Fairly straightforward with a few exceptions. I finished it in one session lasting a few minutes over an hour.
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 usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Expert in family trees got lineages mixed up (11) |
| GENEALOGIST | |
| Anagram [mixed up] of GOT LINEAGES | |
| 7 | Tribute in vacuous Hello! publication by European (6) |
| HOMAGE | |
| H{ell}O [vacuous], MAG (publication), E (European) | |
| 10 | Difficulties of a couple in Spain? (4) |
| ADOS | |
| A, DOS (couple – two – in Spain). ‘Ado’ is not a word I’d expect to see in the plural. | |
| 14 | Useful information on public profile (7) |
| OUTLINE | |
| OUT (public), LINE (useful information) | |
| 15 | Short frame cut mostly from a certain metal (7) |
| STANNIC | |
| STAN{d} (frame) [short], NIC{k} (cut) [mostly]. The certain metal being tin. Not a word a knew, but wordplay and checkers delivered the goods. | |
| 16 | Possible requirement for sad story being discussed (2,5) |
| AT ISSUE | |
| A TISSUE (possible requirement for sad story) | |
| 17 | Collected works by author abridged for festival (6,7) |
| CORPUS CHRISTI | |
| CORPUS (collected works), CHRISTI{e} (author) [abridged]. Celebrated on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday. I may have heard of this in church-going days but it’s also the name of colleges at both Oxford and Cambridge that take part in University Challenge on TV. | |
| 18 | Something prompting you to grab a rest (9) |
| REMAINDER | |
| REMINDER (something prompting you) containing [to grab] A | |
| 19 | Regularly on it, managed to get drunk (5) |
| OILED | |
| O{n} I{t} [regularly], LED (managed). In this context I usually think of ‘well-oiled’. | |
| 21 | Queen welcomes in philosopher supported by old politician (4,6) |
| MARK ANTONY | |
| MARY (queen) contains [welcomes] KANT (philosopher) + ON (supported by). I suppose he was an old politician but it’s a rather loose definition so a hint of some sort of context might have been a little more generous. As it was, his name came to mind because of enumeration and checkers and then I reverse-engineered the wordplay. NHO KANT, which prevented arriving at the solution by that route. | |
| 23 | Finally, stir in fizzy tonic and lemon flavouring (6) |
| CITRON | |
| {sti}R (finally) contained by [in] anagram [fizzy] of TONIC | |
| 25 | Wearing suit a lot (2,6) |
| IN SPADES | |
| IN (wearing), SPADES (suit) | |
| 26 | Making products from oil — some pretty rich, possibly (14) |
| PETROCHEMISTRY | |
| Anagram [possibly] of SOME PRETTY RICH. ‘Chemistry’ jumped out of the anagrist and the rest was dead easy. | |
| 29 | Have groups of friends succeeded? (7) |
| POSSESS | |
| POSSES (groups of friends), S (succeeded). I was a little slow on the wordplay here as I associate posses with townsfolk being rounded up by sheriffs in Westerns to ride out of town in pursuit of the baddies. I suppose they might be friends, but that never seemed a requirement. SOED provides a more suitable definition: posse – a group of young people who socialize together, esp. to go to clubs. | |
| 30 | Outgoing former partner fought to drop last of charges, right? (9) |
| EXTROVERT | |
| EX (former partner), {s}TROVE (fought) [to drop last of charges], RT (right) | |
| 31 | Writer of poetry in rhyme, primarily (5) |
| HOMER | |
| HOME (in), R{hyme} [primarily] | |
| 32 | Bookish PhD beset by desire to make a comeback (5) |
| NERDY | |
| DR (PhD) contained [beset] by YEN (desire) reversed [to make a comeback] | |
| 34 | Doctor rules out taking diazepam in the end for shaking (9) |
| TREMULOUS | |
| Anagram [doctor] of RULES OUT containing [taking] {diazepa}M [in the end] | |
| 37 | Small note accompanying love letter from overseas (7) |
| OMICRON | |
| O (love), MICRO N (small note) | |
| 39 | Hacks maybe look forward to lectures (14) |
| EXPECTORATIONS | |
| EXPECT (look forward to), ORATIONS (lectures). Coughs. | |
| 41 | Gifted show-off’s debut incorporating extravagant dances (8) |
| GAVOTTES | |
| GAVE (gifted) + S{how-off’s} [debut] containing [incorporating] OTT (extravagant). Here’s a cheerful example by William Boyce. | |
| 43 | Extremely dry sandwiches are not pleasant to eat (6) |
| DAINTY | |
| D{r}Y [extremely] contains [sandwiches] AIN’T (are not). SOED: dainty – something choice or pleasing, esp. pleasing to the palate. | |
| 44 | Boar about to eat insect and a large bear (5,5) |
| GIANT PANDA | |
| PIG (boar) reversed [about] containing [to eat] ANT (insect), AND, A | |
| 45 | Workers sited principally alongside river (5) |
| STAFF | |
| S{ited} [principally], TAFF (Welsh river) | |
| 48 | Very notable time period inspiring each TV serial (4,5) |
| SOAP OPERA | |
| SO (very) + ERA (time period) containing [inspiring] A POP (each) | |
| 49 | Texan law enforcer let a greenhorn off (3,4,6) |
| THE LONE RANGER | |
| Anagram [off] of LET A GREEN HORN. In American folklore The Lone Ranger was the sole survivor of a group of six ambushed Texas Rangers. Hi-yo, Silver! Away! | |
| 51 | Healthier-looking police officer in more uncivilised surroundings? (7) |
| RUDDIER | |
| DI (police officer – Detective Inspector) contained by [in…] RUDER (more uncivilised) [… surroundings] | |
| 52 | Former PM, heading away from Haifa, perhaps (7) |
| ISRAELI | |
| Benjamin {D’}ISRAELI (former PM) [heading away] | |
| 53 | One digging a verse about Roman goddess (7) |
| MINERVA | |
| MINER (one digging), A+ V (a verse) reversed [about]. According to Wiki, as Goddess she had a wide portfolio of responsibility: wisdom, justice, law, victory, the arts, trade, and strategy including warfare strategy. | |
| 54 | Mythical Queen accomplished nothing (4) |
| DIDO | |
| DID 0 (accomplished nothing). Perhaps most widely known now from Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas which includes her aria When I am Laid in Earth aka Dido’s Lament frequently to be heard today at remembrance ceremonies. | |
| 55 | Cleaner emptied out sluice harbouring nasty smell (6) |
| SPONGE | |
| S{luic}E [emptied out] containing [harbouring] PONG (nasty smell) | |
| 56 | Person hunting for a certain gift? (6,5) |
| TALENT SCOUT | |
| Cryptic | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Endlessly bad-tempered old comedian (7) |
| GROUCHO | |
| GROUCH{y} (bad-tempered) [endlessly], O (old). Probably the most famous of the five Marx Brothers. | |
| 2 | Botany experts — people barely seen around a lake (11) |
| NATURALISTS | |
| NATURISTS (people barely seen) containing [around] A + L (lake) | |
| 3 | So long as deception’s ingrained, everything’s unclear at first (5) |
| ADIEU | |
| A{s} + D{eception’s} + I{ngrained} + E{verything’s} + U{nclear} [at first] | |
| 4 | Economist working with a proven means of excessive counterbalancing (16) |
| OVERCOMPENSATION | |
| Anagram [working] of ECONOMIST A PROVEN | |
| 5 | They protect popular web browsers without using force (8) |
| INSURERS | |
| IN (popular), SUR{f}ERS (web browsers) [without using force] | |
| 6 | Obvious mum or dad can support tutors lacking faith at heart (11) |
| TRANSPARENT | |
| TRA{i}NS (tutors) [lacking faith at heart], PARENT (mum or dad) | |
| 7 | Rough indication partly showing where dinghy comes from (5) |
| HINDI | |
| Hidden in [partly] {roug}H INDI{cation} | |
| 8 | American chose fresh European pasta dish (8,6) |
| MACARONI CHEESE | |
| Anagram [fresh] of AMERICAN CHOSE, then E (European) | |
| 9 | Good stuff, I say, gets an award (6) |
| GRAMMY | |
| G (good), RAM (stuff), MY (I say!) | |
| 11 | Requisite bit of info about English team close to disaster (11) |
| DESIDERATUM | |
| DATUM (bit of info) containing [about] E (English) + SIDE (team) + {disaste}R [close]. That which is to be desired; a requirement. Many will know of this via the poem Desiderata written by Max Ehrman in 1927 which made a fortune for somebody during the 1960s and 1970s when it was reproduced and marketed on wall-posters, tea-towels and any other amount of junk sold in gift shops. Pity, because aside from all the hype it recommends a rather worthy set of aims and ambitions for leading a peaceful and contented life. | |
| 12 | Formally admit sport is overcome by greed? (5,2) |
| SWEAR IN | |
| WEAR (sport) contained [overcome] by SIN (greed – one of the 7 deadlies) | |
| 13 | Hot sauce seeing one tear up multiple times (4-4) |
| PIRI-PIRI | |
| I (one) + RIP (tear) reversed [up] x 2 (multiple times) | |
| 20 | Self-introduction from journalist in sarcastic, seriously funny programme? (7) |
| DRAMEDY | |
| AM ED (dubious self-introduction from journalist) contained by [in] DRY (sarcastic). I suspect this is a word not much used outside the business. | |
| 22 | Body revealed by some actors on-stage (5) |
| TORSO | |
| Hidden in [revealed by some] {ac}TORS O{n-stage} | |
| 24 | Play dealing with rep coming to an end? (5,2,1,8) |
| DEATH OF A SALESMAN | |
| A play by Arthur Miller indicated more specifically by a cryptic hint | |
| 25 | Instant message notification sound able ultimately to have an effect (7) |
| IMPINGE | |
| IM (instant message), PING (notification sound), {abl}E [ultimately] | |
| 27 | Basic undergarments are what you and yours have! (1-6) |
| Y-FRONTS | |
| Cryptic with reference to ‘You’ and ‘Yours’ having ‘Y‘ as their FRONT letters | |
| 28 | Sweeping statement is inelegant, or contrived to conceal answer (14) |
| GENERALISATION | |
| Anagram [contrived} of IS INELEGANT OR containing [to conceal] A (answer) | |
| 31 | Awful building largely embodies design only occasionally used (7) |
| HEINOUS | |
| HOUS{e} (building) [largely] contains [embodies] {d}E{s}I{g}N | |
| 33 | Soldiers briefed to accept also being shouted at (11) |
| REPRIMANDED | |
| RE (soldiers), PRIMED (briefed) containing [to accept] AND (also). I think a question mark was needed here as one doesn’t need to be shouted at to be reprimanded. | |
| 35 | Where students learn about where they can get cheap drinks? (5) |
| UNION | |
| UNI (where students learn), ON (about). The Students Union is usually the location of their bar amongst other facilities. | |
| 36 | Upset during second show is all-pervasive (11) |
| OMNIPRESENT | |
| IN (during) + MO (second) reversed [upset], PRESENT (show) | |
| 38 | Little bounder took a rag and ran out (3-8) |
| RAT-KANGAROO | |
| Anagram [out] of TOOK A RAG RAN. NHO this but it was easy to deduce. |
|
| 40 | Liberal cleric on vacation’s caught attending colourful festival (8) |
| CATHOLIC | |
| C{leri}C [on vacation} containing [caught] AT (attending) + HOLI (colourful festival). Holi is a Hindu spring festival commemorating Krishna’s dalliance with the cowgirls. Bonfires are lit and coloured powder and water thrown over celebrants. NHO the festival so the wordplay defeated me until I came to write the blog and employed Google. | |
| 42 | Cousin unexpectedly starts to appear less withdrawn (8) |
| UNSOCIAL | |
| Anagram [unexpectedly] of COUSIN, then A{ppear} + L{ess} [starts] | |
| 43 | Wanted gentleman caught in act (7) |
| DESIRED | |
| SIR (gentleman) contained by [caught in] DEED (act) | |
| 46 | Suitable clothing in respect of an insect that bites (4,3) |
| FIRE ANT | |
| FIT (suitable) containing [clothing] RE (in respect of) + A (an). NHO this. | |
| 47 | The French going on journey behave without restraint (3,3) |
| LET RIP | |
| LE (‘the’ in French), TRIP (journey) | |
| 49 | Carry across final slice of ginger cake (5) |
| TORTE | |
| TOTE (carry) containing [across] {ginge}R [final slice of…]. Yummy cake as sold especially in Germany and Austria. | |
| 50 | Relatives from Northern Territory — in Australia! (5) |
| AUNTS | |
| NT (Northern Territory) contained by [in] AUS (Australia) | |
NHO DRAMEDY was my LOI; I wondered for a while if there was such a thing as a diamedy. DNK IM, RAT-KANGAROO (though I knew kangroo-rat). I had a query at ‘group of friends’, as I dnk that meaning of ‘posse’. The seetter is keen on final letters: finally stir, last of charges, diazepam in the end, close to disaster, able ultimately, final slice of ginger … Also likes initial/final letters: vacuous hello, extremely dry, cleric on vacation, emptied out sluice.
[On edit:] I’m sure we’ve had HOLI before, or I wouldn’t have recognized it. Not, of course, that I had any idea what it’s about. The recording of ‘Desiderata’ provoked this parody from National Lampoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Axyqk5ERKQ