| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SPRUCE | |
| Well-dressed timber (6) | Double Definition | |
| 4 | RANSOMED | |
| Some in South African capital may be set free (8) | SOME inside RAND | |
| 9 | CHAIRED | |
| Looked after meeting’s tea and wine (7) | CHAI + RED | |
| 11 | QUARREL | |
| Scrap arrow with a four-edged head (7) | Double Definition | |
| 12 | NATIONALISTIC | |
| Loyal Italian son affected by medical condition (13) | Anagram of ITALIAN SON + TIC | |
| 14 | BUDGIE | |
| Bird that is following insect around, died (6) | IE after (BUG outside D) | |
| 15 | GET THERE | |
| Go places, for example, coming back with T2 present (3,5) | EG reversed + TT + HERE | |
| 18 | SECRETLY | |
| Three members of crew, in style, worked behind closed doors (8) | (CRE)w inside anagram of STYLE | |
| 20 | VALUED | |
| Broadcast of vaudeville, not bad, should be respected (6) | Anagram of VAUDEVILLE minus EVIL | |
| 23 | ELECTRIC KNIFE | |
| Feel nice, strangely, carrying trick device used for cutting (8,5) | ANagram of FEEL NICE outside TRICK | |
| 26 | EURASIA | |
| Continental land mass, close to Honolulu in area, is unsettled (7) | honolul(U) inside anagram of AREA IS | |
| 27 | STUDIES | |
| Examines structural support that is close to buildings (7) | STUD + IE + building(S) | |
| 28 | MORAY EEL | |
| Swimmer’s eye damaged in lesson (5,3) | Anagram of EYE inside MORAL | |
| 29 | STORMY | |
| Passionate maiden featured in news item (6) | M inside STORY | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SECOND BASE | |
| Part of a diamond company listed in dispatch of inferior quality (6,4) | CO inside SEND + BASE | |
| 2 | REACTED | |
| Young bucks, say, picked up outside a court, delivered a response (7) | DEER reversed outside (A + CT) | |
| 3 | CARBONISE | |
| Coke is concealed in car body part (9) | IS inside (CAR + BONE) | |
| 5 | ACQUIRED | |
| Bought a number of sheets used in music collection (8) | A + (QUIRE inside CD) | |
| 6 | START | |
| Introduce principal (head of teaching) (5) | STAR + (T)eaching | |
| 7 | MIRACLE | |
| Vehicle reversed in a long way – an astonishing feat (7) | CAR reversed inside MILE | |
| 8 | DELI | |
| Shop is particularly deficient in delivery (4) | DELIVERY minus VERY | |
| 10 | DRAB | |
| Lacklustre poet making a comeback (4) | BARD reversed | |
| 13 | NEEDLESSLY | |
| Injections done with artful dexterity without any point (10) | NEEDLES + SLY | |
| 16 | TRACKSUIT | |
| Clothing racks should be carried by trade union with it (9) | RACK inside (TU + IT) | |
| 17 | FLATMATE | |
| Sharing friend left a source of money in divine will (8) | (L + ATM) inside FATE | |
| 19 | CLEARER | |
| Translation of Le Carre should be easier to understand (7) | Anagram of LE CARRE | |
| 21 | UNIFIER | |
| Binder found in blaze at university, it’s said (7) | Sounds like UNI FIRE | |
| 22 | FIRS | |
| Trees pruned before all others (4) | FIRS(t) | |
| 24 | ESSAY | |
| Central part of thesis, for example? (5) | th(ES)is + SAY | |
| 25 | GERM | |
| European releasing an undesirable micro-organism (4) | GERMAN minus AN |
