
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | BLOUSE | |
| Top opening to book, a contemptible one (6) | (B)ook + LOUSE | |
| 5 | SHAW | |
| Irish dramatist and critic is certainly outspoken (4) | Sounds like SURE | |
| 9 | AHEAD | |
| Leading male starring in a commercial (5) | HE inside (A + AD) | |
| 10 | DISPUTANT | |
| Arguer is backed up in unfriendly case (9) | (UP reversed) inside DISTANT | |
| 13 | PIONEER | |
| One after another joining in for every launch? (7) | (ONE after I) inside PER | |
| 14 | ELASTIC | |
| Part of label – a sticky strip of flexible material (7) | labEL A STICky | |
| 15 | RUMP | |
| Alcohol served with soft cut of meat (4) | RUM + P | |
| 16 | GANGRENOUS | |
| Mortified band of criminals worked on user (10) | GANG + anagram of ON USER | |
| 19 | DISTENDING | |
| Doctor primarily is looking after swelling (10) | (D)octor + IS + TENDING | |
| 20 | GORE | |
| Become embarrassed shedding a little blood (4) | GO RE(d | |
| 23 | TWIRLED | |
| Irregular writ was first turned around (7) | Anagram of WRIT + LED | |
| 25 | REALIST | |
| One who’s pragmatic about a tip (7) | RE + A + LIST | |
| 26 | HINDSIGHT | |
| Thinking back, detective expressed regret entering tip (9) | (D + SIGH) inside HINT | |
| 28 | BRAVE | |
| Challenge closing of club just before large party (5) | clu(B) + RAVE | |
| 29 | LAND | |
| Country’s computer system died (4) | LAN + D | |
| 30 | PADDLE | |
| Play in water with canoe (6) | Double Definition | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | LADDER | |
| Run from large snake (6) | L + ADDER | |
| 3 | UNDERHAND | |
| Where hieroglyphics may be filed together with secret? (9) | (UNDER H) + AND | |
| 4 | ENSUE | |
| Come after men not declaring millions, and prosecute (5) | MEN minus M + SUE | |
| 5 | SAUSAGES | |
| A treatment applied to the cargo of ship’s food (8) | (A + USAGE) inside SS | |
| 6 | WON | |
| Asian capital is at present in recession (3) | NOW reversed | |
| 7 | DAMPER | |
| Nuts piled up for a bush bread (6) | MAD reversed + PER | |
| 8 | DECOMMISSION | |
| School teacher in nice mood refused to retire? (12) | MISS inside anagram of NICE MOOD | |
| 11 | ASTRONOMICAL | |
| Huge starter taken away from epicurean (12) | (g)ASTRONOMICAL | |
| 12 | TACKS | |
| Approaches assessment from a sound perspective (5) | Sounds like TAX | |
| 17 | GENERATED | |
| Green tea, blended and blended, ultimately is made (9) | Anagram of GREEN TEA + blende(D) | |
| 18 | REALISED | |
| Study containing rocky isle is completed (8) | READ outside anagram of ISLE | |
| 19 | DITCH | |
| Get rid of dog’s head irritation (5) | (D)og + ITCH | |
| 21 | EITHER | |
| One or the other number divided by one? (6) | ETHER outside I | |
| 22 | SAMBAL | |
| Side dish, say, mostly served with stewed lamb (6) | (SA)y + anagram of LAMB | |
| 24 | DIG UP | |
| Discover sawn-off weapon buried in hollow (3,2) | GU(n) inside DIP | |
| 27 | ILL | |
| Unfavourable legal document lacking an introductory section (3) | (w)ILL |

