I found this one quite easy. There were very few words I didn’t know but I managed to deduce them from wordplay. The one exception was the second part of the answer at 51ac, a French expression I didn’t happen to know, so I’m reluctant to count that against me.
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]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Strut for instance extended across wood (6) |
| SASHAY | |
| SAY (for instance) containing [extended across] ASH (wood) | |
| 4 | Robust second wine, measure of its strength? (10) |
| SHOCKPROOF | |
| S (second), HOCK (wine), PROOF (measure of its strength) | |
| 10 | Suggested delicacy one has filled (5) |
| TACIT | |
| I (one) contained by [has filled TACT (delicacy) | |
| 14 | Cigarette lit, fire heartlessly put out (6,3) |
| FILTER TIP | |
| Anagram [out] of LIT FIRE P{u}T [heartlessly] | |
| 15 | Concept about country in South Africa regulating process (13) |
| NORMALISATION | |
| NOTION (concept) containing [about] MALI (country) itself contained by [in] RSA (Republic of South Africa). Edit: Thanks to ANW Cobb for correcting my original parsing. | |
| 16 | Lighter game (7) |
| PONTOON | |
| Two meanings. A flat-bottomed boat and a card game. | |
| 17 | Effective narration (7) |
| TELLING | |
| Two meanings, the first as in a telling contribution to something. | |
| 18 | Pose adopted by boy in a state? (7) |
| ALASKAN | |
| ASK (pose) contained [adopted] ALAN (boy) | |
| 19 | Huge flier off course, rare bird on course? (9,9) |
| WANDERING ALBATROSS | |
| WANDERING (off-course), ALBATROSS (rare bird on course). On a golf course an albatross is a hole played in three strokes under par, so comparatively rare. | |
| 21 | Higher than the first sixteen characters? (4) |
| ATOP | |
| A TO P (the first sixteen characters) | |
| 24 | Principled observance declared? (5) |
| RIGHT | |
| Aural wordplay [declared]: “rite” [observance] | |
| 26 | Take it in your own hands and chill out! (3,1,4) |
| GET A GRIP | |
| A literal hint precedes an expression equivalent to the answer | |
| 27 | Have the temerity to bring in European regulation where Dover is (8) |
| DELAWARE | |
| DARE (have the temerity) containing [to bring in] E (European) + LAW (regulation). Dover is the state capital. | |
| 29 | A border sign breaking three times now (2,3,6) |
| AT THE MOMENT | |
| A, then HEM (border) + OMEN (sign) contained by [breaking] T+T+T (three times) | |
| 30 | Stomach after lemon chicken (11) |
| YELLOWBELLY | |
| YELLOW (lemon), BELLY (stomach). A coward. | |
| 32 | Smashing up of gate amuses a pig, perhaps (7,4) |
| SAUSAGE MEAT | |
| Anagram [smashing up] of GATE AMUSES A | |
| 35 | Certain kennels benefit hot dog! (6,5) |
| BASSET HOUND | |
| BOUND (certain) contains [kennels] ASSET (benefit) + H (hot) | |
| 37 | Box opened by one with black key (5,3) |
| SPACE BAR | |
| SPAR (box) contains [opened by] ACE (one) + B (black) | |
| 39 | Perhaps ticker in particular good before brief turns (3,5) |
| EGG TIMER | |
| EG (in particular – for example), G (good), then REMIT (brief – instructions) reversed [turns] | |
| 40 | Deck held in casino, it appearing to the left (5) |
| PATIO | |
| Hidden [held] in {casin}O IT AP{pearing} reversed [to the left] | |
| 43 | Playwright confident in speech? (4) |
| SHAW | |
| Aural wordplay [in speech]: “sure” (confident) | |
| 44 | Macbeth’s life identity: a ballad too stupid? (1,4,4,2,2,5) |
| A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT | |
| Anagram [stupid] of IDENTITY A BALLAD TOO. I didn’t know the quotation so I had a battle working this one out. After the death of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth reflects that life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. | |
| 47 | Incompetent type, one blowing something out of proportion, ultimately (7) |
| BUNGLER | |
| BUGLER (one blowing something) containing [out of] {proportio}N [ultimately] | |
| 48 | Tender secretary at length scrubbing back (7) |
| PAINFUL | |
| PA (secretary), IN FUL{l} [at length] [scrubbing back] | |
| 50 | Eg plane orbiting Klingon kingdom identified initially — by one of those? (7) |
| TREKKIE | |
| TREE ( Eg plane) containing [orbiting] K{lingon} + K{ingdom} + I {dentified} [initially]. The definition is reflexive, specifically to Klingon which gives us the Star Trek connection. | |
| 51 | Rendering of a perfect theme in pastoral scene (4,9) |
| FÊTE CHAMPÊTRE | |
| Anagram [rendering of] A PERFECT THEME. Collins: a genre of painting popular in France from the early 18th century, characterized by the depiction of figures in pastoral settings. Watteau was its most famous exponent | |
| 52 | A bolt screwed into rod one’s pocketed! (4,5) |
| POOL TABLE | |
| Anagram [screwed] of A BOLT contained by [into] POLE (rod). Collins: pole – a unit of measure, equal to one rod in linear measure (5.029 m) or one square rod in square measure (25.29 sq m). | |
| 53 | Mangy spud, by the sound of it? (5) |
| TATTY | |
| Aural wordplay [by the sound of it]: “tattie” (spud – potato) | |
| 54 | Standard trick nailing a rudiment of drumming (10) |
| PARADIDDLE | |
| PAR (standard) + DIDDLE (trick) containing [nailing] A. Collins: paradiddle – a group of four drum beats produced by using alternate sticks in the pattern right-left-right-right or left-right-left-left | |
| 55 | Strong programme cut, smoke remains? (3,3) |
| FAG END | |
| F (strong – loud in music), AGEND{a}(programme) [cut] | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Political diplomacy in newspaper, paramilitary offensive originally covered by broadcaster (4,5) |
| SOFT POWER | |
| FT (newspaper – Financial Times)) + P{aramilitary} + O{ffensive} [originally] contained [covered] by SOWER (broadcaster) | |
| 2 | Wobbly thing lets in winter air (6,5) |
| SILENT NIGHT | |
| Anagram [wobbly] of THING LETS IN. A Christmas carol. | |
| 3 | Solvent, take note, capitalist is bearing up! (7) |
| ACETONE | |
| Hidden and reversed [is bearing up] in {tak}E NOTE CA{pitalist} | |
| 5 | Go jump in a lake, as might frog? (3,2) |
| HOP IT | |
| A literal hint follows on from an expression equivalent to the answer, both dismissive terms meaning ‘go away’.. | |
| 6 | Might prove enchanting framing lovers starting out — might it? (11) |
| CANDLELIGHT | |
| CAN (might), DELIGHT (prove enchanting) containing [framing] L{overs} [starting out]. Another reflexive definition. | |
| 7 | Resolve to appear bold in a concrete jungle (11) |
| PERTINACITY | |
| PERT (bold – forward, cheeky), IN, A, CITY (concrete jungle) | |
| 8 | Greenhouse gas has park warden huffy in the end (8) |
| ORANGERY | |
| O (gas – oxygen), RANGER (park warden), {huff}Y [in the end] | |
| 9 | Day and date to eat chicken, primarily, as — this dish has it! (9) |
| FRICASSEE | |
| FRI (day) + SEE (date) containing [to eat] C{hicken} [primarily] + AS | |
| 10 | Roman emperor’s bronze embodying power (6) |
| TRAJAN | |
| TAN (bronze) containing [embodying) RAJ (power) | |
| 11 | Cherry? Round object sustaining insect (7,4) |
| CRICKET BALL | |
| CRICKET (insect), BALL (round object). ‘Sustaining’ indicates underneath in a Down clue. This is slang in cricket for a new ball. | |
| 12 | Projection: all but one in football team active (5) |
| TENON | |
| Cryptic. A full football team active would consist of ‘eleven on’ the pitch. | |
| 13 | Laughing stock, ordinary bloke on feet to welcome king (8,4) |
| STANDING JOKE | |
| STANDING (on feet), JOE (ordinary bloke) containing [to welcome] K (king) | |
| 20 | Word of sympathy received by prophet, understood (8) |
| GATHERED | |
| THERE (word of sympathy – as in ‘there, there’) contained [received] by GAD (prophet). Gad was a seer or prophet who lived during the time of King David. | |
| 22 | Drunk sizing up a pasty? (3-4) |
| PIE-EYED | |
| Cryptic. A pasty is type of pie and if you size something up you look at it (eye it) carefully. | |
| 23 | Meat cut, a doctor and companion tucked in (4,4) |
| LAMB CHOP | |
| A + MB (doctor) + CH (Companion of Honour) contained by [tucked in] LOP (cut) | |
| 25 | Peg, callous sister upset youngster (8) |
| TEENAGER | |
| TEE (peg – golf), then REGAN (callous sister in King Lear) reversed [upset] | |
| 28 | Quiet moment in corporation, activists quickly dispersing (5,3) |
| FLASH MOB | |
| SH (quiet) + MO (moment) contained by [in] FLAB (corporation). Very minor query here as flab can be excess fat or loose flesh anywhere on the body whereas corporation is specifically a large paunch or belly. | |
| 29 | Missing intro, musical group provides backing (7) |
| ASSISTS | |
| {b}ASSISTS (musical group) [missing intro] | |
| 31 | Spillage of tear, or novice crying over spilt milk? (12) |
| OVERREACTION | |
| Anagram [spillage] of TEAR OR NOVICE. Overreaction in the sense that it’s spending time worrying about something that can’t be changed. |
|
| 33 | Looking at wall, where ladder goes in a difficult position? (2,7,2) |
| UP AGAINST IT | |
| A hint precedes the main definition | |
| 34 | Mean and ready for bare-knuckle fight? (5-6) |
| TIGHT-FISTED | |
| A cryptic hint follows the definition | |
| 35 | Having experienced a close shave, tie felt different going in front (11) |
| BATTLEFIELD | |
| Anagram [different] of TIE FELT contained by [going in] BALD (having experienced a close shave) | |
| 36 | Nub: link with heat that’s off, not on (11) |
| UNTHINKABLE | |
| Anagram [off] of NUB LINK HEAT | |
| 38 | Where nation goes for oath on page, poisonous stuff (9) |
| AFTERDAMP | |
| AFTER DAM (where nation goes for oath – damnation), P (page) | |
| 41 | Getting better marks coming in last? (2,3,4) |
| ON THE MEND | |
| M (mark) contained by [coming in] ON THE END (last) | |
| 42 | Pulp eaten by bird, sticky thing (8) |
| FLYPAPER | |
| PAP (pulp) contained [eaten] by FLYER (bird) | |
| 45 | Cooler leader in actuality behind a web of deceit? (4,3) |
| ICED TEA | |
| Anagram [web] of DECEIT, then A{ctuality} [leader] | |
| 46 | Spirited opening of performance, promising (6) |
| PLUCKY | |
| P{erformance} [opening of…], LUCKY (promising) | |
| 47 | Suit: fine one, choice clothes (5) |
| BEFIT | |
| BET (choice) contains [clothes] F (fine) + I (one) | |
| 49 | Part of jacket, copy reading between the lines? (5) |
| LAPEL | |
| APE (copy) contained by [reading between] L+L (lines) | |
DNK WANDERING ALBATROSS, PONTOON the boat, PARADIDDLE, AFTERDAMP. I biffed 44ac from the enumeration. I had the same query as Jack on FLAB.
Once again the dubious non-rhotic homophone rears its ugly head. Many speakers of English do not pronounce SHAW and ‘sure’ the same way, yet setters continue to ignore the distinction.
It’s expecting rather much of any setter to take account of every possible dialect and mode of speaking when setting this sort of clue. That’s why I long ago abandoned using the expression ‘sounds like’ in my blogs. It’s aural wordplay, an approximation, often intentionally inaccurate and humorous, like a pun or a Spoonerism. A trick to learn about and go along with in the spirit that’s intended rather than concern oneself with.
15 ac. I think it reads Mali within RSA. RSA being the proper name of the country and the clue puts Mali inside.
6d. Can = might in the clue, I think. Although I never like that as it doesn’t seem to me to be the same mood?
Many thanks to both setter and blogger.
Thanks. I overlooked the R in my original parsing of 15ac, now amended.
6dn was a typing error, also now amended.
Not much longer than the day’s Middle Brother, so yes, on the gentle side. I liked the clue for the Macbeth quote with its apposite anagram, though I didn’t need the anagram to enter the quote.
I can’t remember much about this but I have a contemporaneous note that I thought the clues were ‘good throughout’ – so I reckon I must have enjoyed it and found it on the somewhat easier side! Grateful thanks as ever.
I made hard work of this, finishing in 1h 26m, putting a firm end to a 2-week run of 33m Jumbos.
I didn’t know the Macbeth quote (we only did Henry IV at Bash Street) and I spent far too long thinking Fête Champêtre must be FARM something. Enjoyable nevertheless.
Thanks for the blog Jack.