Friday 3 April

Across

1 Knot tied in less-than-committed marriage? (4,5) 6 Wine tossed back during Cinco de Mayo (5) 9 Favoured dictator’s time to give up (5) 10 Spooner’s to opt for dairy product, hummus ingredient (9) 11 It requires brushing hale harlot off (4,6) 12 Legendary court figure that was seen all over Herculaneum, reportedly (4) 14 Repairs ruptured uterus, opening surgically (7) 15 Without expression: ‘Improv rock band is dreadful’? (7) 17 Two turncoats left skinhead’s horde once (7) 19 Geraint’s beloved returns to South Central to visit restaurant? (4,3) 20 Dappled horse in river, did you say? (4) 22 Tosspot taking up a largely synthesised instrument (10) 25 Garlic oil turned into smoke (9) 26 Singer, major part of Ronettes’ comeback (5) 27 Young lady with not a single way to catch horse (5) 28 Ugly tie picked up by avowed liberal getting unwanted attention (9)

Down

1 Conclusion of Moor’s pick-up line? (5) 2 Star of heavy metal, needing no introduction or finale: Plant (4,5) 3 To begin journey, addled Edith Wharton losing direction, first and last (3,3,4) 4 AI trade-off in methodology producing sweets (3,4) 5 Picked up off-site, collected by brick-and-mortar tool (7) 6 Equine owned by Jomo Kenyatta (4) 7 Legislatures, losing propositions (5) 8 Johnny, you and I stand on head for snack item? (6,3) 13 Ten pirates slaughtered early Pope (5,5) 14 Like Swift, awfully racialist (9) 16 I, for one, pursued by religious institution, say (9) 18 Laptop dropped into hot pastry (7) 19 Turning Down Wellington: movie with sub-plot? (3,4) 21 Guardian is sugar-free (5) 23 Primitive, like a peer? (5) 24 Biscuit switcheroo (4)