There were some unknown bits and pieces here but I had no problems solving it in one session and without resorting to aids.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Reason items not delivered: batch outside St Trinians misplaced (4,2,7) |
| LOST IN TRANSIT | |
| LOT (batch) containing [outside] anagram [misplaced] of ST TRINIANS. Click here if you want to know more about St Trinian’s. I note the clue is missing an apostrophe. | |
| 8 | Magistrate at party good for cut-throat competition (3-3-3) |
| DOG-EAT-DOG | |
| DOGE (magistrate – of Venice or Genoa), AT, DO (party), G (good). I wonder in what context ‘g’ became an abbreviation for ‘good’ and why doesn’t ‘b’ = ‘bad’? | |
| 13 | Almost failing to save edition in early Sanskrit (5) |
| VEDIC | |
| VIC{e} (failing) [almost] containing [to save] ED (edition). The language of the Vedas, an early form of Sanskrit. | |
| 14 | Mediterranean drink? It’s a cider brewed in sober group (8,3) |
| ADRIATIC SEA | |
| Anagram [brewed] of IT’S A CIDER contained by [in] AA (sober group – Alcoholics Anonymous) | |
| 15 | Ancient instrument rotated on black stone (5) |
| BERYL | |
| B (black), then LYRE (ancient instrument) reversed [rotated] | |
| 16 | Craft surface as tribute to Garland? (9) |
| AFTERDECK | |
| AFTER (as tribute to), DECK (garland). I can’t say I knew of this but Collins has it as: nautical the unprotected deck behind the bridge of a ship. | |
| 17 | Champ, caught, fell (4) |
| CHEW | |
| C (caught), HEW (fell – cut down) | |
| 18 | Stick with commercial as far as this (6,2) |
| ADHERE TO | |
| AD (commercial), HERETO (as far as this) | |
| 20 | Honour claimed by barbarian navigator (6) |
| HUDSON | |
| DSO (honour – Distinguished Service Order) contained [claimed] by HUN (barbarian) | |
| 21 | Maths discipline altering ridiculously thick-skinned copper? (8,8) |
| INTEGRAL CALCULUS | |
| Anagram [ridiculously] of ALTERING, then CU (copper) contained by CALLUS. ‘Thick-skinned’ refers to a feature of calluses and doubles as a containment indicator. | |
| 24 | Head coach ignoring first piece of cake (2-7) |
| NO-BRAINER | |
| NOB (head), {t}RAINER (coach) [ignoring first] | |
| 26 | Boorish type about to follow retiring giant (7) |
| GOLIATH | |
| HOG (boorish type) containing [about] TAIL (follow) reversed [retiring] | |
| 27 | Returning uniform and dress king leaves Greek territory (5) |
| CORFU | |
| U (uniform) + FROC{k} (dress) [king leaves] all reversed [returning] | |
| 29 | Italian artist heard inside calls for language scientists (12) |
| PHONETICIANS | |
| TICIAN sounds like [heard] “Titian” (Italian artist) contained by [inside] PHONES (calls) | |
| 31 | Reversing up hill man circles round island (6,4) |
| PUERTO RICO | |
| UP [reversing], ERIC (man) contains [circles] TOR (hill), then O (round) | |
| 33 | Doctor back in with Lord Batty in Global South (5,5) |
| THIRD WORLD | |
| DR (doctor) reversed [back] contained by [in] anagram [batty] of WITH LORD. Collins has Global South as: the less economically advanced countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America collectively. |
|
| 35 | Middleman from Bury, behold, ignored other ranks (12) |
| INTERLOCUTOR | |
| INTER (bury), LO (behold), CUT (ignored), OR (other ranks) | |
| 38 | Impatience ultimately observed in pleasant relative (5) |
| NIECE | |
| {impatienc}E [ultimately] contained by [observed in] NICE (pleasant) | |
| 39 | Means to admit when ones business is going down the drain (7) |
| MANHOLE | |
| Cryptic | |
| 40 | Mr S O’Casey worked for US plane company? (9) |
| SYCAMORES | |
| Anagram [worked] of MR S O’CASEY. The American plane tree (platanus occidentalis) is also called the American sycamore, so I assume that’s the reference here and perhaps ‘company’ is to indicate the plural. The question mark may be intended to make it less of a dodgy definition. Or perhaps I’m missing a better explanation? |
|
| 42 | Limited number in pub act in haste, madly consuming ecstasy (5,11) |
| LOCAL ANAESTHETIC | |
| LOCAL (pub), then anagram [madly] of ACT IN HASTE containing [consuming] E (ecstasy) | |
| 44 | Write a volume in furious activity — that brings ruin! (6) |
| RAVAGE | |
| A + V (volume) contained by [in] RAGE (furious activity) | |
| 47 | West Indian perhaps opposing Second Amendment pens article (8) |
| ANTIGUAN | |
| ANTI-GUN (opposing Second Amendment) contains [pens] A (article) | |
| 49 | Like good brandy that’s found in drainage ditch? (4) |
| AGED | |
| Hidden [found] in {drain}AGE D{itch} | |
| 50 | Queen with message for Alice featured in explosive adaptation? (9) |
| TREATMENT | |
| R (Queen) + EAT ME (message for Alice in Wonderland) contained by [featured in] TNT (explosive) | |
| 52 | Yank in paradise, not initially expelled (5) |
| HEAVE | |
| HEAVE{n} (paradise) [n{ot} initially, expelled] | |
| 53 | At home, deep in thought about former partner’s budget (11) |
| INEXPENSIVE | |
| IN (at home) + PENSIVE (deep in thought] containing [about] EX (former partner) | |
| 54 | Dunce, the writer had nothing invested in it (5) |
| IDIOT | |
| I’D (the writer had), then 0 (nothing) contained by [invested in] IT | |
| 55 | Highly regarded sappers, closely examined, in shed (9) |
| RESPECTED | |
| RE (sappers), {in}SPECTED (closely examined) [‘in’ shed] | |
| 56 | Shocking killer‘s one featured in emotionally charged daily (8,5) |
| ELECTRIC CHAIR | |
| I (one) contained by [featured in] ELECTRIC (emotionally charged) + CHAR (daily – cleaner) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Sea-monster having patriarch and prophet beheaded (9) |
| LEVIATHAN | |
| LEVI (patriarch), {N}ATHAN (prophet) [beheaded]. Two biblical references. | |
| 2 | On chair, taken round Land’s End, given diazepam? (7) |
| SEDATED | |
| SEATED (on chair) containing [taken round] {lan}D [‘s end] | |
| 3 | Old rocker’s initial parts in my head for mix (11) |
| INCORPORATE | |
| O (old) + R{ocker’s} [initial] is contained by [parts] IN + COR (my!) + PATE (head) | |
| 4 | North African in Egypt once stuffing sheep (6) |
| TUAREG | |
| UAR (Egypt once) contained by [stuffing] TEG (sheep). A member of a nomadic Amazigh people of the Sahara. Egypt as UAR is covered in the first paragraph here. | |
| 5 | Freak rain storms, one having Dutch origins (9) |
| AFRIKANER | |
| Anagram [storms] of FREAK RAIN | |
| 6 | Internet Explorer? (6,6) |
| SEARCH ENGINE | |
| It’s many years since I used this Microsoft application and I thought at first the clue was a straight definition, but then I remembered that IE was a web browser rather than a search engine, so I think this qualifies as a cryptic clue. | |
| 7 | Giants of literature and fantasy going head to head in paper? (6,4) |
| TOILET ROLL | |
| ELIOT (giant of literature) + TROLL (giant of fantasy) the first being reversed [going head to head] | |
| 8 | This for example — from Denmark, not Northern Ireland (4) |
| DASH | |
| DA{ni}SH (from Denmark) [not Northern Ireland]. The example in the clue is an ’em dash’. | |
| 9 | Striker smashing mug filled with pop (11,5) |
| GRANDFATHER CLOCK | |
| GRAND (smashing) + CLOCK (mug – both slang for ‘face’) containing [filled with] FATHER (pop) | |
| 10 | Perhaps take constitutional risk, ousting leader (5) |
| AMBLE | |
| {g}AMBLE (risk) [ousting leader] | |
| 11 | Bishop engaged in single combat with Liberal naturalist (7) |
| DURRELL | |
| RR (bishop – Right Reverend) contained by [engaged in] DUEL (single combat), L (Liberal). More about Gerald Durrell here if required. | |
| 12 | Comedian necessarily suspended delivering such dark material? (7,6) |
| GALLOWS HUMOUR | |
| A cryptic hint precedes the main definition | |
| 19 | Suit certain to delight (8) |
| PLEASURE | |
| PLEA (suit), SURE (certain) | |
| 22 | Producer of beans approximately doubled with embargo’s end (5) |
| CACAO | |
| CA + CA ((approximately – circa) [doubled], {embarg}O [end] | |
| 23 | Punished servant — not in lime green (16) |
| ENVIRONMENTALIST | |
| Anagram [punished] of SERVANT NOT IN LIME | |
| 25 | New union member’s restraining order for dull individual (7) |
| BROMIDE | |
| BRIDE (new union member) containing [restraining] OM (Order of Merit). I didn’t know this meaning. | |
| 28 | Martini at last included in list for party (7) |
| ROISTER | |
| {martin}I [at last] contained by [included in] ROSTER (list) | |
| 29 | Obvious agitation about English material that’s shellacked (6,7) |
| PATENT LEATHER | |
| PATENT (obvious), LATHER (agitation) containing [about] E (English). It’s treated with shellack varnish. | |
| 30 | Man’s man for example is on spacecraft (8) |
| ISLANDER | |
| IS, LANDER (spacecraft). Reference the Isle of Man. | |
| 32 | Standing alone at home of French writer, cold, in valley (12) |
| INDEPENDENCE | |
| IN (at home), DE (of, French), PEN (writer), then C (cold) contained by [in] DENE (valley) | |
| 34 | Rest attention where blue reflected by lake (5) |
| DWELL | |
| LEWD (blue – indecent) reversed [reflected], L (lake) | |
| 36 | Brief one’s held in Washington area for digital recording (7,4) |
| COMPACT DISC | |
| COMPACT (brief) then I’S (one’s) contained by [held in] DC (Washington area) | |
| 37 | Dish having price occasionally served by the house? (7,3) |
| COTTAGE PIE | |
| COTTAGE (house), P{r}I{c}E [occasionally] | |
| 40 | This is not bad for devout Japanese (9) |
| SHINTOIST | |
| Anagram [bad] of THIS IS NOT | |
| 41 | One viewing Mark Murphy’s broadcast (9) |
| SPECTATOR | |
| Sounds like [broadcast] “speck” (mark) + “tater” (Murphy – slang for potato) | |
| 43 | Girl coming below slashed pirate’s arm (7) |
| CUTLASS | |
| CUT (slashed), LASS (girl) | |
| 45 | Uncle Sam‘s revolutionary mother on the heath (7) |
| AMERICA | |
| MA (mother) reversed [revolutionary], ERICA (heath) | |
| 46 | Timeless Himalayan creature devouring people from Sanaa? (6) |
| YEMENI | |
| YE{t}I (Himalayan creature) [timeless] containing [devouring] MEN (people). Sanaa is the capital of Yemen. | |
| 48 | Diver one about to escape shipping hazard from the south (5) |
| GREBE | |
| {ic}EBERG (shipping hazard) [one about – I C – to escape] reversed [from the south] | |
| 51 | Character standing leaves to exercise joint (4) |
| WELD | |
| W{i}ELD (exercise) [character standing – I – leaves] | |
This was a very quick run through, almost besting my time for Middle Brother. I can’t see any other resolution for SYCAMORES: the plural is the company of trees. I assumed Mr S O’Casey was intended to be the Irish playwright, which at least made it more than just a random selection of letters.
Otherwise, I’m feeling smug about spelling LEVIATHAN correctly – I don’t usually, but “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet” was a generous help.
SYCAMORES having ‘company’ to indicate the plural definitely makes this my COD.
44A: I don’t understand what ‘write’ is doing in this clue. Seems redundant.
I took it as an instruction to the solver : Write A inside B to arrive at the answer (C).
It’s a device that setters use occasionally. Okay the clue would be solvable without it but it can improve the surface reading – not by much in this particular case, I grant you.
I whizzed through this and then got completely stuck on 31ac. Eventually I followed the principle that when you’re really stuck you should double check the crossing answers and realised that COCOA was wrong.
I see now I never got WELD, so a DNF. I was amused at the definition ‘devout Japanese’, which is almost an oxymoron. Completely misled by ‘Mark Murphy’.