| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ARDUOUS | |
| Tough couple in a rush finished early (7) | DUO inside (A + RUS(h)) | |
| 5 | PACIFIC | |
| A client’s initial condition, shown in picture, is mild (7) | (A + C + IF) inside PIC | |
| 9 | LISLE | |
| Attachment to spool is lengthening thread (5) | spooL IS LEngthening | |
| 10 | NOCTURNAL | |
| Swindler recalled time of change by almost everyone active at night (9) | CON reversed + TURN + AL(l) | |
| 11 | UNWRITTEN LAW | |
| Accepted rule until war went out of control (9,3) | Anagram of UNTIL WAR WENT | |
| 14 | PESTERS | |
| Harasses fellows hanging around street (7) | PEERS outside ST | |
| 15 | SPECIAL | |
| Bargain place is given a makeover (7) | Anagram of PLACE IS | |
| 16 | ELM | |
| Timber section of steel mill (3) | steEL Mill | |
| 17 | SEEDBED | |
| See head of newspaper about database environment that’s needed for development (7) | (SEE + ED) outside DB | |
| 19 | AMATEUR | |
| A colleague and you are soundly lacking professional expertise (7) | A + MATE + UR | |
| 21 | TUNNEL VISION | |
| Violent nun is treated for narrow-mindedness (6,6) | Anagram of VIOLENT NUN IS | |
| 25 | ADUMBRATE | |
| Outline a stupid charge (9) | A + DUMB + RATE | |
| 26 | HANOI | |
| Asian capital has cut off one following negative response (5) | HA(s) + I after NO | |
| 27 | SPHERES | |
| Helium pumped into special research balls (7) | HE inside (SP + RES) | |
| 28 | RESOLVE | |
| Determination surely shown by learner driver in reversing at all times (7) | (SO + L) inside EVER reversed | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ALL-PURPOSE | |
| Sort of plural put forward that is useful in many situations (3-7) | Anagram of PLURAL + POSE | |
| 2 | DISHWASHER | |
| Good-looking person was the girl’s kitchen helper (10) | DISH + WAS + HER | |
| 3 | ONE-TIME | |
| Old limitations lifted from money before issue turned up (3-4) | m)ONE(y + EMIT reversed | |
| 4 | SANITISED | |
| Sand containing lead from industrial site, somehow should be purified (9) | SAND outside (I + anagram of SITE) | |
| 5 | PECAN | |
| Big bird, giving up, left one large nut (5) | PELICAN minus LI | |
| 6 | COURAGE | |
| Pound filled with our grit (7) | CAGE outside OUR | |
| 7 | FIND | |
| Come across some stuff in drawers (4) | stufF IN Drawers | |
| 8 | COLA | |
| Pass on a soft drink (4) | COL + A | |
| 12 | TIME SIGNAL | |
| I’m involved in stealing broadcast item heard hourly on the radio (4,6) | IM inside anagram od STEALING | |
| 13 | FLORENTINE | |
| Time following Italian actress in company of fine Italian (10) | (T after LOREN) inside FINE | |
| 15 | SMALL BEER | |
| Observer marched around mall, heading to buy something of little importance (5,4) | SEER outside (MALL + B) | |
| 18 | BLUBBER | |
| Bishop, a big, clumsy, stupid person, is fat (7) | B + LUBBER | |
| 20 | ALIGHTS | |
| Gets off on fire close to houses (7) | ALIGHT + S | |
| 22 | NEARS | |
| Moves towards notice hung between two poles (5) | EAR inside (N + S) | |
| 23 | BAGS | |
| Criticises fashion accessories (4) | Double Definition | |
| 24 | BUSH | |
| Scrub a metal sleeve used in drilling (4) | Double Definition |
