Not too difficult but as I begin to write my blog I have three answers where I have no idea of wordplay (edit – now sorted) and one answer where I think the setter has not accounted for a valid alternative spelling.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I now use a Caret sign ⁁ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Very naughty boy admitting deed arrived with large animal (8,5) |
| BACTRIAN CAMEL – B⁁RIAN (very naughty boy) containing [admitting] ACT (deed), then CAME (arrived), L (large). “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy” – Monty Python’s Life of Brian. | |
| 8 | Renaissance work, perhaps in red, almost ruined (3,6) |
| OLD MASTER – Anagram [ruined] of RED ALMOST | |
| 13 | Attract agency employee with training at first (5) |
| TEMPT – TEMP (agency employee), T{raining} [at first] | |
| 14 | Disputes in short stories about Poe’s visitor (11) |
| CONTRAVENES – CONT⁁ES (short stories) containing [about] RAVEN (Poe’s visitor). The Raven is a famous poem by Edgar Allen Poe. | |
| 15 | Golden openings for athletes using roids in competition (5) |
| AURIC – A{thletes} + U{sing} + R{oids} + I{n} + C{ompetition} [openings for…] | |
| 16 | Clear behind, go higher still at bridge (9) |
| OVERTRUMP – OVERT (clear), RUMP (behind) | |
| 17 | Mythical creature doing away with king’s charge (4) |
| TOLL – T{r}OLL (mythical creature) [doing away with king] | |
| 18 | Hard boarding transport in Hannibal’s birthplace (8) |
| CARTHAGE – H (hard) contained by [boarding] CART⁁AGE (transport) | |
| 20 | Indiana university beset by dull element (6) |
| INDIUM – IN (Indiana), then U (university) contained [beset] by DI⁁M (dull) | |
| 21 | Show for workers a month before vacuous redeployment (9,7) |
| PROMENADE CONCERT – PRO (for), MEN (workers), A, DEC (month), ONCE (before), R{edeploymen}T [vacuous] | |
| 24 | Anticyclone comes down in mountainous region (9) |
| HIGHLANDS – HIGH (anticyclone), LANDS (comes down) | |
| 26 | Country roads run back past a club (7) |
| ARSENAL – A, then LANES (country roads) + R (run) reversed [back] | |
| 27 | Elevated construction beginning to bend in strong wind (5) |
| GABLE – B{end} [beginning to…] contained by [in] GA⁁LE (strong wind) | |
| 29 | Head reads this attractive copy following tutor’s lead (8,4) |
| MAGNETIC TAPE – MAGNETIC (attractive), T{utor’s} [lead], APE (copy) | |
| 31 | Idiots returned to northern satellite city (3,7) |
| SAN ANTONIO – NANAS (idiots) reversed [returned], TO, N (northern), IO (satellite – a moon of Jupiter) | |
| 33 | Grant for one when time right, no longer missing news? (10) |
| ASTROLOGER – AS (when), T (time), R (right), {n}O LO{n}GER [missing news]. I suspect many will be baffled by the reference, but consider yourselves lucky if you have never heard of Russell Grant. | |
| 35 | What some tunnellers hope to do — get by (4,4,4) |
| MAKE ENDS MEET – A cryptic hint supports the main definition. | |
| 38 | Father possessed by little island demon (5) |
| AFRIT – FR (father) contained [possessed] by A⁁IT (little island). I’m not sure I knew this word, or if I did, I thought it meant something else. | |
| 39 | Plant, originally found on isle, brought into factory (7) |
| MILFOIL – F{ound} + O{n} + I{sle} [originally] contained by [brought into] MIL⁁L (factory). Another unknown to me but it’s related to the yarrow. | |
| 40 | Crustacean’s tongue, shortened, thrust out briefly (9) |
| LANGOUSTE – LANG (tongue, shortened – abbreviation of language), OUSTE{d} (thrust out) [briefly] The spiny lobster. | |
| 42 | Sadly, Hyades’ daughters repeatedly align with the potential killer (6,10) |
| DEADLY NIGHTSHADE – Anagram [sadly] of HYADES DD (daughters repeatedly) ALIGN THE | |
| 44 | With pen this writer reported snooker (6) |
| STYMIE – STY (pen), then aural wordplay [reported] MIE / “me” (this writer). Impede. I understand ‘stymie’ is used in golf. It can also be spelt STIMIE, and since the third letter is unchecked in the grid there may be a case for STIMIE being a valid alternative answer to the clue in which case the the homophone would apply to both elements of wordplay, not just the second. | |
| 47 | Briton greatly amused around Champagne periodically (8) |
| WELSHMAN – SLEW (greatly amused) reversed [around], {C}H{a}M{p}A{g}N{e} [periodically]. Collins: slay – slang to impress or amuse greatly. |
|
| 49 | Punters here in catastrophe where credit withdrawn (4) |
| ISIS – (cr}ISIS (catastrophe) [credit withdrawn]. The River Isis is the Thames as it passes through Oxford where punting is a delightful way to view some of the sights of the City. | |
| 50 | Instruction to sell red troops tanks (4,5) |
| STOP ORDER – Anagram [tanks] of RED TROOPS. Something in stock market trading. | |
| 52 | Temperature in medicine bottle necessary to life (5) |
| VITAL – T (temperature) contained by [in] VI⁁AL (medicine bottle) | |
| 53 | Plain craft rivalled UFO (3-8) |
| ILL-FAVOURED – Anagram [craft] of RIVALLED UFO. Unattractive in looks. |
|
| 54 | Freezing in panic in Gdansk (5) |
| ICING – Hidden [in] {pan}IC IN G{dansk} | |
| 55 | Choked as fish went bad (9) |
| GARROTTED – GAR (fish), ROTTED (went bad) | |
| 56 | Reluctant speaker’s ambition: not to exaggerate? (2,3,3,5) |
| TO SAY THE LEAST – Once again a cryptic hint supports the main definition. | |
| Down |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Magmatic rock in house on fire in Somerset location (9) |
| BATHOLITH – HO (house) + LIT (on fire) contained by [in] BAT⁁H (Somerset location) | |
| 2 | Endorse business millions put back together (7) |
| COMMEND – CO (business), M (millions), MEND (put back together) | |
| 3 | Informer at Oxford University damaging end of satellite dish (11) |
| RATATOUILLE – RAT (informer), AT, OU (Oxford University), ILL (damaging), {satellit}E [end of…] | |
| 4 | Authority surrounding vineyard to increase due to natural growth (6) |
| ACCRUE – AC⁁E (authority – expert) containing [surrounding] CRU (vineyard) | |
| 5 | Plots from prisoners in steeple — on the contrary (9) |
| CONSPIRES – The first part of wordplay gives us CONS (prisoners) contained by [in] SPIRE (steeple), but “on the contrary” turns this inside-out: SPIRE (steeple) contained by [in] CON⁁S (prisoners) | |
| 6 | Range Patschke initially displayed in warped materialism (8,4) |
| MARITIME ALPS – P{atschke} [initially] contained by [displayed in] anagram [warped] of MATERIALISM | |
| 7 | Beauty forsaken keeping cool (10) |
| LOVELINESS – LOVELESS (forsaken) containing [keeping] IN (cool – popular, trendy) | |
| 8 | Beastly noise reason tattooist must stop? (4) |
| OINK – 0 INK (reason tattooist must stop) | |
| 9 | In which an education is not nearly completed? (8,8) |
| DISTANCE LEARNING – Cryptic | |
| 10 | At sea stop son boarding a vessel (5) |
| AVAST – S (son) contained by [boarding] A + VAT (vessel) | |
| 11 | Viscous mixture doubled energy in sauce (7) |
| TARTARE – TAR + TAR (viscous mixture) [doubled], E (energy) | |
| 12 | What large wave did affected stable situation (6,3,4) |
| ROCKED THE BOAT – Another cryptic hint precedes… | |
| 19 | Toothless mammal in garden, say, hiding head (8) |
| EDENTATE – EDEN (garden), {s}TATE (say) [hiding head] | |
| 22 | Darkness close — close to what? (5) |
| NIGHT – NIGH (close), {wha}T [close to…] | |
| 23 | Militant on Severn dressed in green (16) |
| ENVIRONMENTALIST – Anagram [dressed] of MILITANT ON SEVERN | |
| 25 | Joker — nameless criminal? (7) |
| GAGSTER – GA{n}GSTER (criminal) [nameless] | |
| 28 | Prohibits importing German sausages (7) |
| BANGERS – BAN⁁S (prohibits) containing [importing] GER (German) | |
| 29 | Basic meal Mike gave to wanted criminal (4,3,3,3) |
| MEAT AND TWO VEG – Anagram [criminal] of M (Mike) GAVE TO WANTED | |
| 30 | Old and insensitive sort probing the unknown doctrine (8) |
| THEOLOGY – O (old) + LOG (insensitive sort) contained by [probing] THE + Y (unknown) | |
| 32 | Have control over photographic session? (4,3,5) |
| CALL THE SHOTS – Cryptic | |
| 34 | Based on eight nil cup thrashing, Arsenal largely sticking to starters (5) |
| OCTAL – 0 (nil), then C{up} + T{hrashing} + A{rsenal} + L{argely} [sticking to starters] | |
| 36 | Leave tense work outside of Oklahoma, as Wild West policy may have been (5-2-4) |
| SHOOT-TO-KILL – SHOO (leave!), T (tense), then T⁁ILL (work) containing [outside of] OK (Oklahoma) | |
| 37 | Terriers following lead of spaniels, interrupting happy Crufts hopeful? (10) |
| CONTESTANT – S{paniels} [lead of…] + TA (Terriers – Territorial Army) contained by [interrupting] CONTE⁁NT (happy) | |
| 40 | Deceived royal seduced by swan Romeo kept in check (3,6) |
| LED ASTRAY – LEDA (royal seduced by swan – myth), then R (Romeo) contained by [kept in] STAY (check) | |
| 41 | Get a load of Tories to tour British plant (9) |
| EYEBRIGHT – EYE (get a load of – look at) + RIGHT (Tories) containing [to tour] B (British) | |
| 43 | Celebrated learner astral cast welcomes (3-4) |
| ALL-STAR – Anagram [cast] of ASTRAL contains [welcomes] L (learner) | |
| 45 | Wine produced by Middle Eastern country endlessly (7) |
| MADEIRA – MADE (produced), IRA{n} (Middle Eastern country) [endlessly] | |
| 46 | Who had moved seat on jumbo? (6) |
| HOWDAH – Anagram [moved] of WHO HAD. The usually ornate seat sometimes attached to the back of an elephant. | |
| 48 | What’s below zero? Anyone there? (5) |
| HELLO – HELL (what’s below), 0 (zero) | |
| 51 | Force was in van in Split (4) |
| FLED – F (force), LED (was in van) | |
DNF
NHO BATHOLITH, no idea of what locations are to be found in Somerset. I also NHO Russell Grant, but didn’t need to. Pretty straightforward otherwise.