| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RECESS | |
| Break up services arranged with 6 down? (6) | Anagram of SERVICES minus VI | |
| 4 | MAJESTIC | |
| A joke, one acquired by host, is superb (8) | (A + JEST + I) inside MC | |
| 9 | PURSE | |
| Noble carrying small amount of money (5) | PURE outside S | |
| 10 | COVER NOTE | |
| Temporary insurance number kept in concealed safe at the back (5,4) | NO inside COVERT + saf(E) | |
| 11 | CAESIUM | |
| Metal case ruined one pump lacking any pressure (7) | Anagram of CASE + I + (p)UM(p) | |
| 12 | RATINGS | |
| Calls about a time for survey of popular programmes (7) | RINGS outside (A + T) | |
| 13 | THIN | |
| Flimsy corrugated iron covering hospital (4) | TIN outside H | |
| 14 | MANIACAL | |
| Demonic one listed in distributed almanac (8) | I inside anagram of ALMANAC | |
| 17 | THRASHED | |
| Outbreak contained by the Head of Defence is crushed (8) | RASH inside [THE + (D)efence] | |
| 19 | ALGA | |
| Seaweed fragments housed in botanical garden (4) | botanicAL GArdens | |
| 22 | TOBACCO | |
| Boat at sea caught cod mostly – it’s smoked (7) | Anagram of BOAT + C + (CO)d | |
| 24 | EDITING | |
| Changing tide turned in front of geologist (7) | Anagram of TIDE + IN + (G)eologist | |
| 25 | ITINERANT | |
| Rambling point made in one violent declamation (9) | TINE inside (I + RANT) | |
| 26 | SHOOT | |
| Snap a new branch (5) | Double Definition | |
| 27 | SPLUTTER | |
| Dispute small place, say (8) | S + PL + UTTER | |
| 28 | LESSON | |
| Teaching without working (6) | LESS + ON | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RAPACITY | |
| Criminal charge linked to a large town’s greed (8) | RAP + A + CITY | |
| 2 | CAREERIST | |
| Self-seeking father recalled time under management (9) | (SIRE reversed + T) after CARE | |
| 3 | SCENIC | |
| “Weird Science” for the most part is dramatic (6) | Anagram of (SCIENC)e | |
| 5 | ADVERTISEMENT | |
| Marketing determines a TV broadcast (13) | Anagram of DETERMINES A TV | |
| 6 | ERRATIC | |
| Iodine discovered in deformed crater is volatile (7) | I inside anagram of CRATER | |
| 7 | THORN | |
| Types of heath or native spiky plant (5) | heaTH OR Native | |
| 8 | CHEESE | |
| Chef mostly accepting view about dairy product (6) | (CHE)f outside (SEE reversed) | |
| 10 | COMPASSIONATE | |
| Humanitarian authorisation, one NATO ordered in advance (13) | (PASS + I + anagram of NATO) inside COME | |
| 15 | LOLLIPOPS | |
| Loaf is stocked with soft-drink and sweets (9) | LOLL + (IS outside POP) | |
| 16 | CAUGHT ON | |
| Criminal punched by a thug in a frenzy got wise (6,2) | CON outside anagram of (A + THUG) | |
| 18 | RICHEST | |
| Most productive doctor’s closing one case (7) | docto(R) + I + CHEST | |
| 20 | ETHICS | |
| Heartless chemist amended rules of conduct? (6) | Anagram of CHE(m)IST | |
| 21 | TISSUE | |
| Paper tiger’s first problem (6) | (T)iger + ISSUE | |
| 23 | BRILL | |
| Right’s representative, listed in leaflet, is excellent in England (5) | R inside BILL |
David, Splutter for 27 Across. Only one we could not get. Presume DISPUTE=SPLUTTER.
Is that correct?
Hi Norman,
Yes, Dispute = Splutter. In hindsight, not a common definition and one that seems to be Australian.
From the Macquarie:
noun
7. spluttering utterance or talk; a dispute; a noise or fuss.
Best, and have good Christmas. Look for two bumper editions coming out over the Christmas/New Year period