1  Arugula expert? You don’t have to be one to make a salad (6,9)

 9 Former Egyptian autocrat’s game under discussion (7)

10 Snake that might unnerve you? (7)

11 He took one small step, having a limb in good shape (9)

12 Western city sounds like a doozy (5)

13 Like some sex, it might be hidden in an office (4)

15 Northern Europeans’ surprising sensation… (9)

17 …tattered raincoats for Southern Europeans (9)

18 Pale, distraught, 11 took a giant one (4)

21 Dubious Clinton achievement: pushing back at supporter (5)

22 Trash plus other stuff (9)

25 In sum, novelist is a traveler (7)

26 For instance, 5-man rule is chaotic (7)

27 Non-fractional quantity in a program makes it green? (7,8)

 1 As for tolls, the opposite of 3 (7)

 2 100 hams, baked in a pit (5)

 3 Illegal stance passes into law (6)

 4 Jerk’s South Carolina medical plan (5)

 5 Waters of capital city involved in exotic rites (9)

 6 King of pop music supports any pitch from B to G— take heed! (4,4)

 7 Uncomfortable letters from Abigail, late as ever (3,2,4)

 8 Jailers releasing initiator of network failures (7)

14 Crossing the line with fallen arches, perhaps? (4,5)

15 Judge outer lava to be roiling (9)

16 Blab about dabbler’s thievery (8)

17 Nobelist in retrospective written accurately (7)

a 19 Bit of argyle lining for Marvin—he’s getting out of prison (7)

20 Bent nail captivates University of Michigan graduates (6)

23 Actor who played T. Joad abandons loud car (5)

24 Bathrobe conceals pulse (5)  

ACROSS 1 anag. 6 anag. 9 HOTSPO + T (photos anag.) 10 “ice ore” 11 SIMI (LARIT) [valle]Y (trial anag.) 12 2 defs. 14 M + ANITOBA (in a boat anag.) 15 HI + JACK 17 2 defs. 19 anag. 22 “loot” 23 C(L OVER L)EAF (face anag.)
26 AL(LEG)ES 27 A SIN, IN E
28 Y(E)ARN 29 WEE + KNIGHT   DOWN 1 anag. 2 OTTOM (rev.) + AN 3 IMP(OLITE)LY (Eliot anag.) 4 anag. 5 S(LEUT)H (lute anag.) 6 M[aybe] + EEK 7 anag. 8 S + HEEP’S KIN
13 anag. 14 anag. 16 anag. 18 PA(T)ELLA 20 anag. 21 anag. 24 FLEE + T (feel anag.) 25 EGA + N (rev.)