Despite the presence of clues like 30ac and 45dn, I’m afraid little of this made a lasting impression on me. I *did* like the sea-led monks at 15, and the &littery at 5dn, oh yes, and the appearance of the Lunar Excursion Module in 20dn. And many of the services were commendably succinct. But it was all enjoyable enough while it lasted. Thanks setter!
ACROSS
1 Engineer endlessly longing to be cloaked in obscurity (9)
MACHINIST – ACHIN{g} to be “cloaked in” MIST
6 Is drink placed in old hat wasted? (10)
DISSIPATED – IS SIP “placed in” DATED
12 Startle artilleryman, heading off before end-of-war celebrations? (7)
UNNERVE – {g}UNNER before V-E
13 Nice way of describing a hedonist? (3,6)
BON VIVANT – Nice way, as in “in the manner of a French place”
14 I brought in copies done over in shade of brown (5)
SEPIA – I “brought in” reversed APES
16 Secret plans for monasteries under maritime directions? (6,6)
SEALED ORDERS – whereas SEA-LED ORDERS would be maritime-directed monasteries!
17 Non-participant, beginning to watch everyone, beginning to feel less prominent (10)
WALLFLOWER – W{atch} + ALL + F{eel} + LOWER
19 As adept with pen as with sword? (5,2,3,4)
QUICK ON THE DRAW – a definition that can imply speed of unsheathing a weapon, or possibly of creating a picture
22 Appropriate to involve Times, sure to revise regular items (8)
FIXTURES – FIT to “involve” X, + (SURE*)
24 Suppose administrator seizing power will want end to unrest (6)
EXPECT – EXEC “seizing” P, + {unres}T
25 Dairy product down? Something said to produce a smile (4,6)
BLUE CHEESE – BLUE [down, as in sad] + CHEESE!
26 Much enthusiasm about brother finding wild horse (5)
ZEBRA – ZEA{l} “about” BR
29 Perhaps, the Opposition article backed by Frenchman (4)
THEM – THE [(definite) article] backed by M. “Us v them.”
30 Puritan accepting new money, making an impression (8)
PRINTING – PRIG [puritan] “accepting” N TIN
32 Function hosting a performance offering little amusement (9)
SATURNINE – SINE “hosting” A TURN
34 The same may be represented in dialect (9)
IDENTICAL – (IN DIALECT*)
35 Atmospheric phenomenon? Study source of turbulence and fume (8)
CONTRAIL – CON [study] + T{urbulence} + RAIL [fume]
36 Tree? China has millions (4)
PALM – PAL has M
39 Sign of error in new rate for special edition of paper (5)
EXTRA – X [sign of error] in (RATE*)
40 Article in verse including record in sorry state (10)
APOLOGETIC – A [(indefinite) article] + POETIC [in verse] “including” LOG
42 Remarkable note penned by prisoner is handed over (6)
SIGNAL – N “penned by” reversed LAG IS
44 Sporting contest: plan to finish early or late in the day (8)
EVENTIDE – EVENT + IDE{a}
46 Action subsequently engaging lawyers to succeed in arbitration? (6,1,7)
STRIKE A BARGAIN – STRIKE + AGAIN “engaging” BAR
48 Very annoyed: silver reduced into small pieces retaining only 40% of value (10)
AGGRAVATED – AG [silver] + GRATED “retaining” VA{lue}
49 Erotica? Men with it possibly showing some speed in response (8,4)
REACTION TIME – (EROTICA MEN + IT*)
53 Blame hard to be accepted by group of thinkers? (5)
THANK – H to be “accepted” by TANK. Who do we have to thank for this?
54 Public official: origins linked to male in Arab state (9)
OMBUDSMAN – BUDS linked to M, in OMAN
55 I name support from near the coast (7)
INSHORE – I N SHORE
56 I agree: positive response seen in territory in the past (10)
YESTERYEAR – YES [I agree] + YEA [positive response] seen in TERR
57 Prepared with a line about study describing many office jobs? (9)
SEDENTARY – SET with A RY, about DEN
DOWN
1 Fellow, one with a passion (5)
MANIA – MAN, I with A
2 Take control of stimulus — something footballer takes (6,4)
CORNER KICK – CORNER [take control of, e.g. a market] + KICK [stimulus]
3 Reserve to move briskly, feeling the cold (3-5)
ICE-BOUND – ICE [reserve, as in frosty demeanour] + BOUND [move briskly]
4 Plant grew tall, avoiding cold lake (5)
IMBED – {c}{l}IMBED
5 Town in Kent has fashionable people cross (9)
TONBRIDGE – TON [fashionable people] + BRIDGE [cross]
6 Daughter, not fully mature, weak character (4)
DRIP – D + RIP{e}
7 Pretending to have support of a new religious figure (6)
SHAMAN – SHAM [pretending], to have support of A N
8 “Elitist leaning” may represent us (14)
INTELLIGENTSIA – (ELITIST LEANING*), semi-&lit. Unless of course “us” is just a definition for crossword enthusiasts!
9 More than one sailor loves to carry an instrument in the coldest temperature (8,4)
ABSOLUTE ZERO – ABS [more than one sailor] + O ZERO [(two) loves] to “carry” LUTE [an instrument]
10 Enable soldiers to turn up, bearing military captive (7)
EMPOWER – reversed REME [soldiers, as in Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers], “bearing” POW [prisoner of war]
11 Later question beginning to engage some number in smaller group (10)
SUBSEQUENT – QU + E{ngage} + N, in SUBSET
15 Love coming in fast — the stuff of jets and rockets (9)
AEROSPACE – EROS [love] “coming in” APACE
18 Source of disease: head about to keep note (8)
PATHOGEN – PATE about HOG [to keep], + N
20 Instrument in Apollo lander: I’m restrained about that (9)
IMPLEMENT – LEM [Apollo lander] – I’M PENT about that
21 Hold hard — young chap has fallen badly in between (4,6)
HALF NELSON – H SON [hard | young chap] has (FALLEN*) in between
23 China’s problem with crime (3,7)
TEA SERVICE – TEASER with VICE
27 National symbol? Scots own up after it’s found in refuse (9)
BRITANNIA – reversed AIN [Scots “own”] after IT is found in BRAN
28 Opener to meal with taste, left out as expression of sovereign’s thanks (5-3-6)
GRACE-AND-FAVOUR – GRACE [(spoken) opener to meal] + AND + F{l}AVOUR
31 Isle of Grain not entirely undeveloped (8)
INCHOATE – INCH [isle] + OATE{n}
33 Sailor following Channel, and French providing restriction (12)
STRAITJACKET – JACK [sailor] following STRAIT, + ET [and, French]
34 One cricket side taking article into practice area? That’s awkward (9)
INELEGANT – I + LEG AN [cricket side | article] into NET [practice area]
37 Paper upset about delay identifying shirker (10)
MALINGERER – reversed REAM about LINGER
38 End up accepting witches I found in Pacific lands (10)
MICRONESIA – reversed AIM “accepting” CRONES I. Gets everywhere in crosswords recently, does this clue.
41 Outermost layer is primed to disintegrate after input of energy (9)
EPIDERMIS – (IS PRIMED*), with insertion of E
43 Help is turning up after former schoolmate gets stuck on Northern rock (8)
OBSIDIAN – AID IS reversed, after O.B., gets stuck on N
45 Go wild after English impress deeply (7)
ENGRAVE – RAVE after ENG
47 Weak grouse sent skyward ends in trivial chase (6)
FEEBLE – reversed BEEF [grouse, as in complaint] + {trivia}L {chas}E
50 Punished, or preserved half-heartedly (5)
CANED – CAN{n}ED
51 Club comedy, ultimately satire (5)
IRONY – IRON [(golf) club] + {comed}Y
52 IT expert losing top in German river (4)
ODER – {c}ODER
V, you have through not threw in your preamble .. also I believe you can alter the publication time to whatever date you want, might be worth changing it to a time before 1385’s .. there is posterity to think of 🙂
Edited at 2019-06-15 10:09 am (UTC)
ONG’ARA,NAIROBI.