Cryptic Jumbo 1494: Solved Only Using Techniques I Could Will Should Become Universal Cryptic Law

Late to fall, and excellent penny-drop-moments, were 23ac and 43ac. Many thanks for a good ‘un to the setter.

ACROSS
1 Moral support needed by one who reigns (6)
PROPER – PROP [support] needed by E.R. [the queen]

5 Difficult time getting to work in car (7)
HARDTOP – HARD T OP [difficult | time | work]

9 Vicar maybe showing power, one arriving at target? (8)
PREACHER – P(ower) + REACHER

13 Bless a grandparent, then, when messing up American poem? (3,4-8,6)
THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER – (BLESS A GRANDPARENT THEN*)

14 Wood contains unknown clear liquid with strong smell (8)
PYRIDINE – PINE contains Y RID [unknown | clear]

15 Old sailor making a speech (7)
ORATING – O(ld) RATING

16 Dream may get one flapping a bit (6)
EYELID – cryptic def, referencing REM sleep

17 Date — something a girlfriend hopes for? (10)
ENGAGEMENT – double def, marginally sexist

20 Well-informed, as one who has auditioned successfully for film will be (2,3,7)
IN THE PICTURE – double def

23 Head may have one (4)
TOPI – TOP may have I, &lit as you would find a topi atop a head

24 Be relatively unobservant as a totally innocent person (8)
SPOTLESS – or SPOT LESS

26 Rants disclosed half-formed aspirations (8)
DECLAIMS – DECL{ared} AIMS

29 One may go out to get such psychological treatment (12)
HYPNOTHERAPY – cryptic def, “go out” as in get put to sleep

30 Record left by journalist found unexpectedly? (10)
DISCOVERED – DISC OVER by ED

32 Sing bosh and go wild as one making contribution to Mass (5,5)
HIGGS BOSON – (SING BOSH + GO*)

34 Greek character with inclination mostly is male showing lowbrow outlook (12)
PHILISTINISM – PHI with LISTIN{g} IS M

36 Half of those people not well sending a message (8)
EMAILING – {th}EM AILING

38 Where road signs are often visible, incidentally (2,3,3)
BY THE WAY – double def

39 Note in second book in a series (4)
MARK – double def with the NT book(after Matthew, before Luke and John)

41 Bird gone I’m hoping will deviate appropriately? (6,6)
HOMING PIGEON – (GONE I’M HOPING*), semi-&lit

43 The beginning and end of pop that’s scarcely audible? (10)
PIANISSIMO – p{o}p, in musical notation

44 Figure one boy needs inner vitality (6)
ISOGON – GO inside I SON

46 Garments for female toys (7)
TEDDIES – double def

48 Head’s getting chap troubled with lice (8)
CEPHALIC – (CHAP + LICE*)

50 Ever impractical, I go and eat out as a matter of principle (11,10)
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE – (EVER IMPRACTICAL I GO + EAT*)

51 Sent out offspring half-heartedly around island (8)
SECRETED – SE{e}D around CRETE

52 Place enthusiastic about strike (3,4)
LAY INTO – LAY [place] + INTO [enthusiastic about]

53 Each nincompoop losing heart in an uncomplicated manner (6)
EASILY – EA SI{l}LY

DOWN
2 Bad-tempered fellow seizes sporting trophy (5)
RATTY – RAY seizes TT [IOM Tourist Trophy]

3 Logical assertion comes with forecast — umbrella finally needs to be carried (11)
PREDICATION – PREDICTION carrying {umbrell}A

4 Shopkeeper offering fashion again, we hear? (8)
RETAILER – homophone of RE-TAILOR

5 Army in hellish ordeal (5)
HORDE – hidden in {hellis}H ORDE{al}

6 Understanding rebuke given to the Left (7)
RAPPORT – RAP given to PORT

7 Four in temporary shelter at Cambridgeshire location when feeling unsettled? (11)
TENTATIVELY – IV in TENT AT ELY

8 Caps very good with flowery decoration (5)
PILEI – PI [very good] with LEI

9 Quiet English girl wanting too much is coming from a distinguished family (9)
PEDIGREED – P E DI GREED [quiet | English | girl | wanting too much]

10 Cancel The Times before start of excursion (5)
ERASE – ERAS [times] before E{xcursion}

11 Does one need to add water to this drink? Think hard (11)
CONCENTRATE – double def

12 Listener wants story — prime bit of romance from a previous era? (7)
EARLIER – EAR wants LIE + R{omance}

18 This element could disturb me, mind you (9)
NEODYMIUM – (ME MIND YOU*)

19 Name of newspaper no longer needing journalists? (7)
EXPRESS – EX needing PRESS

21 Spin in cricket match met with attacking stroke (4,5)
TEST DRIVE – TEST met with DRIVE

22 Fashionable church — nothing had to be other than perfectly finished (8)
INCHOATE – IN CH O ATE [fashionable | church | nothing | had]

25 Like good apprentice artist at home limited by workbench? (9)
TRAINABLE – R.A. IN, limited by TABLE

27 Disorder of realm, most unstable (9)
MAELSTROM – (REALM MOST*)

28 Go over heather to find accommodation for animals (8)
STABLING – STAB [go] over LING

31 A shrub or a rush growing up in deep water? (7)
SPIRAEA – A RIP, reversed in SEA

33 Component of Christmas story giving inspiration to famous actor? (7,4)
GUIDING STAR – double def

34 Having the makings of being powerful, India, with international friend? (11)
POTENTIALLY – POTENT I with ALLY

35 The study of bits and pieces? (11)
NUMISMATICS – cryptic def, “bits” and “pieces” both as synonyms for “coins”

37 Duke, say, rising to embrace brood of youngsters, sparkled (9)
GLITTERED – D E.G., reversed, “embracing” LITTER

40 Relocate fifty in area after getting personal information set up (8)
DISPLACE – L in SPACE after reversed ID

42 Bone very small or very big needing cutting implement reportedly (7)
OSSICLE – OS [very big] + homophone of SICKLE

43 Job obtained by graduate — not primarily one who goes the rounds? (7)
POSTMAN – POST [job] by M.A. N{ot}

45 Near the end of August — when you notice this is getting longer? (5)
NIGHT – NIGH {augus}T, semi-&lit

47 Like a lord the French could regularly upset (5)
DUCAL – LA C{o}U{l}D, reversed

48 Conservative to reformulate list of basic tenets? (5)
CREDO – C + REDO

49 Perfect bride always shows off (5)
IDEAL – hidden in {br}IDE AL{ways}