| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | FIREWORK | |
| Explosive anger was lacking when in branch (8) | [IRE + (WAS minus AS)] inside FORK | |
| 5 | SPARSE | |
| Boxes are, at the end, few and far between (6) | SPARS + AR(E) | |
| 10 | RIPEN | |
| Get ready to pick new inspector, ignoring cost (5) | Anagram of INSPECTOR minus COST | |
| 11 | UNIFORMED | |
| Tertiary institution set up and fitted out (9) | UNI + FORMED | |
| 12 | EYESHADOW | |
| Department in store, yes, had own make-up? (9) | storE YES HAD OWn | |
| 13 | RINGS | |
| Gymnastics apparatus buzzes (5) | Double Definition | |
| 14 | LEASED | |
| Rented launch at first moved slowly (6) | (L)AUNCH + EASED | |
| 15 | RUSTLER | |
| Governor checking street – one taking stock (7) | RULER outside ST | |
| 18 | APTNESS | |
| Felicity retrieved broadcast in health resort (7) | (SENT inside SPA) reversed | |
| 20 | FRILLY | |
| Fish, biting poorly, gathered (6) | FRY outside ILL | |
| 22 | TOWER | |
| It may be used to draw a tall building (5) | Double Definition | |
| 24 | EVOCATIVE | |
| Voice a vet reproduced is haunting (9) | Anagram of VOICE A VET | |
| 25 | CHIEFTAIN | |
| Tribal leader that is held by feet bound by chain (9) | (IE + FT) inside CHAIN | |
| 26 | IRONS | |
| Presses right on, travelling through island (5) | (R + ON) inside IS | |
| 27 | ENTREE | |
| A thousand dollars given up by spoilt teenager for course (6) | Anagram of TEENAGER minus (A + G) | |
| 28 | TENNYSON | |
| Any sonnet rewritten without input of a great poet (8) | Anagram of ANY SONNET minus A | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | FORGET | |
| Lose track of time completing counterfeit (6) | T after FORGE | |
| 2 | REPRESENT | |
| Stand for show once more (9) | Double Definition | |
| 3 | WINCHESTER RIFLE | |
| Shooter’s blunder listed in secure case file strangely (10,5) | ERR inside (WIN + CHEST + anagram of FILE) | |
| 4 | ROUNDED | |
| Curved length of wood wrapping under mostly (7) | ROD outside (UNDE)R | |
| 6 | PROCRASTINATION | |
| Stalling in carport is not normally seen by many people (15) | Anagram of CARPORT IS + NATION | |
| 7 | ROMAN | |
| Variation of normal, abridged Italian (5) | Anagram of (NORMA)L | |
| 8 | END USERS | |
| Consumers from America invested in banks, say, losing out initially (3,5) | US inside L(ENDERS) | |
| 9 | VIEWER | |
| We roped in contender’s observer (6) | WE inside VIER | |
| 16 | LOLLIPOPS | |
| Sticky sweets? (9) | Cryptic Definition | |
| 17 | CANTICLE | |
| Pious platitudes left in cool religious song (8) | CANT + (L inside ICE) | |
| 19 | SEESAW | |
| Watch cutting tool oscillate (6) | SEE + SAW | |
| 20 | FLOUNCE | |
| Twist piece added on to dress (7) | Double Definition | |
| 21 | LESSON | |
| Teaching without working (6) | LESS + ON | |
| 23 | WHIST | |
| Bridge player transformed this card game (5) | W + anagram of THIS |
16d reminded me of the riddle: “What’s brown and sticky?”