Fairly straightforward, with a couple of nice clues and a couple of solutions to check.
Nothing controversial to my mind
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 SCOFF – double definition | |
| 4 MIAOWED – DE = of, French, AIM = train, all reversed around OW = that hurt | |
| 8 CAPE DUTCH – CAPE = head, DUTCH = wife (slang) | |
| 13 ALDERSHOT – (THE ROADS)* around L(earner). Just down the road from me | |
| 14 RACE RELATIONS – RACE = dash, RELATIONS = it (=sex) | |
| 15 OVERHIT – OVER = ended, HIT = winner | |
| 16 CHINTZY – CRAZY, with HINT = tip, replacing R.A. = artist | |
| 17 IKEBANA – IKE = US President, BAN = prohibition, A = article | |
| 18 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – (ROADBLOCK LIMITING, K(erb-crawling))* | |
| 21 WILD – W.I. = West Indies, LD = Lord | |
| 23 FREE VERSE – F(ollowing), REVERSE = defeat, around E(nglish) | |
| 25 HEIGHT – H EIGHT = H8. Chessboard squares are denoted by an intersection of letters from A-H, and numbers from 1-8, so H8 is a corner. A nice clue. | |
| 26 NEPALI – hidden reversed in jaIL A PENalty | |
| 28 THOROUGHFARE – THOROUGH = sweeping, FARE = eats | |
| 30 MICROMETRE – MITRE = Pope’s hat, around C(hapter) and ROME = where Pope is | |
| 33 TOTEM POLES – T, TEMP = casual worker, OLES = encouraging words | |
| 34 ROOM AT THE TOP – double definition, the second mildly cryptic | |
| 37 IN-JOKE – cryptic definition | |
| 39 ASPIRE – AS = when, PI = irrational, RE = touching | |
| 40 HEAD VOICE – HE = chap, ADVICE = counselling, around O = love | |
| 42 FAYE, F= loud, AYE = I agree | |
| 43 JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON – JUMP = start, ON THE WAGON = TT (teetotal), around BAND = team | |
| 46 AVOCADO – (h)AVOC = chaos, ADO = trouble | |
| 47 BALDWIN – BALD = clear, WIN = victory | |
| 48 THROUGH – sounds like THREW = cast | |
| 50 HAPPY FAMILIES – cryptic definition | |
| 51 REAWAKENS – (KANSAS, WER(e))* | |
| 52 RED GIANTS – RANTS = holds forth, around ED = journalist and G.I. = serving American | |
| 53 GIRASOL – (GLORIAS)* | |
| 54 ITALY – initial letters in In Trouble After Losing Your | |
| Down | |
| 1 SNAP OUT OF IT – SNAP = shout at match, OUT OF IT = no longer in contention | |
| 2 OLDIE – (s)OLDIE(r) = warrior | |
| 3 FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE – double definition, the first cryptic referring to MIKE = microphone | |
| 4 MAHATMA – MAMA = mum, around HAT = fez, say | |
| 5 ARTICHOKE – ART = drawing, I CHOKE = admission from bottler | |
| 6 WARWICKSHIRE – (WHISK AIRCREW)* | |
| 7 DECK TENNIS – DENNIS = man, around K = king and ETC* | |
| 8 CURVY – (s)CURVY = contemptible | |
| 9 PULPITRY – PULP = trashy, TRY = essay, around I = one | |
| 10 DOTTED – look at the initial letters of junta and inevitably – both have the dot above them. Known as a tittle, apparently | |
| 11 THOMASINA – (SHOT A MAN)* around I = one | |
| 12 HUSBANDLIKE – HUSBAND = save, LIKE = fancy | |
| 19 KEEP OUT – KEE(n) = wail, POUT = sulk | |
| 20 BOHRIUM – BUM = behind, around O = zero, HR = hour and I = one | |
| 22 LET ME HAVE WAR SAY I – (EVIL MASTER AWAY HE). From Coriolanus | |
| 24 REGROW – REG = number plate, ROW = rumpus | |
| 27 GRETNA – reversed alternate letters in cAnNoT bEaR eG | |
| 29 FREES UP – FEES UP = news of higher charges, around the second letter in pRess | |
| 31 TITLING – TILING = bathroom DIY, around T(ime) | |
| 32 NONE THE WISER – NO = ON, reversed, NET = web, HEWER = hacker, around IS = one’s | |
| 33 TAIL FEATHER – (RAIL THEFT)*, around EA(ch) | |
| 35 PIE IN THE SKY – double definition – the first cryptic | |
| 36 SIGNALLING – SIGN = recruit, ALL IN = exhausted, G(ood) | |
| 38 JOYPOPPED – JOY = girl, POPPED = paid brief visit. I had not heard of the word | |
| 40 HABANEROS – H(ot), A, BAN EROS = SORE NAB = bitter appropriate, reversed | |
| 41 AUTOBAHN – (ABOUT AN H(our))* | |
| 44 NETBALL – N.E. = Geordie, TALL = unlikely, around B = bye | |
| 45 PAPYRI – PAP = photographer (paparazzo), YR = younger, I = one | |
| 47 BLISS – double definition | |
| 49 ULEMA – hidden reversed in blAME LUtherans | |
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