I found this hard but persevered and eventually managed to complete the grid in 51 minutes.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | They may be shot close to camp in attacks (6) |
| RAPIDS | |
| {cam}P [close] contained by [in] RAIDS (attacks) | |
| 4 | Screening of material from a film finally is repeated in French (4,4) |
| AMES TEST | |
| A, (fil}M [finally], EST (is…in French) + EST [repeated]. Collins: a method of preliminary screening for carcinogens, based on their ability to cause mutations in bacteria named after Bruce Ames (born 1928), US biochemist. NHO this and the wordplay was tricky so I was only able to guess at the answer once all the checkers were in place. Seems a bit obscure to me. | |
| 10 | Fetching a soft sort of green heather (9) |
| APPEALING | |
| A, P (soft – music), PEA (sort of green), LING (heather). The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to see in a ‘pea green’ boat. | |
| 11 | Praise from partner once was effective, mostly (5) |
| EXTOL | |
| EX (partner once), TOL{d} (was effective) [mostly] | |
| 12 | Native of Mexico in NJ: People appear confused! (8,6) |
| JALAPENO PEPPER | |
| Anagram [confused] of NJ PEOPLE APPEAR | |
| 14 | One could go off father getting close to son! (5) |
| SIREN | |
| SIRE (father), {so}N [close to …] | |
| 16 | Youngster taking short vacation in extra small location (5-4) |
| CUBBY-HOLE | |
| CUB (youngster), then HOL{s} (vacation – holidays) [short] contained by [in] BYE (extra – cricket). Curtailment of an abbreviation no less! | |
| 18 | Women tend to get fixed income (9) |
| ENDOWMENT | |
| Anagram [to get fixed] of WOMEN TEND | |
| 20 | According to report, not out always to be brief (2,3) |
| IN SUM | |
| IN SUM sounds like [according to report] “in some” (not out always) | |
| 21 | Potentially 14 different people in pursuit of British film studio (6,8) |
| WARNER BROTHERS | |
| WARNER (potentially 14 across – siren), BR (British), OTHERS (different people). Before I lifted and separated ‘British’ from ‘film studio’ I had been trying to make the first word ‘Hammer’. | |
| 25 | Tried out an oddly regressive inspection (5) |
| AUDIT | |
| T{r}I{e}D {o}U{t} A{n} [oddly] and reversed [regressive] | |
| 26 | Figures chap in charge can ring back with story (9) |
| FIBONACCI | |
| FIB (story), then IC (in charge) + CAN + O (ring) reversed [back]. Collins: Italian mathematician: popularized the decimal system in Europe. Another answer outside my comfort zone but I was able to construct the name from wordplay and vaguely remembered it coming up before, most recently in August last year as it turned out. | |
| 27 | Does like time pursuing friend in US city (8) |
| BUDAPEST | |
| BUD (friend in US), APES [does – copies- Who Do You Do?), T (time) | |
| 28 | From hearing, cycle to market (6) |
| PEDDLE | |
| Sounds like [from hearing] “pedal” (cycle) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Confine oneself to our boss’s articles, maybe, further tailored? (10) |
| READJUSTED | |
| READ JUST ED (confine oneself to our boss’s – the Editor’s – articles) | |
| 2 | Twice a year, left from Rome? (5) |
| PAPAL | |
| PA (a year – per annum) + PA [twice], L (left) | |
| 3 | Blank flier secretary placed in study … (7) |
| DEADPAN | |
| AD (flier – small handbill) + PA (secretary) contained by [placed in] DEN (study). | |
| 5 | … which one drinking coffee raises? (3,2) |
| MUG UP | |
| This part of the definition is cryptic but the literal is ‘study’ in the sense of ‘acquire knowledge of’ in the preceding linked clue. | |
| 6 | Suddenly hard to keep quiet (7) |
| STEEPLY | |
| STEELY (hard) containing [to keep] P (quiet) | |
| 7 | Confidentially French resistance moving in to record intelligence (5,4) |
| ENTRE NOUS | |
| R (resistance) moving in ENTER (record) gives us ENTRE, then NOUS (intelligence) | |
| 8 | What cashier has to work up to (4) |
| TILL | |
| 9 | Salt tablet with nail on top (8) |
| PINNACLE | |
| PIN (nail), NACL (salt), E (tablet) | |
| 13 | After a failure, one has to be tolerant (10) |
| PERMISSIVE | |
| PER (a), MISS (failure), I’VE (one has) | |
| 15 | In the act of re-forming diamonds hardened (9) |
| REDHANDED | |
| Anagram [re-forming] of D (diamonds) + HARDENED | |
| 17 | What could be worn by pool club personnel: medal (8) |
| BATHROBE | |
| BAT (club), HR (personnel – Human Resources), OBE (medal) | |
| 19 | Acquire sports car at ridiculously cheap price — a bit of a flyer! (4,3) |
| WING TIP | |
| WIN (acquire), GT (sports car), 1P (ridiculously cheap price – one penny) | |
| 20 | Cool present for one getting passionate (7) |
| INTENSE | |
| IN (cool – trendy), TENSE (present, for one) | |
| 22 | Chance briefly to catch very loud bits of tune (5) |
| RIFFS | |
| RIS{k} (chance) [briefly] containing [to catch] FF (very loud – music) | |
| 23 | Knight once held up by Jedi, clearly (2,3) |
| EL CID | |
| Hidden and reversed [held up by] {Je}DI CLE{rly} | |
| 24 | Stick book in the post (4) |
| JAMB | |
| JAM (stick), B (book). The side post of a door or window. | |
I really enjoyed this – some very neat clues and happy to have completed it. I don’t bother ever timing as I do it on paper – and I don’t understand why it should matter how long it takes 🙂
Particularly liked APPEALING ,CUBBYHOLE and JAMB. Got stuck on 21A for ages and then suddenly saw how WARNER BROTHERS fitted into the checkers as I had also been thrown off the scent by the British reference. Does anyone else find that answers sometimes suddenly come when you “visualise” words from the combination of letters and spaces?
Thanks again to setter and blogger.
Strangely, the top half of the puzzle fell in swiftly(for me), with no bother even with the NHO AMES TEST as it was spelled out generously. Then came to a hiatus in the lower half – was a while before I cracked any thing there. I was surprised to pick up the reins again with FIBONACCI as maths not my strong suit. But a few still eluded me, so a DNF, but thoroughly enjoyed.