ACROSS
1 Tongue of a head briefly restricted by gag (8)
JAPANESE – A NES{s} “restricted” by JAPE. Deceptively “straightforward” 1ac for a MCS! But don’t worry, it won’t last long.
5 Huntsman, keeping a beagle (oddly), famously shot Texan (6)
JAEGER – “keeping” A {b}E{a}G{l}E, J.R. [famously shot in Dallas by, spoilers, Sue Ellen’s sister Kristin]
10 Foolishness after returning home, briefly to help unending row (9)
NIAISERIE – after reversed IN [home], AI{d} SERIE{s}
11 Craft that’s departed African city for change turning up in Nouakchott (5)
KHOUM – KH{art}OUM. Some fraction of a Mauritanian ouguiya
12 Moulding of ace for rugby in Wales (4)
CYMA – take CYMRU [Wales] and replace RU [rugby] with A [ace] for this “ogee moulding of the cornice”
13 Romantic couple having this gemstone might be just married (9)
HIDDENITE – a rather splendid reverse cryptic: if an ITEM [romantic couple] has “HIDDEN ITE”, then it is “just” M [married]
15 British engineer of note, pally with interior minister (10)
TREVITHICK – TI THICK [note | pally], with “interior” REV. Cornish builder of the first working steam locomotive, in your face George Stephenson.
17 Romeo leaving place for Sherry’s brother (4)
JEEZ – JE{r}EZ. Jeez! as in, oh brother!
19 Massage arms supply — ultimate in pain for the first minute (2,2)
AN MO – take AMMO [arms supply] and replace the first M(inute) with {pai}N. Some kind of Chinese practice
20 Black olives he’s cooked turn red (10)
BOLSHEVISE – (B OLIVES HE’S*), “red” as in “communist”
22 New pelican crossing not designed originally for one knocked down in alley (9)
CANDLEPIN – (PELICAN*) “crossing” N{ot} D{esigned}. Candlepin bowling is mostly played in New England and the Canadian Maritimes, I’m told
24 Fish caught, topped and turned with the meat served again for feast (4)
LUAU – take a HAUL [fish caught], “top” it to {h}AUL and “turn” to to LUA. Then add the “meat” of {l}U{a} to the end to conclude this compelling culinary clue
26 I see it now, having secured release primarily and enlightenment at last? (5)
ARHAT – AHA! [I see it now!] “secures” R{elease}, plus {enlightenmen}T, &lit, as the whole clue describes one having gained enlightenment and achieved nirvana
27 Scot’s refusal to allow Frenchmen a short vacation in spring near Perth? (5,4)
NAMMA HOLE – NAE “allows in” M M [(two) Frenchment] and A HOL. A rock hollow in the Australian desert that hopefully contains water
28 Essential for eg backbone of some companies: solid backing (6)
OSSEIN – hidden reversed in {compa}NIES SO{lid}
29 Old market traders, increasingly treacherous, heading to the East End (8)
KIDDIERS – SKIDDIER, last to first
DOWN
1 Commentator’s curse: wingers that can certainly turn heads! (4)
JYNX – homophone of JINX. The Jynx is a wryneck woodpecker that can turn its head almost 180 degrees and is wont to do this alarmingly when threatened
2 US poet transfixed by unknown tree and with it the singular worms (15)
PLATYHELMINTHES – (Sylvia) PLATH “transfixed” by Y, plus ELM, plus IN [with it], plus THE S(ingular)
3 A large measure of intelligence needed to follow mostly awful script (8)
NASTALIQ – A L IQ “following” NAST{y}. Beautiful Persian cursive
4 Second to first in Atlantic race gives us something to chew on (5)
SIRIH – take IRISH [Atlantic race] and move the S to first position, to find another word for the stimulant betel
6 Rounding up moose, vehicle seeing off duck and small seabird (6)
AUKLET – “rounding” reversed ELK, AUT{o}
7 I beg regional zoo to sort out what’s left of marine life (11,4)
GLOBIGERINA OOZE – (I BEG REGIONAL ZOO*). A deep-sea deposit of globigerina shells
8 Fagged at Gordonstoun: from memory terms, from what we’re told, light (10)
RAMFEEZLED – RAM [memory] + homophone of FEES + L.E.D.
9 Call to one’s beloved liveried servants (8)
HEYDUCKS – sometimes spelt “haiduk”, this Hungarian word, but HEY, DUCKS! is cuter
14 Relief as Unchained Melody covers number one in Italy and later India (10)
STIACCIATO – STACCATO [unchained melody, nice!] “covers” I{taly} and later I(ndia). Carven work on e.g. coins
16 Unfasten securing ring lodged in chap’s old tree (4,4)
HUON PINE – UNPIN “securing” O, lodged in HE: a Tasmanian conifer
18 Bonnie and Clyde’s little fat friend’s first visits (4-4)
WEEL-FAR’D – WEE [Scottish little] + LARD [fat] “visited” by F{riend}. Scots for “well-favoured” or bonnie
21 More than one muscle in climbing that is supporting an excessive amount (6)
GLUTEI – I.E. reversed, supporting GLUT
23 Instances of light above the blessed clouds! (5)
NIMBI – double def, haloes or clouds
25 Wheel engineer out of centre to see music event (4)
FEIS – FE{rr}IS, or an Irish festival
Struggled with 1ac, thinking can it really be that straightforward?
Now looking for opportunities to introduce “ramfeezled” into a conversation…
Thanks for this amazing write-up. Hope to do better this month!
As ever, forcing one of these to submit was a distinct pleasure, even if it means learning words you’re never going to see again, particularly the two long ones.
Almost a sense of disappointment when JAPANESE and JAEGER went straight in across the top: where’s the challenge in that?!