1 Entirely at home with Dorothy’s best friend (2,4)
IN TOTO – IN [at home] with TOTO [Dorothy (Gale)’s best friend]
5 Fancy trousers, back to front and extremely ticklish (7)
STREWTH – take TREWS [trousers], put the back letter to the front, and add T{icklis}H to get a word for “fancy!” or “fancy that!’
9 Literary marquis (not duke) embracing top adventure (8)
ESCAPADE – {d}E SADE [literary Marquis, minus D for duke] “embracing” CAP [top]
13 Mathematical statements confusing fifteen old antiquaries (12,9)
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS – (FIFTEEN OLD ANTIQUARIES*) [“confusing”]
14 Shout about rough Australian pots (8)
CROCKERY – CRY [shout] “about” OCKER [rough Australian]
15 Face of incredibly quiet chap, reportedly Abraham’s son (7)
ISHMAEL – I{ncredibly} + SH [quiet] + homophone of MALE [chap]
16 Dull second mate with primitive instincts (6)
STUPID – S [second] + TUP [mate] + ID [primitive instincts]
17 Fellow Estonian perhaps exhaled audibly in shade (6,4)
COBALT BLUE – CO-BALT [fellow Estonian, perhaps] + homophone of BLEW [exhaled]
20 Port in India surrounded by jade, iron ore, bananas (3,2,7)
RIO DE JANEIRO – I [India] “surrounded” by (JADE, IRON ORE*) [“bananas”]
23 Man perhaps lives vacuous life (4)
ISLE – IS [lives] + L{if}E
24 Use blades, decapitating delightful fish (3,5)
ICE SKATE – {n}ICE [“decapitated” delightful] + SKATE [fish]
26 Draw on book jacket of “Candide” for entertainment (3,5)
TAP DANCE – TAP [draw on] + DAN. [book (of the Bible, abbrev.)] + C{andid}E
29 Pension off screwed up Teresa, a nun (12)
SUPERANNUATE – (UP TERESA, A NUN*) [“screwed”]
30 Cut tax allowance after European liberality (10)
TOLERATION – TOL{l} [“cut” tax] + RATION [allowance] after E [European]
32 Lover ditches the setter behind the main sewer (10)
SEAMSTRESS – M{i}STRESS [lover “ditches” I = the setter], behind SEA [the main]
34 Describe carer ethic as amazing (12)
CHARACTERISE – (CARER ETHIC AS*) [“amazing”]
36 Toddler wrapped in flag by ace Bulgarian copper (8)
STOTINKA – TOT [toddler] “wrapped” in SINK [flag] by A [ace]. Classic crossword word, 1/100 of a lev.
38 Pub regulars in Lucerne make insinuation (8)
INNUENDO – INN [pub] + {l}U{c}E{r}N{e} + DO [make]
39 Ghastly Hanoverian king, first of many (4)
GRIM – G.R. I [George the First] + M{any}. Possibly semi-&lit, depending on your opinion of Hanoverian monarchs.
41 Polish-Irish writer accepting brother as impartial mediator (6,6)
HONEST BROKER – HONE STOKER [polish | Irish writer (Bram)] “accepting” BR [broker]
43 Awful acts in urban areas after matron sheds clothing (10)
ATROCITIES – CITIES [urban areas] after {m}ATRO{n}
44 Oppressive temperature in cupboard (6)
CLOSET – CLOSE T [oppressive | temperature]
46 Spoke highly of lift in Palladium (7)
PRAISED – RAISE [lift] in PD [Palladium (the element)]
48 Middle part </u>that fits into socket</u> (8)
EYEPIECE – EYE [middle, as in “of the storm”] + PIECE [part]. Eye socket, not plug socket here!
50 Last words seen by proofreader? (4,4,13)
QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM – cryptic definition, these being the final words read by the reader of a mathematical proof.
51 Kind look for Baskerville, perhaps (8)
TYPEFACE – TYPE [kind] + FACE [look]
52 Beset by strain, Mary’s mum hides here (7)
TANNERY – “Beset” by TRY [strain], ANNE [Mary’s mum (Jesus’s grandmother)]. Tannery as in a place where hides are tanned.
53 Suppress a retired magistrate in Rome (6)
AEDILE – reversed ELIDE A [suppress | a]
DOWN
2 Lowest point of rebellious playwright after female disappears (5)
NADIR – {she}RIDAN [playwright, minus SHE = female] “rebelling” = up/reversed. Hardest parse of the puzzle.
3 Formal language changing if I lose face (11)
OFFICIALESE – (IF I LOSE FACE*) [“changing”]
4 Smashed eggs over non-drinker in brawl (8)
OMELETTE – O [over] + TT [non-drinker] in MELEE [brawl]
5 Disreputable bishop’s office, disturbingly empty (5)
SEEDY – SEE [bishop’s office] + D{isturbingl}Y
6 Row after sailor climbs part of rigging (7)
RATLINE – LINE [row] after reversed TAR [sailor]
7 Brave tenor on radio, one unsettled by wind (7,4)
WEATHER VANE – WEATHER [brave] + homophone of VEIN [tenor]
8 Why we leave wife with an upset animal (5)
HYENA – {w}HY {w}E losing all its W’s, + reversed AN
9 Exuberant cows briefly entering hospital department (9)
EBULLIENT – BULLIE{s} [cows (the verb) “briefly”] “entering” ENT [hospital department]
10 Smart girls shunning drug for skin (5)
CUTIS – CUTI{e}S [smart girls, “shunning” E = drug]
11 Proud, angry words in favour of public transport (11)
PROTUBERANT – PRO-TUBE RANT [angry words in favour of public transport!]
12 Tramp clutching paper documents (7)
DOSSIER – DOSSER [tramp] “clutching” I [(the news)paper]
18 Extremely dim old boy sat on the outside eating kippers, say (9)
OBSCUREST – OB [old bay] + S{a}T “eating” CURES [kippers, say]
19 Allow parasites to bite rear of passionate non-smoker (7)
LICENSE – LICE [parasites] to “bite” {passionat}E + NS [non-smoker]. Luckily for those of us who get mixed up between LICENSE and LICENCE it’s pretty unambiguous how to abbreviate “non-smoker”.
21 Make business error, partially backing failed art revolution (9)
OVERTRADE – hidden reversed in {fail}ED ART REVO{lution}
22 Asks half-cut buccaneer to inhale (8)
ASPIRATE – AS{ks} + PIRATE [buccaneer]
25 Mates turned up with glue for knockabout comedy (9)
SLAPSTICK – reversed PALS [mates] + STICK [glue]
27 Mix force and fury in fierce exchange (9)
CROSSFIRE – CROSS [mix] + F [force] + IRE [fury]
28 Appallingly trite man, strict disciplinarian (8)
MARTINET – (TRITE MAN*) [“appallingly”]
31 Hero’s mate is slim, revolutionary communist (7)
LEANDER – LEAN [slim] + reversed RED [communist]. The mythological, female Hero.
33 Club members awaiting deliveries (7-2-2)
MOTHERS-TO-BE – cryptic definition. As in “in the club”, and obstetric deliveries.
34 Carmen snogs vile US politician (11)
CONGRESSMAN – (CARMEN SNOGS*) [“vile”]
35 Just cared, having moral sense (5-6)
RIGHT-MINDED – RIGHT [just] + MINDED [cared]
37 Originally advising extensive repair work on road in Lancaster? (9)
AEROPLANE – A{dvising} E{xtensive} R{epair} + OP [work] on LANE [road]. Lancaster as in the aircraft here.
40 Plans novel e-cash ATM (8)
SCHEMATA – (E-CASH ATM*) [“novel”]
42 Censure unruly yob grabbing two thirds of fruit (7)
OBLOQUY – (YOB*) [“unruly”] “grabbing” LOQU{at} [“two third of” fruit]
43 Bald men, scratching heads, finally taught me how to cook pasta (2,5)
AL DENTE – {b}ALD {m}EN + {taugh}T {m}E
45 Cheers supporting article and letter (5)
THETA – TA [cheers] “supporting” THE [article]
47 Initially act upon Morse’s sound assessment (5)
AUDIT – A{ct} U{pon} + DIT [Morse’s sound (that isn’t DAH)]
48 Guard neglecting southern gate? (5)
ENTRY – {s}ENTRY [guard, “neglecting” S = southern]
49 Arrived on back of doleful quadruped (5)
CAMEL – CAME [arrived] on {dolefu}L
Ong’ara,
Kenya.