Ask for some pointers here.
Update: Despite our success — we nailed it together in a relatively short session of some two hours over breakfast for the first time in a while — we’ve still got a couple bits of confusion that needs sorting.
And I’m gonna keep quiet about possibilities for those who haven’t completed the crossword yet.
28 across: Fine details gains city medal for 5-down before 4-down (9)
We’re stuck on explaining the first portion of the answer.
5 across: Kingdom between 1-across and 2-down added up to plenty! (7)
We couldn’t quite make a neat explanation for this one.
Like you, I’m stuck on an explanation for 28A, but 5 A refers to the Kennedy era which was popularly known as Camelot. The ‘between’ is Jackie Bouvier – Kennedy-Onassis. Excellent crossword this week.
Try ‘fine’ = ‘good’, then de-tail it.
How do 15A and 19A work?
15A
“Cross” = X
“the margins” = TE
“24-down” = BAR
XTE “in” BAR = BAXTER
19A
“holiday maker in the making?” = PACKER
What does BAXTER have to do with 4D? And why are 15A and 19A dot-linked?
Got it now. Just googled Baxter Packer.
It’s close enough to Monday morning, so I reckon it’s OK to post spoilers. I presume you have solved 4d, and have therefore realised the theme, which is maiden names and married names. So, among others, we have Erica Baxter, who married James Packer. The ellipsis really does connect the two clues in a meaningful way. I count five pairs of maiden/married names, with 1d doing double duty.
I don’t understand 1A – Blossom – how does it work?
1A: My explanation is:
Flower = BLOSSOM
sags at tips = ss
when flowering = “in bloom”
So “sags at tips when flowering” becomes SS in BLOOM = BLOSSOM