I thought this was fairly straightforward; it took me 17 minutes, plus checking the answer to 39dn (PHILISTIA).
As ever, * indicates an anagram.
| Across | |
| 1 | SPENCER – sounds like (Edmund) Spenser. Hubert SPENCER coined the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’, subsequently used by Charles Darwin |
| 5 | NECESSARY – double definition. ‘The NECESSARY’ can be used to mean ‘money’ |
| 10 | DIVA – avid (reversed) |
| 14 | BAG AND BAGGAGE – nag (reversed), in BAD BAGGAGE |
| 15 | CHEONGSAM – (G-man chose)*. A CHEONGSAM is a traditional style of Chinese dress |
| 16 | SHOPFITTER – SHOP (defined by ‘to inform on’) + FITTER |
| 17 | MUM’S THE WORD – double definition |
| 18 | TOPIC – TOP + IC |
| 19 | HUNTINGDON – DON after HUNTING |
| 21 | PISTOL – (spoilt)*. Reference is to a character in Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ |
| 23 | ANDROMEDA – AND + ROME + DA (District Attorney) |
| 25 | THETA – TA (Territorial Army) after THE |
| 26 |
OTHELLO – O + T |
| 28 | PRESS RELEASES – PRESS + RE + LEASES |
| 31 | EDITORIAL – ORAL around I, after tide (reversed) |
| 33 | RHOS-ON-SEA – SON in (a horse)* |
| 35 | MERRIE ENGLAND – (lame rendering)*. MERRIE ENGLAND is an opera by Edward German |
| 37 |
TREASON – TREA |
| 38 |
SCRAP – CRAP |
| 40 |
SURPASSED – SUR |
| 42 | SCHEME – S + ME, around CHE (Guevara) |
| 44 | PRAIRIE DOG – PRAIRIE, + DOG (to tail) |
| 46 |
SHOWY – SHOW + |
| 48 | PURITANICAL – (Lunatic pair)*) |
| 50 | INS AND OUTS – double definition |
| 52 | POTPOURRI – (up to prior)* |
| 53 | GET TO THE POINT – GET + TOT + HE + POINT |
| 54 |
RIPE – |
| 55 | SANCTUARY – (scary aunt)*’ |
| 56 | THRUSTS – TRUSTS around H |
| Down | |
| 1 | SOBS – OB in SS (steam ship) |
| 2 |
EGG-SHAPED – EG + G |
| 3 | CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION – CONSPICUOUS (apparent) on CONSUMPTION (tuberculosis) |
| 4 | RUBBISH – RUSH, round B + B + I |
| 5 | NIGHTINGALE – this clue took me the longest to work out completely. It’s N GAL (northern lass), in NIGHTIE (i.e. in a nightdress, therefore ready for bed) |
| 6 | CHAIRLIFT – cryptic indication (St Moritz – ski resort) |
| 7 |
STEAM – S |
| 8 | ACCOMMODATE – triple definition |
| 9 |
YVETTE – VETTE |
| 11 | IN SHORT – IN SORT around H |
| 12 | ARMADILLO – (mall radio)*. I hadn’t realised that the armadillo is nocturnal! |
| 13 | KNEE-HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER – (shopkeeper has no right)*, around AG (Ag is the chemical symbol for silver) |
| 18 | TRAPPER – (rep + part), reversed – here, ‘rep’ = ‘repertory theatre |
| 20 |
GREASER – GREASE (the film) + |
| 22 | DOMINEER – MINE (pit) in DOER (energetic person, defined by ‘live wire’) |
| 24 | EVENSONG – EVEN SO, + NG (no good) |
| 27 |
LEILA – hidden in |
| 29 |
ERODE – ROD, in E |
| 30 |
SAMURAI – SA + MURA |
| 32 | LADY DAY – LADY + DAY |
| 34 | ABSTRACTION – AB’s (Able-Bodied Seaman’s) + TRACTION |
| 36 | INSIDE STORY – cryptic definition |
| 37 | TEST PAPER – TEST (assess) + PAPER |
| 39 | PHILISTIA – PHI + LIST (border) + I + A. PHILISTIA was the historical name of a region in the Middle East – I had to check this |
| 41 | SMOOTHIES – (I’m the so so)* |
| 43 | HARDTOP – HARD + TOP |
| 44 | MOTHIER – I in MOTHER |
| 45 | GUNSHOT – GUNS + HOT |
| 47 | IN ARMS – IN (elected) + ARMS (members) |
| 49 | LIGHT – double definition |
| 51 | OTIS – cryptic definition (OTIS lifts) |
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