Jumbo 1468

I nearly made a silly mistake but a nagging doubt meant that I checked it out. Nothing to complain about though.

My favourite would be 36D for the definition.

ACROSS
1 List that starts at H (8,5)
PERIODIC TABLE – cryptic definition where H is the symbol for hydrogen

8 Problem reported by newspaper occasionally (9)
SOMETIMES – SOME sounds like SUM = problem, TIMES = newspaper

13 Female writer briefly including a mystic syllable (5)
NAOMI – NI{b} = writer, around A and OM = mystic syllable

14 All ventured out having experienced little (11)
UNTRAVELLED – (ALL VENTURED)*

15 Covert mercenary in position in Jamaica (5)
NINJA – hidden in positioN IN JAmaica

16 Philosopher one girl entertains over the years (9)
MILLENNIA – MILL = philosopher, ENNA = ANNE = girl, reversed around I = one

17 School broadcast welcome (4)
HIGH – sounds like HI = welcome

18 American singer depressed meets Charlie Parker (8)
BLUEBIRD – BLUE = depressed, BIRD = Charlie Parker

20 Line appended to schedule going round (6)
ROTARY – ROTA = schedule, RY = line

21 Flower of British nobility baroness made famous? (7,9)
SCARLET PIMPERNEL – double definition, the second mildly cryptic with baroness referring to Baroness Orczy who wrote The Scarlet Pimpernel

24 Baltic people succeeded amongst elite pupils (9)
ESTONIANS – ETONIANS = elite pupils, around S = succeeded

26 King opposed to an apriorist (7)
KANTIAN – K = king, ANTI = opposed, AN

27 Fool in school system (5)
SCHMO – SCH = school, M.O. = system

29 Toothache rages, having consumed mostly cold drink (3,9)
HOT CHOCOLATE – TOOTHACHE* around COL{d}

31 Dramatic platform accommodating good band (10)
STAGGERING – STAGE = platform, around G = good, RING = band

33 One short poem penned by a Mitford in Cambridge? (10)
UNIVERSITY – UNITY = a Mitford, around I = one and VERS{e} = poem

35 Mark is sullen about English having to stand for trespass (12)
MISDEMEANOUR – M = mark, IS, DOUR = sullen, around E = English and MEAN = to stand for

38 Broadcast brings controversy (5)
ISSUE – double definition

39 Island man in Iowa converted (3,4)
IWO JIMA – IOWA* around JIM = man

40 Putting together new dissertation after second year (9)
SYNTHESIS – S = second, Y = year, N = new, THESIS = dissertation

42 Vulgar verse still needs correction in book (9,7)
GULLIVERS TRAVELS – (VULGAR VERSE STILL)*

44 Sweet run for B52? (6)
BOMBER – BOMBE = sweet, R = run

47 Shoot wraps the whole onion (8)
SCALLION – SCION = shoot, around ALL = the whole. I nearly submitted with SHALLOOT thinking that it was possibly another way of spelling shallot, but it seemed a bit too obvious so I checked – glad I did

49 Transgression involving parking for short trip (4)
SPIN – SIN = transgression, around P = parking

50 League has location for playing across island (9)
COALITION – LOCATION*, around I = island

52 Tree more bare with bark initially removed (5)
ALDER – {b}ALDER = more bare

53 Basic soldier, endlessly in two minds, stops hunting target (11)
PREPARATORY – PREY = hunting target, around PARA = soldier and TOR{n} = in two minds

54 Absurd how dialogue ends (5)
INANE – the word dialogue ends IN AN E

55 Fungus needs soil and sun (9)
EARTHSTAR – EARTH = soil, STAR = sun

56 Valuable box: safe found in stretch in river (8,5)
TREASURE CHEST – TEST = river, around REACH = stretch, itself around SURE = safe

DOWN
1 Confine foreign character ascending slope in shadowy areas (9)
PENUMBRAE – PEN = confine, UM = MU = foreign character, reversed, BRAE = slope

2 Search vigorously over time for minor radical (7)
ROOTLET – ROOTLE = search vigorously, T = time

3 Girl born on farm makes conciliatory gesture (5,6)
OLIVE BRANCH – OLIVE = girl, B = born, RANCH = farm

4 Crested lizard one year vanishing from country (6)
IGUANA – I = one, GU{y}ANA = country with y = year removed

5 Hatters mad to receive Roman Catholic rulers (9)
TETRARCHS – HATTERS* around R.C. = Roman Catholic

6 Gossip from British bird about soaps (12)
BLATHERSKITE – B = British, LATHERS = soaps, KITE = bird. I have seen this word before in crosswords (but never in real life!)

7 Woman on river leaves to cook perennial favourites (10)
EVERGREENS – EVE = woman, R = river, GREENS = leaves to cook

8 Completely convinced, faithful ultimately placed in ground (4)
SOLD – SOD = ground, around {faithfu}L

9 Mediator me in representative level of organisation (6,10)
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT – MIDDLEMAN = mediator, AGENT  = representative, around ME

10 Charged for contract (5)
TENSE – double definition

11 One incarcerated in murderous family home (7)
MANSION – MANSON = murderous family, around I = one

12 One to relish canard spread? (13)
SCANDALMONGER – cryptic definition, based around double meanings of canard and spread

19 Ran second copy by news boss (8)
SPRINTED – S = second, PRINT = copy, ED = news boss

22 Opponents at table go to law for result (5)
ENSUE – E,N = opponents at {bridge} table, SUE = go to law

23 Food sent round hospital has lactoprotein taken out (10,6)
LANCASHIRE HOTPOT – (HAS LACTOPROTEIN)* around H = hospital

25 Snacks made from bird parts (7)
TITBITS – TIT = bird, BITS = parts

28 Wicked male and one with common sense (7)
HEINOUS – HE = male, I = one, NOUS = common sense

29 New Stone Age hut is found in buildings complex (7,6)
HOUSING ESTATE – (STONE AGE HUT IS)*

30 Lease smallest rooms — key supplied for free (3,5)
LET LOOSE – LET = lease, LOOS = smallest rooms, E = key

32 Revised data given captures deplorable weakness (12)
DISADVANTAGE – (DATA GIVEN)* around SAD = deplorable

34 Resin from tree around eastern India (5)
ELEMI – ELM = tree, around E = Eastern, I = India

36 The other driver on move in Cairo is a PhD (11)
APHRODISIAC – (CAIRO IS A PHD)*. I really like the definition here – a driver of “the other”

37 Interpreter, one in principal role: public house worker? (10)
HIEROPHANT – I = one, in HERO = principal role, P.H. = public house, ANT = worker. Another word that has come up in crosswords before

40 Lecherous Sarah promises to pay without bill (9)
SALACIOUS – SAL = Sarah, AC = bill, IOUS = promises to pay

41 Tight cord flexed when first pulled (9)
STRINGENT – STRING = cord, {b}ENT = flexed

43 Youth from Abydos with piercing look (7)
LEANDER – LEER = look, around AND = with

45 Soldiers ordered to carry kit (7)
BRIGADE – BADE = ordered, around RIG = kit

46 Bar worker keeps whiskey in coat (6)
LAWYER – LAYER = coat, around W = whiskey

48 Tree line to extend over (5)
LARCH – L = line, ARCH = extend over

51 Stick close to housemate in block (4)
BEAR – BAR = block, around {housemat}E