ACROSS
1 Side holding power in a splinter group (6)
ASPECT – P [power] in A SECT [a | splinter group]
4 Underworld boss having mobile that goes on by itself (10)
PERSEPHONE – PHONE [mobile] that goes on PER SE [by itself]
10 Go to form new colony as part of vicious war, maybe (5)
SWARM – hidden in {viciou}S WAR M{aybe}
14 Getting hump somehow in ordeal is characteristic of success (9)
TRIUMPHAL – (HUMP*) [“somehow”] in TRIAL [ordeal]
15 Strange edict about one article after another penned by relative is shown to be true (13)
AUTHENTICATED – (EDICT*) about A [one article] after THE [another (arcticle] “penned” by AUNT [relative]
16 Refuse to admit learner that’s less developed (7)
LITTLER – LITTER [refuse] to “admit” L [learner]
17 On foot, it provides quick cover (7)
TOENAIL – cryptic def: quick as in the part of the foot under the nail.
18 Cruciverbalist’s last kind of wordplay, having put out third puzzle (7)
TANGRAM – {cruciverbalis}T + AN{a}GRAM [kind of wordplay, “having put out third” (letter)]
19 Avoiding offence, in a way — like copper, initially (11,7)
POLITICALLY CORRECT – referred to be the initials PC, just like a Police Constable is.
21 Behave like obsequious dog or other little animal (4)
FAWN – double def
24 Decide not to run with small old-fashioned weapon (5)
SPIKE – S PIKE [small | old-fashioned weapon]. As in “to spike an article”.
26 Investor finally compensated, holding current issued shares (8)
RATIONED – {investo}R ATONED [compensated], “holding” I [current]
27 Make from sale, having also included promotional activity (8)
BRANDING – BRING [make from sale], having AND [also] included
29 Result of making name for oneself as fighter (3,2,6)
NOM DE GUERRE – cryptic def
30 What can be got from what’s in menu, in short (11)
NOURISHMENT – (MENU IN SHORT*) [“what can be got from what’s in…”], &lit
32 Rock group worth breaking up? Not so far (6,5)
STONE’S THROW – STONES [rock group] + (WORTH*) [“breaking up”]
35 Cut back — result of freeze, say — in authoritarian regime (6,5)
POLICE STATE – reversed LOP [cut] + ICE STATE [result of freeze | say]
37 Respite, as European is accepted by British fairly (8)
BREATHER – E [European] is accepted by B RATHER [British | fairly]
39 Bad fortune besetting European — score reduced by six (8)
FOURTEEN – (FORTUNE*) [“bad”] “besetting” E [European]. Score as in “twenty”.
40 Something outstanding about university’s appearance initially (5)
DEBUT – DEBT [something outstanding] about U [university]
43 What’s the matter with intelligence? Poet’s pronouncement (4)
GREY – homophone of GRAY (Thomas, 1716-1771, of Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard fame). Grey matter is “the matter with intelligence”.
44 It’s half a world away from where we are here (8,10)
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE – cryptic def. Rather assuming that the solver is not in Australia!
47 Improperly dispensed upscale form of medication (7)
CAPSULE – (UPSCALE*)
48 Fruit was revolting with it (7)
ROSEHIP – ROSE [was revolting] + HIP [with it]
50 King protected by subjects in heated situations (7)
TROPICS – R [king] “protected” by TOPICS [subjects]
51 Enjoying, for example, cricket? Over count is repeatedly revised (13)
INSECTIVOROUS – (OVER COUNT IS IS*) [“revised”]
52 Fifteenth century house in city (9)
LANCASTER – double def
53 In peculiar way, how swindler is selected for side? (5)
ODDLY – reverse cryptic of S{w}I{n}D{l}E{r}
54 Full of amazement since a lot of weight I lost (10)
ASTONISHED – AS TON I SHED [since | a lot of weight | I | lost]
55 Oblivion achieved ultimately in drink in this? (6)
BENDER – {oblivio}N {achieve}D, in BEER [drink], semi-&lit
DOWN
1 Wild animals run into stakes (9)
ANTELOPES – LOPE [run] into ANTES [stakes]
2 Painters initially list oil in mixed medium art technique (11)
POINTILLISM – P{ainters} + (LIST OIL IN*) [“mixed”] + M [medium]
3 Left in piece of jewellery on time for royal court (7)
CAMELOT – L [left] in CAMEO [piece of jewellery] on T [time]
5 Report written up about century, brilliant effort (5)
ECLAT – TALE [report] reversed about C [century]
6 House of Lords, perhaps, having ethos tamely changed (7,4)
STATELY HOME – (ETHOS TAMELY*)
7 Confuse pagan with theory of ancient philosophy (11)
PYTHAGOREAN – (PAGAN + THEORY*)
8 See way to support past master, above all (8)
OVERLORD – LO RD [see | way] to support OVER [past]
9 Motor vehicle, say, in competition overturned (6,3)
ESTATE CAR – STATE [say] in reversed RACE [competition]
10 Behind one‘s back (6)
SECOND – double def
11 Later adjusted temperature in simple option (11)
ALTERNATIVE – (LATER*) [“adjusted”] + T [temperature] in NAIVE [simple]
12 Subject of most original palindrome? (5)
MADAM – I think this is a cryptic reference to “Madam, I’m Adam”, allegedly the first palindrome spoken, in the Garden of Eden after the creation of Eve.
13 Current malfunction in LA? (5,7)
SHORT CIRCUIT – reverse cryptic, as a LA{p} is a “short” circuit.
20 Scholarly American’s volume found on a railway (8)
LITERARY – LITER [American’s volume] found on A RY [a | railway]
22 Female article of clothing close, along with male one (7)
NIGHTIE – NIGH [close], along with TIE [male (article of clothing)]
23 Motivated in this way with drug, in conclusion (8)
ENTHUSED – THUS [in this way] + E [drug], in END [conclusion]
25 Take part in novel event held after ten (8)
ELEVENTH – hidden in {nov}EL EVENT H{eld}
28 One seeing what’s going to be charged for sweet (5,3)
BULL’S EYE – if you’re about to be charged by a bull, the thing seeing what’s going to be charged (i.e. you) is the bull’s eye!
29 What contains primarily oats, say, easily being consumed by horse? (7)
NOSEBAG – O{ats} S{ay} E{asily} B{king}, “consumed” by NAG [horse], semi-&lit
31 Popular with constituents, including female relative that’s erratic (12)
INCONSISTENT – IN [popular] with CONTENT [constituents], “including” SIS [female relative}
33 Given too much publicity about European vote presented (11)
OVEREXPOSED – OVER E X POSED [about | European | vote | presented]
34 Golf clubs holding English Open, finally — competitors don’t want it (6,5)
WOODEN SPOON – WOOD & SPOON [golf clubs] “holding” E [English] + {ope}N
35 Reduce new academic work that immediately follows this (11)
PARENTHESIS – PARE N THESIS [reduce | new | academic work]. The parenthesis follows the clue, containing its enumeration!
36 Moderated about one part of speech being held up, in short (11)
ABBREVIATED – ABATED [moderated] about reversed I VERB [one | part of speech]
38 Specialized publications I create so cryptically (9)
ESOTERICA – (I CREATE SO*)
41 Manager of funds changed rate with more confidence (9)
TREASURER – (RATE*) [“changed] + SURER [with more confidence]
42 Sailor aboard sturdy launch (5,3)
START OUT – TAR [sailor] “aboard” STOUT [sturdy]
45 Liable to embrace sweet girl, initially, being vulgar (7)
PROFANE – PRONE [liable] to embrace F{anny} A{dams} (as in “sweet Fanny Adams”)!
46 Forceful or pitifully weak about check (6)
PUNCHY – PUNY [pitifully weak] “about” CH [check]
47 Capital in company affected by inflation? (5)
CAIRO – CO [company] “affected by inflation”, which is to say, filled with AIR
49 Cry holding son giving sign of life (5)
PULSE – PULE [cry] “holding” S [son]
Never really thought of Persephone as being the boss of the underworld, I mean, wasn’t she kidnapped and taken there against her will? And isn’t the place named after her consort? Still i suppose they did what she said, boss’s wife & all that
Edited at 2019-04-20 07:45 am (UTC)
Ong’ara,
Nairobi.
ELEVENTH a very clever hidden that I did not see for ages. House of Lords reference in STATELY HOME nicely misleading too.