Solving time 9:44
It’s not often I beat 10 minutes for a Saturday puzzle (or indeed any other day except Sundays), but this was the easiest Times I’ve seen for a long time. I’d expect the really fast solvers here to go under 5 minutes.
Across
| 1 | PUNCTUATION MARK (track up mountain)* – I saw “period in US” and put this in straight away, only noticing the anagram later. |
| 9 | SHORTLIST – Ko-Ko was the Lord High Executioner in The Mikado. |
| 11 | EUSTON – (to use)* + N – nice &lit. |
| 12 | FELD(“felled”),SPAR |
| 15 | PROP,OSED(does*) – a prop is a forward in a Rugby Union team. |
| 27 | T(EACH)ABLE – EACH = “a head” |
| 28 | T(ROUBLES,H)OOTING |
Down
| 5 | IN,T(HE)ORY |
| 7 | A,N,TIP,ASTI |
| 14 | PORTFOLIO – a double definition that reads like a cryptic definition. |
| 17 | UNCL(OTH=hot*)E – could’ve been worded better, sounds a bit clunky with inside, aside. |
| 20 | GINS,ENG |
| 24 | RABBI(t) – i.e. Peter Rabbit from the Beatrix Potter stories. |
| 25 | BACH – the term of endearment being Welsh. |
10a Protest – don’t stand for it! (3,2)
SIT IN
13a It protects laptop from errors with menu items (6)
NAPKIN. The IT surface is deemed to be easily scratched with this one?
18a Singer, with a single exception, covering it (8)
BAR IT ONE
19a Presenting petition in royal capacity (6)
AS KING
21a (Find lies)* upsetting those who don’t act in good faith?(8)
INFIDELS
23a One who protects two little boys (6)
PAT RON. Not the one who had the hit record apparently?
26a Clay figure from MonGOL EMpire (5)
GOLEM
1d Pressure at the rear part of horse (7)
PA STERN. Pressure is Pa (Pascals) rather than just P here. The pastern is between the Fetlock and the Hoof apparently – see headline.
2d Lack of agreements in recesses (5)
NO OKS
3d One pointedly engaged in enhancing body image (9)
TATTOOIST
4d Elevated area is a huge landmass (4)
A SI A. A(rea) IS A upside down.
6d Started judging wine, say, and proceeded slowly (5)
NOSED
8d Relationship with compassionate Conservative’s opponent (7)
KIND RED
16d Tree is ruined (as I chop it)* (9)
PISTACHIO
18d Saint set up cross on edge of town (7)
BRIDGE T
22d Protest at bishop’s removal from service (5)
DEMO B