I found this one kind of a struggle and I’m not sure if I have everything 100% sussed out.
There are an unsually large number of clues that require reversal of wordplay components here.
The first definition is underlined in the clues. Definitions can be verified in Chambers, so I’m only going to comment on definitions if there is something unusual.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 4 | Certainly boring church conference, say — it reduces one to silence (9) |
| CHOKE-PEAR – OKE(certainly) inside CH(church) and a conference PEAR | |
| 10 | Shock with bag — one should keep locks in order (8) |
| HAIRGRIP – HAIR(shock) and GRIP(bag). This is given in Chambers as one or two words | |
| 11 | Bury up north picked up — Hearts knocked out (4) |
| EARD – HEARD(picked up) missing H(Hearts) | |
| 12 | Short service before mass presages rejoicing (8) |
| ASPERGES – anagram of PRESAGES | |
| 13 | Gurnard in cans, Australian not English (4) |
| TUBS – the cans are TUBES, remove E(English) | |
| 14 | Miss Right, very small (5) |
| PETTY – remove the R(right) from PRETTY(very) | |
| 15 | Spotted swine without heads and hound without owner (6) |
| PIEDOG – SPIED(spotted) and HOG(swine) missing the first letters | |
| 17 | No little following for gala occurring in Washington summer? (7) |
| ESTIVAL – remove F(following) from FESTIVAL(gala) | |
| 21 | One mocks Stokes put in difficulty (7) |
| SCORNER – S at a CORNER(difficulty) | |
| 23 | With openings say, around one, ring first (7) |
| OSTIATE – STATE(say) surrounding I(one) with O(ring) at the front | |
| 26 | Prohibition covering liquor and one’s backing revolution (7) |
| INQILAB – BAN(prohibition) surrounding LIQ(liqur) and then I(one) – all reversed | |
| 27 | Fine arresting extremes of opulent love poem (6) |
| EROTIC – ERIC(a blood fine) surrounding the outside letters in OpulenT | |
| 28 | Opening line forgotten, almost disastrously (5) |
| STOMA – remove L(line) from ALMOST, then anagram | |
| 31 | Berks doctor removed braces (4) |
| DUOS – the berks are DUMBOS, remove the MB(doctor) | |
| 32 | Rachel disturbed about case of poorest in capital (8) |
|
CHAPTREL – anagram of RACHEL surrounding P |
|
| 33 | Amateur move on and off the straight at Gleneagles (4) |
| AGEE – A(amateur) and GEE(move on) | |
| 34 | Leaving railway, deliberate about getting drunk (8) |
| EBRIATED – anaram of DELIBERATE missing EL(railway) | |
| 35 | Troops caught by night in preparation as before (9) |
| PARASCEVE – PARAS(troops), C(caught), EVE(night) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Endless cod for each individual and my charges are small (9) |
|
CHAPERONE – CHA |
|
| 2 | Pressure-relieving pad rejected? Bin it! (4) |
| WASE – WASTE(rejected) missing ‘T | |
| 3 | Description concealing rent out of date (4) |
| RIPT – hidden in descRIPTion | |
| 4 | Charlie on brass is soft (6) |
| CRETIN – C(charlie, NATO alphabet), RE(on), TIN(brass) | |
| 5 | Wild reveller, alternatively huge person getting a change of direction (7) |
| ORGIAST – OR(alternately), then GIANT(huge person) with N changing to S | |
| 6 | No speech impediment Earl picked up from Greek character (7) |
| EPSILON – NO, LISP(speech impediment), E(earl) all reversed | |
| 7 | Fellow safe till down under (5) |
| PETER – three definitions | |
| 8 | Did stuff on Emirates put over in pale-green colour (8, three words) |
| EAU DE NIL – LINED(did stuff, or stuffed), UAE(United Arab Emirates), all reversed | |
| 9 | Gardens conveyed in painting first class (8) |
| ARBORETA – BORE(conveyed) in ART(painting), A(first class) | |
| 16 | Soldier eats a blue biscuit (9) |
| GARIBALDI – GI(soldier) containing A, RIBALD | |
| 18 | Absolute tenacity while ascending outside run in ice ridge (8) |
| SASTRUGA – A, GUTS(tenacity), AS(while), all reversed | |
| 19 | Murphy holds very colourful skin marker (8) |
| TATTOOER – TATER(Murphy) containing TOO(very) | |
| 20 | Changes brought about 100 enlarged vessels (7) |
| VARICES – VARIES(changes) surrounding C(100) | |
| 22 | One square metre area adopted by resort (7) |
| CENTARE – A(area) inside CENTRE(resort) | |
| 24 | Irritate transvestite turning around in colourful stripes (6) |
| VITTAE – EAT(irritate), TV(transvestite) all reversed surrounding I(in) | |
| 25 | Lost? Take a satnav regularly when going north (5, two words) |
| AT SEA – alternating letters in tAkE a SaTnAv, all reversed | |
| 29 | Enthusiasm’s shown up with no little energy in scraps (4) |
| ORTS – ESTRO(enthusiam) reversed, missing E(energy) | |
| 30 | Moslem ruler is male, always (4) |
| MEER – M(make), EER(always) | |
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