19	Army section leads in attack, not last usually in retreat (4)
	ULNA – this was my LOI, twigged eventually when I had the final A from 13d. As no doubt the setter intended, I was stuck on sections of a real army, before remembering the “Uxbridge English Dictionary” to think “army” = “of an arm”. You have the leading letters, reversed, as highlighted above.
21	Moving pleas about to stop psychologist coming to crime-infested area (7,6)
	ASPHALT JUNGLE – we have (PLEAS), with HALT, JUNG inserted. Collins* says “an expression used to refer to a city environment, which emphasises its dangerous nature”.
24	Head of house, one sounding inquisitive (5)
	PRIOR – sounds like “PRYER”, or prier, one who pries.
25	Happen to swallow small whiskey perhaps left for polymath (9)
	ARISTOTLE – ARISE (happen) swallows TOT, L[eft]. A polymath is not only good at maths; Collins says “a person of great and varied learning”.
27	Song book, one helping in church (3,6)
	LAY READER – LAY a song, READER a book.
28	Be overturned in furrow in drive back (5)
	REBUT – RUT (furrow) with BE reversed inside.

Down
1	In winter a suggestion brought up was worrying: remove one’s top? (10)
	DECAPITATE – DEC (winter month), A, TIP reversed, ATE = was worrying.
2	Fish is too big for cask (3)
	TUN – I can only think that the setter is saying TUNA as a word is bigger than TUN?
3	Greatly distress husband with quarrel (6)
	HARROW – H for husband, ARROW = quarrel.
4	Person stays for ages, feeling like a native (9)
	BELONGING – person = BEING, with LONG (for ages) ‘staying’ inside. I was toying with BE LONG IN to mean stay for ages, but that ignores PERSON and doesn’t explain the G at the end.
5	Good to wander in wood (5)
	GROVE – G for good, ROVE to wander.
6	Puzzled, need hint finally (2,3,3)
	IN THE END – (NEED HINT)*. Not see this anagrind before.
7	Cancel instruction to empty basin (4,3,4)
	PULL THE PLUG – double definition, one a metaphor, one practical.
8	Sport is hard to run (4)
	RUSH – RU’S (Rugby Union is) H[ard].
12	Novel ideas in a trilogy I translated (11)
	ORIGINALITY – IN A TRILOGY I).
13	Watch part of flight: people are on time (10)
	ESCAPEMENT – ESCAPE (flight), MEN (people), T[ime]. Not about staircases, this one.
16	More nervous about disfigurement with darker complexion (9)
	SWARTHIER – SHIER (more shy, more nervous) with WART inserted.
17	Detective’s funds said to spread widely (8)
	DISPERSE – DI’S (detective’s) PERSE sounds like PURSE = funds.
20	One filleting fish perhaps into a trough (6)
	GUTTER – double definition, one someone who guts fish.
22	Opening notice, sensitive over grant (5)
	AWARD – sensitive = RAW, reverse that into AD = notice.
23	A gem, but friendless? (4)
	OPAL – if friendless you have 0 pals. Chestnut time.
26	A cat’s lost by flap (3)
	TAB – TABBY cat loses BY.

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