No 10949, Friday 06 Dec 2013, Mover

Mover this time has thrown in at least half-a-dozen unusual words: see when you can use them but don't ever accuse any woman of being a 28a or 19d.

Across

1 Location for obtaining secret information about an enemy somehow spoils netting (9,5) – LISTENING POSTS – anag. of  ‘spoilsnetting’ – def too elaborate
10 Ski run detective encounters Southern element (5) – PISTE – cha. of PI (short for Private Investigator) S Te (tellurium) - This is a French term which pretentious English people use to show off their knowledge. Ski run is a single downhill run), ski slopes refer to the whole hillside with perhaps several runs. A ski trail, I learn, is used for cross-country skiing rather than downhill. Ski tracks are the marks made by skis on fresh snow.

11 Close? Not at all! (3,4,2) – FAR FROM IT – DD – The second def is clear but the first one seems to be iffy, the question mark notwithstanding
12 Unfinished tune we hear from a pirate (7) – CORSAIR – hom. Of ‘coarse (unfinished) air (tune)’
13 Mixed high class salsa acceptable for children is nothing out of the ordinary (2,5) AS USUAL – anag. Of U (high class), salsa, U (acceptable)
14 Copper keys for pepper variety (5) – CUBEB - cha. of CU (copper) B E B (musical keys)

16 Lived one for all; restrained (9) – INHIBITED – sub. I (one) for A (all) in inhabited (lived)    
19 Dictatorship when theological rationalism covers blemish (9) – DESPOTISM - spot inserted in Deism
20 Gave party in front (5) – DOLED – cha. of Do (party) led (in front) – Actually only ‘was in front’ can give us ‘led’                           
22 Damage the object, Mr. Gore, having to do with marriage (7) – MARITAL – cha. of  mar it Al

Cartoon by Rishi

25 The French short hood on figure (7) – DECAGON – cha. of de (the French)  cag on – Actually ‘de’ is of, I think. So one would expect ‘of the French’ for de – no idea how ‘cag’ is derived from short hood

27 Rude noise from a fruit? (9) – RASPBERRY – DD – DD but the surface reading  doesn’t mean much
28 Affirmative response includes books for loud vulgar woman (5) – YENTA – NT (New Testament, books) in YEA (affirmation)
29 Very happy like the puppet-show figure (7,2,5) – PLEASED AS PUNCH – ref. to puppet show character in Judy and Punch

Down

2 Scores with fashionable journalists (9) – INSCRIBES – cha. of in(fashionable) scribes (journalists)
3 The California case! (5) – THECA – cha. of the CA - this is a zoological term or botanical term referring to a sheath or a spore case. If the punctuation mark is to alert you to leave the courtroom to find a synonym for 'case', I am not sure if it fulfils the purpose, unless I am missing something. 
4 Iron in crude nitrite for an Egyptian queen (9) – NEFERTITI – Fe (iron) in anag. of nitrite – No idea what the queen would do with the result

5 No rising tune for a Persian wheel (5) – NORIA – cha of no ria (rev. of air (‘tune’)

6 Barking pure-bred terrier initially upset (9) – PERTURBED – anag. of ‘purebred t’, ‘barking’ being the anag. signal, ‘though’ barking doesn’t quite suggest movement. If we take ‘upset’ as anag. signal, ‘barking’would be the def – what one might do when ‘perturbed’, perhaps  
7 Chinese casual dress US uncle kept for us initially (5) – SAMFU – cha. Of Sam f u - this is an outfit worn by Chinese women and it consists of a jacket and trousers.

 8 It means you can put paid to being footloose and fancy free (7) – SETTLED – when a bill is ‘settled’ it is paid. When a man or woman is ‘settled’, he or she can no longer be footloose and fancyfree – at least in popular perception, for we know what married men are up to from some recent episodes of adventurists
9 Broken ice-cap may cause an upheaval (6) – IPECAC – anag. of ‘icecap’ – this is a short form of ipecacuanha, which is a medicine that as acts as an expectorant – hence ‘may cause an upheaval’ – it is also a purgative so wonder how the clue writer would have indicated that – ‘may cause a downfall’?

15 Birds lose independence but ate up television sets (4,5) – BOOB TUBES – Sub. 'tub' (rev. of 'but') for i (independence) in boobies (birds).

17 Amateur radioenthusiast meets a dry as dust, tailless baboon (9) – HAMADRYAS – cha. of ham (amateur radio enthusiast) a dry as (given gratis) – what is the role of ‘dust’?

18 Disturbed gentle ice is appealing on television (9) – TELEGENIC – anag of ‘gentleice’
19 Woman of ill repute was half Republican (7) – DEMIREP – cha of demi (half) Rep.
21 Opposition to allegation and lie about it (6) – DENIAL – anag of  'and lie'
23 Tropical cyclone bent osier out of shape (5) ROSIE – anag of ‘osier’ - good surface reading
24 Ghastly when clear Charlie changed places with Rex (5) – LURID – sub of R for C in lucid (clear)
26 A large rodent, being bashful, rolled up (5) – COYPU – cha. of coy pu (I take it as  anag. of up rather than rev. ind.)