Mephisto 2986 – by Don Manley

In the blog, the definition in the clue is underlined and followed by the answer; the parsing; any comments

ACROSS
1 Infection restricting any number, bringing growls once (5)
SNARS; S(N)ARS;
5 Disturbed seabird snaps? (7)
DARBIES; (seabird)*; snaps=slang for handcuffs=DARBIES (Darby Cuffs);
10 Unchaste politician being out off by law (4)
IURE; I(mp)URE;
11 Something round hidden by stone is onion (6)
SHALOT; S(HALO)T;
12 Knowing about Scottish street supplying ceramic (9)
AGATEWARE; A(GATE)WARE;
13 Hard material child’s given at home (6)
CHITIN; CHIT-IN;
16 Biochemical substance breaking down in a tail bone (9)
ANABOLITE; (a tail bone)*;
17 Track blocked by a very small sledge (7)
TRAVAIL; TR(A-V)AIL;
19 Memory again coming back (4)
EROM; MORE reversed;
21 Tree in Himalayan garden (4)
YANG; hidden (himala)YAN-G(arden);
23 Male priest, someone daft about female (7)
MELISSA; M-ELI-ASS reversed;
25 Sozzled chap drinking beer, one of a type of creature immersed in the drink? (9)
ACALEPHAN; (chap)* surrounds ALE – AN;
27 Group of eight perform in old tribe (6)
OGDOAD; O-G(DO)AD; GAD=one of the lost tribes of Israel;
28 I am a phony, suffering from a mild form of madness (9)
HYPOMANIA; (I am a phony)*;
29 Writer may want this in back of book, page with holy text (6)
INKPOT; IN-(boo)K-P-OT;
30 African money disposed of, beginning to end (4)
CEDI; disposed of=killed=ICED then move I to the end;
31 Expert not well, suffering relapse — back shortly (7)
DABSTER; BAD reversed – STER(n);
32 An old-fashioned despot and a knight following god of war (5)
TYRAN; TYR-A-N; god of war=TYR;

DOWN
1 Thus a place like Cairo shows dryness (7)
SICCITY; SIC-CITY;
2 Lily ran up excitedly to hug Henry (6)
NUPHAR; (ran up)* surrounds H=Henry (physics);
3 Mechanic’s having to repair train, alas (9)
ARTISANAL; (train alas)*;
4 Fattened and fully satisfied, having swallowed a drink (9)
SAGINATED; S(A-GIN)ATED;
5 Title of honour given for penning superior bit of poetry (4)
DUAN; D(U)AN;
6 Like piece of furniture that’s rickety? (7)
ASTABLE; AS-TABLE;
7 Sailor standing up with quiver, old boy coming out for decoration (6)
BAWBLE; AB reversed – W(ob)BLE;
8 Old lord and freeman getting caught out (4)
EORL; (c)EORL;
9 Handle of alloy twisted at the end (5)
STELE; STEEL with last two characters interchanged;
14 Criminal is pinned by gun, as shown by artist (9)
COLLAGIST; COL(LAG-IS)T;
15 One crushed by warhorse on the move — it comes down in a flash (9, two words)
AIR,SHOWER; (warhorse)* surrounds I=one;
18 Sheathe naughty child well into the night? (7)
IMPLATE; IMP-LATE;
20 Oxford college sounds so mawkish (7)
MAUDLIN; sounds like Magdalene;
22 With work inside, most of the paint drips (6)
GLOOPS; GLO(OP)S(s);
24 Saw sports grounds — fund finally provided for one (6)
STADDA; sports grounds=stadia then change I to D;
25 Pest beginning to plague hospital — get external help (5)
APHID; A(P-H)ID; P from p(lague);
26 Flier some miles up (4)
MYNA; ANY-M reversed;
27 Note as before the difference between Mary and May (4)
ONER; ONE-R; more usually “oncer”;