Quite easy, I found, solving time 13 mins.

* = anagram

ACROSS

5 STAIRCASE (car seat is)*

7 FINE R Sharpness of pencils

9 S (P) INNER Not a doctor in the medical sense

10 DUNK IRK

11 R (EP) AY

12 ALL BLACKS NZ Rugby team

14 JUST I F (I)ABLE

19 CARB(on) UNCLE

21 NA (TT)Y

22 AN (TEN) NA

23 WI CHIT A

25 L OVER

26 GIN PALACE (Celia pang)*

DOWN

1 MA XI A large yacht

2 FR (ENZ) Y (zen)*

3 NEW DELHI (wine held)*

4 INDISCREET (hide in secret)* less he

5 SIS ERA From the Bible

6 A (s)ORT A

7 FAN CLUB

8 RA KISH More from the Bible

12 PEJORATIVE (to jeer a VIP)*

15 S (T) UNNER (n-nurse)*

16 IN CHARGE

17 S CRAWL

18 G (YR) ATE

20 EDWIN Hidden

21 NEC TAR

24 I (RA) Q

FINANCIAL TIMES No: 12,774  Set by  ORENSE , May 22, 2008

Much easier today - a fifteen minute puzzle.  Only clue which gave me pause was 8 down,
 as I was trying to fit in Sun instead of Rag!

ACROSS

1.    DISTANCE- (d-i- stance)
5.    SPRANG- (s- last letter buses  -prang)
10.  HAIKU - (remove first and last from ‘ that, bike and hut’,  - Japanese verse form, often on
                      subject of nature.)
11.  PART TIMER- ( d.d)
12.  INSIDE OUT- (in-side out - )
14.  RAVERS- ( r-aver-s)
15.  ENGAGED- (en-g-age-d)
18.  DEEP FRY- (d.d)
20.  TENANT- (an in tent - def.)
22.  OZONE-  (oz-one)
24.  SNARE DRUM - (snared-rum)
25.  ALLEVIATE- (a l-*live-ate0
26.  OTTER- (take r from rotter)
27.  EXPOSE-  (ex-pose, with acute accent to make the noun)
28.  GENDARME- (gen *armed)

DOWN

1.   DAHLIA  (*had <ail)
2.   SHIPSHAPE - (s- hips-hape)
3.   A BUNDLE OF NERVES -(d.d.)
4.   COPIOUS- (cop -ious)
6.   PUTTING ON RECORD (d.d)
7.   AIMED -(ai-me-d - trained as in training weapon on target)
8.   GARLANDS- (<rag lands - as in’ lands a good job’)
9.   WRITHE - (writ- he, short for-His Excellency)
16. GENERATOR- (*no regret a)
17. ADVOCATE - (ad-vo-ca-te- accountant within vote)
20. TRAPEZE- (<part - eze sounds like ease)
21.  EMERGE- (e-merge)
23. ORLOP-(or (first and last of officer)-lop. ( Def.- the lowest deck of four or more)

Great stuff once again from Math. After the recent music puzzles, I was half-expecting a theme here, especially with a grid with so many 3 letter words. I spotted the 27/5/11/20 anagram fairly early on - which helped a lot - but then spent far too long seeing if TEMPLE OF DOOM or LAST CRUSADE would fit in anywhere! Some very enjoyable clues here though, and it’s reminded me to book my tickets ahead of the imminent release of 18 21 and the 1 5 9 10, so thanks again to Math.

Wow! What a plum assignment for me today when I blog Rev John Graham, OBE, whom I have admired from afar for years. Solving is one thing but explaining all the wordplay and subtlety of the clues is another. I had to dig deep into Chambers and Wikipedia. As usual with the Master, a most entertaining and challenging puzzle.

By the way, meet my grand-daughter, Megan.

Across

1 ROSEHIP Charade of ROSE (came up) HIP (joint)
5 WARRANT Jingoism can be said to be WAR RANT (sabre-rattling)
9 GUERDON *(undergo) Not exactly an everyday word for reward, but as they say, easy clue for difficult word
10 POLECAT Charade of POLE (rod) CAT (cat-o’-nine-tails, one with extra lashes)
11 LANDOWNER Substitution of LA (Laird’s start) for SU (us backing out) in SUNDOWNER (Chambers - an alcoholic drink taken after sunset)
15 INDIAN TEA Insertion of TE (both sides of the) in INDIANA (an American state)
17 KINGMAKER What an outrageously cheeky cryptic definition! A pregnant queen is, of course a kingmaker. This is Araucaria in his elements. The subsidiary wordplay is the insertion of GMA (good mother) in KINK (funny thing) plus ER (Elizabeth Regina, the queen, 12Across) My favourite clue of the day!
19 YOBBO Charade of YO (Greetings) BB (first letters of Blair & Bush) O (love)
22 ROACH ha
23 JACK FROST Charade of JACK (the card below the Queen) FROST (disappointment)
25 GRADUAL Charade of GRA (bit of ARGument with backing) DUAL (of two)
26 OPUS DEI Insertion of DE (of in French) in OPUS-I *(pious). This international Roman Catholic organisation briefly came into prominence after the publication of The Da Vinci Code, a controversial mystery/detective novel by US author Dan Brown in 2003
27 ACADEMY Charade of A CADE (rebel) MY (setter’s). We all know the Royal Academy
28 SCHOLAR Insertion of CH (church) in SOLAR (an upper room - see Chambers)

Down

1,13,12 REGULAR ROYAL QUEEN Charade of REGULAR (even) R (run) O (out) insertion of ALQUE (*equal) in YEN (craving). The Regular Royal Queen is a piece from The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan. I had to google this as my knowledge about operas is quite scanty. In fact, I am rather uncultured in many respects and my friends once told me to rectify the deficiency by taking more yoghurt (sorry, I couldn’t resist telling this:-)

2 SWEENEY Charade of S (Seville’s first) WEE (little) NEY (Michel (1769-1815), French Marshal in Napoleonic Wars, clued here as soldier). Sweeney Todd aka The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was a barber who killed his clients for their money while his accomplice used their meat for her pies. Gosh! Just to find this answer opened up such a can of old scandal …
3 HYDRO ha
4 PEN AND INK Insertion of EN AN *(Anne) D (died) in PINK (coloured)
5 WIPER Charade of WI (the London postal district of Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives) & PER (by) to give you what is normally on the front windscreen of your car.

6 RELIQUARY Insertion of IQ (intelligence) UAR (United Arab Republic) in RELY (trust)
7 ANCIENT Insertion of CI (Roman numeral for 101) in ANENT (a Scottish word meaning about)
8 TITANIA *(aint it a) is of course the Queen from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare)
14 LIMEHOUSE in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from LIME (tree) HOUSE (nest)
16 DIRECTORS Insertion of REC (recreation) T (time) in DIORS (Christian’s
Christian Dior (1905 -1957), an influential French fashion designer)
17 KERYGMA Charade of KERY (50% trickery) GMA (heart of kingmaker)
Chambers - (preaching of) the Christian gospel, esp in the way of the early Church.
18 NIAGARA Charade of NIAGA (Reversal of AGAIN, once more rising) RA (after the Egyptian Sun God)
20 BLONDEL from BLONDE (fair) L (learner or student) Blondel was a troubadour in King Richard’s court. He inspired a rock opera musical by Tim Rice and Stephen Oliver
21 OUTLIER *(route LI, Roman numeral for 51)
and finally two clues with Royal connections
23 JELLY
24 FLUSH

Mudd gave me a very satisfying challenge this week. I especially like 13A, 20A, 24A, 6D and 18D. I found 4A tricky; I guessed the answer quickly but took a while to figure out the word play.

Across
1. POTENT - TEN (figure) in POT (crucible)
4. SPLATTER - PS (rider) backwards + LATTER (second)
10. CABINET - double definition
11. OIL WELL - [t]OIL (heading from work) + WELL (fine)
12. LEEK - homophone
13. FAR EASTERN - FARE (food) + ASTERN (at the back)
15. CLIMAX - C (cold) + LIMA (capital city) + X (cross)
16. MONARCH - ON (on) in MARCH (Spring)
20. KETCHUP - KETCH (boat) + UP (finished)
21. LAUNCH - A (article) in LUNCH (eat)
24. LOCOMOTIVE - LOCO (illogical) + MOTIVE (reason)
26. ONUS - [b]ONUS (extra pay, although not originally bringing)
28. CRICKET - double definition
29. CHAGRIN - CHA (drink) + GRIN (something cheesy)
30. REPORTER - RE (on) + PORTER (booze)
31. PROMPT - double definition

Down
1. PICKLOCK - PICK (best) + LOCK (shut up)
2. TABLE WINE - BLEW IN (wasted) in anagram of TEA
3. NONE - NO (unknown???) + N (number) + E (ecstasy)
5. PHONE BOX - P (president) + HONE (better) + BOX (fight)
5. ABLE SEAMAN - anagram of MABEL + SEAN + A
7. THERE - double definition
8. RELENT - RE (about) + LENT (40 days)
9. STRAP - PARTS (bits) backwards
14. MATCHMAKER - MATCH (equal with) + MAKER (God)
17. CONUNDRUM - CO (fellow?) + NUN (sister) + DRUM (beat)
18. SUBTITLE - IT (it) in SUBTLE (faint)
19. CHESTNUT - double definition
22. SLICER - ICE (rocks) in SLR (camera)
23. EVICT - E (European) + VICT[or] (champion stripped of gold)
25. CHIMP - M (male) in CHIP (golf shot)
27. FAIR - double definition