Mephisto 2988 – Paul McKenna

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

ACROSS

1 Flipping balanced by means of self-control (6)
TEMPER; (MET reversed)-PER;
6 Sloth, whose life is carefree, wasting energy in an offhand way (6)
AIRILY; AI-RIL(e)Y; reference “life of Riley” = la vie en rose;
12 Fish favoured by French chefs scares easily when captured (8)
RASCASSE; (scares)* surrounds AS=when; anagrind=easily; an ingredient of bouillabaisse
13 Come in and start to perform freely, it’s such an event (7)
OPEN-MIC; (come in + p)*; “p” from P(erform); nice clue;
14 Some panel games overturned depression (4)
GLEN; hidden reversed (sema)G-LEN(ap);
15 This lets you hear cornet trio’s set, once started (11, two words)
CORTI’S, ORGAN; COR-(trios)-GAN; cornet=COR; old word for started=GAN; part of inner ear;
16 Poplar is, to whatever extent, cooler (5)
ASPEN; AS-PEN; cooler=prison=PEN
17 Being nuts about British Airways, Tibetans get stuck into it (6)
TSAMBA; (MAST reversed)-BA; nuts=MAST;
20 Fights with Scots before noon, I’m back breaking resolution (7)
RAMMIES; R(AM-I’M reversed)ES;
22 For some colleges, head for Old Street after 5 (7)
PROVOST; PRO-V-O-ST;
25 In supposedly significant line fool finds forbearance (6)
LENITY; LE(NIT)Y; I’m not getting into Ley Lines;
27 ____ provided that end of fast (Arabic) (5)
IFTAR; IF-(fas)T-AR; the meal that breaks the daily fast – good clue;
28 French article likely after dear old clergyman’s market (11, two words)
STEEPLE,FAIR; STEEP-LE-FAIR;
30 Northern racer finding reward in part (4)
GREW; hidden (findin)G-REW(ard);
31 Fruit ices I’ll supply (7)
SILICLE; (ices I’ll)*;
32 Stop, slyly look back on what’s odd in shed — it’s a gardener’s thing (8, two words)
HOSE,REEL; HO-SE-(LEER reversed); SE from S(h)E(d);
33 RIP or the equivalent in black (6)
TO-TEAR; T(OTE)AR; or the equivalent=OTE; ignore the capital letters!
34 Prepared yours truly for a restorative (6)
REMEDY; prepared=ready then change “a” to ME;

DOWN

1 This bores trustee of estate, amongst others (6)
TROCAR; TR-O-CAR; trustee=TR;
2 Public showing / unerring openness to danger (8)
EXPOSURE; two meanings;
3 Clubman potting two in the middle in an old sort of pool (4)
MEER; ME(mb)ER;
4 Secretly plot against losing count — this shows him for what he is (6)
ERMINE; (count)ERMINE; the dress of the nobility;
5 People who build? Perhaps wet, perhaps cut-throat, we hear (7)
RAISERS; sounds like “razors”;
7 We decorate policewomen clearing off (5)
ICERS; (off)ICERS;
8 Mudlark, once, with extra good music (11)
RAGGAMUFFIN; RAG(G)AMUFFIN;
9 Italy claims to totter with respect to monotheism (7)
ISLAMIC; I-(claims)*;
10 Yankee feature of some columns is lacking gossips (6)
YENTAS; Y-ENTAS(is);
11 We’ve entire gathering to introduce one applicant (11)
INTERVIEWEE; (we’ve entire)* surrounds I;
18 Upset dweeb, beset by worry, moaned (8)
BEWAILED; (dweeb)* surrounds AIL;
19 Stumped by short story competition (7)
CONTEST; CONTE-ST; stumped=ST (cricket);
21 Greek goddess, she’s flat out painting place (7)
ATELIER; ATE-LIER;
22 Promise / pickle, ploughman’s tip — easy to get down (6)
PLIGHT; two definitions plus P-LIGHT;
23 Mean to pack article used by Spaniard’s instrument (6)
VIELLE; VI(EL)LE;
24 American’s poor take for Newton’s clockwork model (6)
ORRERY; American’s poor=ornery then change “n” = Newton to “r”= take; a mechanical model of the solar system that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons, usually according to the heliocentric model
26 Erected facility for Cousteau and fish (5)
TETRA; ART-ET reversed; Cousteau = French;
29 One type of current Middle East crisis that’s forgotten (4)
ACME; AC-ME; old word for crisis