Mephisto 2948 by Tim Moorey

Nothing too difficult here but stars our first oblique reference to Donald Trump. I wonder how he would have got along with Quintin Hogg who I recall for his savage attack on John Profumo in the early 1960s. Good to see my hero Isambard making an appearance.

Across
1	ECCO – (s)OCCE(r) reverse; Italian for “there”;
4	HAILSHAM – HAILS-HAM; Quintin McGarel Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone;
9	PARTY,POOPER – PARTY-POOPE(d)-(Micawba)R;
11	APAID – AP-AID; old word for satisfied;
12	GRANGE – GRAN-(ar)G(um)E(nt);
14	SHIRKED – SH(IRK)ED; ignore the capital S on Slough;
15	TOSCA – (tinpo)T-OSCA(r);
16	TONTINE – TON(TIN)E; illegal arrangement under which everything goes to last one standing;
17	BRUNEI – BRUNE(l)-I; ref Isambard Kingdom Brunel;
22	ARSHIN – (a n shir)*; shir from shir(t); old Russian measurement;
23	REALIST – RE-A-LIST;
24	DEANS – DE(w)ANS;
26	ILLOGIC – ILL-(C-I-GO reversed);
28	SLATED – DETA(i)LS reversed;
29	WALLA – WALL-A;
30	ORANGE,STICK – O-RANGES-TICK; oridinary=O; make-up device;
31	ASYSTOLE – (say)*-STOLE;
32	SEPT – two meanings 1=short month 2=clan;
Down
1	EPACT – (th)E-PACT; difference between lunar and solar year;
2	CRASSUS – CRASS-US; not Donald but rather Marcus Licinius Crassus, Roman general and politician;
3	OTIC – O(fsted)-TIC(k);
4	HYDRA – HYDRA(ulics);
5	APOSTIL – A(POST)IL;
6	LORINER – L(orien)*R;
7	SPARTH – SPAR-T(elegrap)H;
8	ARGENTINE – (disheartening – dish)*; a fish;
10	WEDELN – WED-EL(a)N; type of skiing;
13	BORDELLOS – (doorbells)*; brass=prostitute;
17	BARISH – B-(p)ARISH; book=B;
18	EXIGENT – EXI(GEN)T;
19	SATCHEL – hidden (ladie)S-AT-CHEL(tenham); oblique reference to the Ladies College;
20	CHALLIE – C(HALL)IE; company in Callais=CIE;
21	FLOTAS – F-LOTAS; pot=LOTA; commercial shipping;
24	DOWSE – DO(W)SE;
25	SHAKT – (has)*-KT; old word for split;
27	WATS – WA(n)TS; n from (garde)n; moles=wants; hares is definition;