This one went in fairly quickly as there seemed to be a lot of very obvious phrasal answers that came immediately from one word in the clue plus the enumeration – these included 15a, 25a, 27a, 45a, 5d, 11d, 24d, 34d, 38d. Coupled with the lack of one or two stinkers to finish off (I cannot even recall the last one in!) meant that this was a smooth solve. I dont think any of the definitions were particularly heavily disguised, so the whole grid could perhaps have been done by guessing at straight definitions.
Across |
1 |
SURGE – SURGE(on) = vet, with on(e) = one, almost, taken off. Whole is SWELL |
4 |
SALAD CREAM – SCREAM = shriek, around A LAD = a young man |
9 |
WEASEL – EASEL = stand, by W = wife. This seems to be one of those words that appears more often than it statistically ought to in crosswords. |
14 |
HYGIENIST – (eighty is)* around (eto)n. Again there is a fairly obvious definition. |
15 |
SMALL POTATOES – One of those very obvious double/cryptic definition clues. |
16 |
OSTRICH – OST = East, in german. RICH = wealthy, whole is “person who refuses to recognise reality” due to the ostrich’s tendency to bury its head in the sand. |
17 |
EARTHWORK – EARTH = world, WORK = job. Banking makes for a nice surface/answer double entendre. |
18 |
PATIO – P = piano, A = note, TI = it, reversed, O = round. Whole is courtyard. Quite a lot of word play in a few words here, which I always enjoy. |
19 |
PERSONAL COLUMN – PERSONAL = peculiar, COLUMN = post. |
22 |
USELESS – a conservationist might “USE LESS” |
25 |
FREE-FOR-ALL – Seemed very obvious just looking at the clue, however I suspect “charged” does have two meanings for the surface (arrested) and the wordplay (billed) |
27 |
TAKE IT FROM ME – Double def. |
30 |
THEFT – THE = article, FT = financial times = newspaper |
31 |
PENDULUM – PLUM = choice, around (nude)* |
32 |
BEACH HUT – (bathe chu)* |
35 |
ENDANGER – END = aim, ANGER = provoke, whole is COMPROMISE |
36 |
ALTER EGO – ALTER = make changes, EG = say, O = nothing. |
37 |
IRATE – I = upright character, RATE = judge, whole is INCENSE |
39 |
APOSTLE SPOON – A POST = an appointment, LE = the, parisian, SPOON = golf club. |
41 |
PROPRIETOR – PRO = in favour of, (porter I)* |
o
43 |
LAST OUT – LA = the, french, STOUT = determined. |
45 |
LEFT HIGH AND DRY – double def |
48 |
TRAMP – TRAP = carriage, M = male, inside. |
49 |
TAIL-ENDER – TENDER = kind, around AIL = trouble |
51 |
CORSAGE – SAG = hang, in CORE = centre |
53 |
TELEPHOTO LENS – (to sell one the, p)* |
54 |
UNSULLIED – (dull in use)* |
55 |
MISERY – MISER = scrooge, then Y(uletide) |
56 |
STEPLADDER – RUN = ladder, behind STEP = stage |
57 |
ROGUE – (b)ROGUE = accent, without B = british |
Down |
1 |
SCHOOL – sounds like COOL = lukewarm, under S = head of sixth-form, whole is college. |
2 |
RIGHT REVEREND – EVER = always, tracking R = right, inside RIGHT = good, END = finish. Whole is bishop. |
3 |
ELEMI – ELM = tree, outside E = front of embassy, then I = island. |
4 |
SWITHIN – a reverse engineered type clue. Sin could be clued as S WITH IN. |
5 |
LET WELL ALONE – double def |
6 |
DISPROOF – (if so drop)* |
7 |
REACH – double def |
8 |
ALL ROUNDER – ALL = greatest, ROUNDER(s) = game, failing to finish. Whilst ALL seems to be similar to GREATEST, I cannot for the life of me think of a straight replacement ?? The best I can do is “Give it your all” = “Give it your greatest”, but even this doesnt quite work for me. |
10 |
EXAMPLE – EX = former partner, AMPLE = big enough. Whole is model. |
11 |
SHORT TERM – double def. assuming that most pupils hate school !! |
12 |
LASSO – LASS = young woman, O(pposed) = opposed at first. |
13 |
MOCK TURTLE SOUP – MOCK = scoff, then (to rustle up)*. Fishy is the anagrind, definition is just “first course”. |
20 |
SAFETY NET – E TYNE = English river, inside ( fast )*, where swirling is the anagrind. |
21 |
UNAMUSED – UNA = girl, MUSED = was thinking. |
23 |
SWEETHEART – SWEET = desert, HEART = enthusiasm |
24 |
OFF THE WALL – double def. |
26 |
REPRESENTATION – RE = on, PRESENTATION = packaging. |
28 |
RECTIFIED – RE = about, (deficit)* |
29 |
BULLY OFF – BULLY = very good, OFF = disappointing |
33 |
HEARTBREAKING – HEART = courage, BAKING = very heated, around RE = soldiers. |
34 |
MERRY-GO-ROUND – MERRY = slightly drunk, GO ROUND = bypass. |
38 |
SPELL IT OUT – double def. |
40 |
OBSTACLES – (n)OBLES = peers, after the start, around CATS = animals, reversed. |
42 |
RHODESIA – (so I heard)* |
44 |
ON PAPER – ON = working, PAPER = daily. |
46 |
ACCUSER – (scare)* around CU = copper |
47 |
MEDDLE – sounds like MEDAL = gong |
48 |
TOTEM – TOTE = bear, M = male |
50 |
EYE UP – EYE = organ, UP = aloft |
52 |
RULER – double def. |
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