Not overly much to say about the cluing here – I liked the triple def of course and COD to 7ac for being an interesting word that I didn’t know! Thanks to the setter, and here’s to all our squares and pastures being green henceforwards!
ACROSS
1 Superior agent bringing government security (7,4)
PREMIUM BOND – PREMIUM [superior] + BOND [agent, James, shaken not stirred]
7 Two police informers that could feed many behind bars (6,5)
CANARY GRASS – CANARY and GRASS are both words for police informers; canary grass is grown for birdseed.
13 Past master following surgeon’s work, an invasive procedure (9,8)
OPERATION OVERLORD – OVER LORD [past | master] following OPERATION [surgeon’s work]
14 Coat in two sizes gaining appreciation (5)
SMEAR – S M [two sizes, small and medium] + EAR [appreciation]
15 Agrees fares, as passenger does (4,2)
GETS ON – triple def
16 What’s lost by guru bottling medicine? (8)
SPILLAGE – SAGE bottling PILL, semi-&lit
17 Concert stars from Emirates, heading off abroad (7)
MAESTRI – ({e}MIRATES*) [“abroad”]
19 I invested in second family home minimally well covered (9)
SKINNIEST – I in S KIN NEST
21 Claiming everyone died escaping from border (8)
ALLEGING – ALL + E{d}GING [border, minus D for died]
23 College coach not head of athletics (4)
TECH – TE{a}CH [coach, minus A{thletics}]
25 Tea service, third of plates going west (5)
ASSAM – MASS {pl}A{tes}, entered east to west
27 Turn against one splitting party from the start (2,4)
DE NOVO – reversed V ONE “splitting” DO
28 Jazz musician‘s men briefly recalled playing piece (4,6)
FATS DOMINO – reversed STAF{f} + DOMINO [playing piece]
30 Issue rebounding sound when phone card’s installed (8)
EMISSION – install SIM in NOISE then reverse
31 Get the better of twenty fielders not performing well (5,6,3)
SCORE POINTS OFF – SCORE [twenty] + POINTS [fielders] + OFF [not performing well]
34 Large whisky, say in local producing bad language (6,8)
DOUBLE NEGATIVE – DOUBLE [large whisky] + E.G. in NATIVE
35 Pallid quality a bad sign in clarets, perhaps season’s first (8)
WAXINESS – A X in WINES + S{eason}
38 Missile launchers stolen on board with prior support from medic (10)
SLINGSHOTS – HOT [stolen] inside SS, after SLING [support from medic]
40 Particular hamper engineers disposed of (6)
STRICT – RESTRICT [hamper] minus R.E.
41 Right page in incorrect order? (5)
RECTO – hidden in {incor}RECT O{rder}
43 Weeper’s last, dying tear (4)
REND – {weepe}R + END
44 Sound measures to seize half Russian’s capital (8)
BRUSSELS – BELS [sound measures] “seizing” RUSS{ians}
45 Beguiled consultant’s discipline criticised (9)
ENTRAPPED – E.N.T. RAPPED
48 Pizza dish from region east of Golden State (7)
CALZONE – ZONE east of CAL
49 With united soul, wandering like a cloud (8)
CUMULOUS – CUM U (SOUL*)
50 Several hands needed for this dental work (6)
BRIDGE – several hands, as in hands of cards
53 Civet spied in grass, often retreating (5)
FOSSA – hidden reversed in {gr}ASS OF{ten}
54 Centenarian hermit, funny old man of verse (3,7,7)
THE ANCIENT MARINER – (CENTENARIAN HERMIT*)
55 “Loos” misread in translation as more exclusive facilities? (6,5)
LADIES ROOMS – (LOOS MISREAD*), semi-&lit
56 Chance inaccuracy from tabloid (E for I) backing organised party (6,5)
RANDOM ERROR – M{i->E}RROR “backing” RAN DO
DOWN
1 Stars helping to create something groundbreaking (11)
PLOUGHSHARE – PLOUGH [stars] + SHARE [helping]
2 European clubs wearing black kick out (5)
EJECT – E + C “wearing” JET
3 One in a state needing aid on a horse, desperately (7)
IDAHOAN – (AID ON A H*)
4 Within minutes, trunk road’s put out of action (4)
MAIM – A1 within M M
5 Tempt with onion crackers, supremely strong (10)
OMNIPOTENT – (TEMPT + ONION*)
6 Unravelling vital code saved Vatican official (6,8)
DEVILS ADVOCATE – (VITAL CODE SAVED*)
7 GPs might welcome these queries regularly during visits (4-4)
CURE-ALLS – {q}U{e}R{i}E{s}, during CALLS
8 Ring through snout a form of restraint (5)
NOOSE – O through NOSE
9 Beginnings of weak energy seen in puniest creatures (9)
RUDIMENTS – DIM E seen in RUNTS
10 Records in diary reflected evangelist’s message (6)
GOSPEL – reverse all of EPS in LOG
11 Achievement of a parent full of energy engaged in short flight (1,7,2,4,3)
A FEATHER IN ONES CAP – A FATHER, “full of” E, IN ON ESCAP{e}
12 Homeless aristo given a hearing forthwith (8,3)
STRAIGHT OFF – homophone of STRAY TOFF
18 Convict‘s singular ambition reduced (4,4)
SEND DOWN – S END DOWN [singular | ambition | reduced]
20 Having started outside, a lion is somehow confined (17)
INSTITUTIONALISED – having INSTITUTED outside, (A LION IS*)
22 Drink that’s right during interval? Pop (6)
GRAPPA – R during GAP, plus PA
24 On cruise ship, disheartened, drink more stout (8)
PORTLIER – on LI{n}ER, PORT
26 Dress badly, something actor should never do, we’re told (8)
MISALIGN – homophone of MISS A LINE
29 Junior in service reserved bread for nursery breakfast? (7,7)
PRIVATE SOLDIER – PRIVATE [reserved] + SOLDIER [to dip in soft-boiled eggs]
32 Disorganised at home, like philanthropist (2,1,5)
IN A STATE – IN [at home] + AS TATE
33 A fixed silver mounting for gemstones (6)
AGATES – A + reverse all of SET AG
34 Inspector’s benevolence, almost total, is shocking (11)
DISGRACEFUL – D.I.’s GRACE + FUL{l}
36 Public official, speech back to front, to support queen (5-6)
SWORD-BEARER – WORDS, with the final letter moved to the font, + BEAR E.R.
37 The unmissable “Sparkling sequin” by prolific author (4,3,3)
SINE QUA NON – (SEQUIN*) + ANON
39 Sprinter runs bearing singlet, one gathers (9)
HARVESTER – HARE R “bearing” VEST
42 American word for depot? (8)
TERMINUS – or TERM IN U.S.
46 Scots town has equipment for stylist wanting all-round trim (7)
AIRDRIE – {h}AIR-DRIE{r}
47 Elevated accountant given exclusive housing as compensation (6)
SOLACE – reversed C.A. “housed” by SOLE [exclusive]
49 Socialist bound by firm principles (5)
CREDO – RED “bound by” CO
51 Thailand’s last queen raised money abroad (5)
DINAR – {thailan}D + reversed RANI
52 Bishop put in a flash reading desk (4)
AMBO – B put in A MO
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