A very enjoyable puzzle which I solved over two sessions. It contains very few words or meanings I had not met before, but nothing obscure, and everything was deducible from wordplay or definition.
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 now use a Caret sign ⁁ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Announced permission to go through baptism, for example (4,2,7) |
| RITE OF PASSAGE – Aural wordplay [announced]: “Right of passage” (permission to go through) | |
| 8 | Very much in debt for computer deliveries (9) |
| DOWNLOADS – DOWN (in debt), LOADS (very much) | |
| 13 | Pass off clenched hand having nothing in it (5) |
| FOIST – F⁁IST (clenched hand) containing [having…in it] 0 (nothing) | |
| 14 | Wheeze, returning from exam eg at art school (9) |
| STRATAGEM – Reversed [returning] and hidden in [from] {exa}M EG AT ART S{chool} | |
| 15 | Seek information from contents of tiny pile of paper (7) |
| INQUIRE – {t}IN{y}{contents of…], QUIRE (pile of paper) | |
| 16 | What could indicate hour of novelist our realm viciously suppresses (5,7) |
| ROMAN NUMERAL – Anagram [viciously] of OUR REALM contains [suppresses] MANN (novelist). The definition refers to traditional clock faces on which the hours are indicated by Roman numerals. | |
| 17 | Circus more splendid after installing good place for band (4,6) |
| RING FINGER – RING (circus), FIN⁁ ER (more splendid) containing [after installing] G (good). Circus – a circular open place where many streets come together e.g. Piccadilly Circus. The literal refers to a wedding ring. | |
| 18 | Like some walking old way through six counties — cold (6) |
| NORDIC – O (old) + RD (way) contained by [through] N⁁I (six counties – Northern Ireland), C (cold). Apparently Nordic Walking is a thing – who knew? | |
| 19 | After short glance, noticed daughter not occupied at this (5,3) |
| LOOSE END – LOO{k} (glance) [short}, SEEN (noticed), D (daughter) | |
| 21 | No case for illegal trade with a tropical product (6) |
| RAFFIA – {t}RAFFI{c} (illegal trade) [no case for…], then A. The product of a palm tree native to Madagascar used in weaving basketware etc. |
|
| 24 | Spaniard with a Welsh girl — as they say, ladies first (10) |
| ANDALUSIAN – AND (with), A, aural wordplay [they say] LU / “loo” (ladies), then SIAN (Welsh girl) | |
| 26 | One has stacks to clean when my pieces crumble (7,5) |
| CHIMNEY SWEEP – Anagram [crumble] of WHEN MY PIECES | |
| 29 | Head off accident? Not careful enough (4) |
| RASH – {c}RASH (accident) [head off] | |
| 30 | Disclaim holding corps, disloyal no longer (8) |
| RECREANT – REC⁁ANT (disclaim) containing [holding] RE (corps – Royal Engineers) | |
| 31 | Old sheep with one shoulder cut cured (8) |
| PASTRAMI – PAST (old), RAM (sheep), I (one). Highly seasoned smoked (cured) beef, especially prepared from a shoulder cut. | |
| 34 | Songs went high up at this rate (8) |
| AIRSPEED – AIRS (songs), PEED (went) | |
| 35 | River creature in land legally acquired by temple (5,3) |
| WATER RAT – TERRA (land legally – in legal terminology) contained [acquired] by WA⁁T (temple) | |
| 36 | Nobody has energy to move something inert (4) |
| NEON – NONE moves E (energy) to make NEON, an inert gas | |
| 39 | Sailor apparently ready for burial who suddenly jumps up (4-2-3-3) |
| JACK-IN-THE-BOX – A cryptic hint precedes the literal clue to the toy | |
| 40 | Noticed his failing, pleasure-seeking (10) |
| HEDONISTIC – Anagram [failing] of NOTICED HIS | |
| 43 | Miserable day and hour regularly for holy man (6) |
| SADDHU – SAD (miserable), D (day), H{o}U{r} [regularly] | |
| 44 | Gorgeous bachelor leaves crowd in aftermath of a party (8) |
| ADORABLE – A, DO (party), RAB{b}LE (crowd) [bachelor leaves] | |
| 45 | Very happy building’s first illuminated by helium (6) |
| BLITHE – B{uilding’s} [first], LIT (illuminated), HE (helium) | |
| 49 | After second refusal, I cut into staff’s legal rights (10) |
| MONOPOLIES – MO (second), NO (refusal), then I contained by [cut into] POL⁁E’S (staff’s) | |
| 51 | Mean bracket I carved as woodworker (7-5) |
| CABINET-MAKER – Anagram [carved] of MEAN BRACKET I | |
| 53 | Bliss, having vehicle in wild rain (7) |
| NIRVANA – VAN (vehicle) contained by [in] anagram [wild] of RAIN | |
| 54 | A certain ploy gaining area for time in the country (3,6) |
| THE GAMBIA – THE (a certain), then GAMBIt (ploy) becomes GAMBIA when A (area) is exchanged for t (time) | |
| 55 | Recurring idea for rejecting English wine (5) |
| TROPE – E (English) + PORT (wine ) reversed [for rejecting] | |
| 56 | Up to 18, not keen about Henry wearing green (6-3) |
| SCHOOL-AGE – C⁁OOL (not keen) containing [about] H (Henry), all contained by [wearing] S⁁AGE (green) | |
| 57 | Certifies I ate a chestnut that is bad (13) |
| AUTHENTICATES – Anagram [bad] of I ATE A CHESTNUT |
|
| Down |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Political questions from priest, very lost for fine answer (9) |
| REFERENDA – REvEREND (priest) becomes REFEREND when v (very) is lost in favour of F (fine), then A (answer) | |
| 2 | Person who changes views when advantageous better turned out (7) |
| TRIMMER – Two meanings. I didn’t know the first one. | |
| 3 | Pretended to be missing, first off: showing good judgment, just the same (10) |
| OSTENSIBLY – {l}OST (missing) [first off], {s}ENSIBLY (showing good judgment) [just the same – also first off] | |
| 4 | Forgo second drink, following assistant (4,2) |
| PASS UP – PA (assistant), S (second), SUP (drink) | |
| 5 | Policy, ignoring home, includes covering large watch (12) |
| SURVEILLANCE – {in}SUR⁁ANCE (policy) [ignoring home] contains [includes] VEIL (covering) + L (large) | |
| 6 | Player grabbing character from behind: it gets things moving (8) |
| ACTUATOR – ACT⁁OR (player) containing [grabbing] TAU (character) reversed [from behind] | |
| 7 | Hence hesitant dismissal? (4) |
| ERGO – ER… GO (hesitant dismissal) | |
| 8 | Part of address of monk with a hot reputation (6,4) |
| DOMAIN NAME – DOM (monk), A, IN (hot – popular), NAME (reputation) | |
| 9 | Complain joint is under weight (6) |
| WHINGE – W (weight), HINGE (joint) | |
| 10 | Some wealth in vintage wine perhaps, but not in vintage cars? (6,6) |
| LIQUID ASSETS – Cryptic | |
| 11 | Creating fear, having little hope on this, with a prayer (5) |
| AWING – A WING (having little hope on this, with a prayer). The phrase “on a wing and a prayer” originated from damaged WWII bomber crews limping home. It means succeeding or surviving with the bare minimum resources, relying primarily on luck and faith. | |
| 12 | Moves to discredit American maps, poorly covering golf (5,8) |
| SMEAR CAMPAIGN – Anagram [poorly] of AMERICAN MAPS containing [covering] G (golf) | |
| 20 | Reworked and hence improved (8) |
| ENHANCED – Anagram [reworked] of AND HENCE | |
| 22 | Let a man go who acts without restraint (4,5) |
| FREE AGENT – FREE A GENT (let a man go) | |
| 23 | Voracious, finally seize certain books I must open (8) |
| ESURIENT – {seiz}E [finally], then I contained by [must open] SUR⁁E (certain) + NT (books – New Testament) | |
| 25 | Shamed, dig sacred ground (9) |
| DISGRACED – Anagram [ground] of DIG SACRED | |
| 27 | Harsh demand for money in divorce case? (8) |
| EXACTION – EX ACTION (divorce case?) | |
| 28 | Stress vote for the left? (8) |
| BELABOUR – BE LABOUR (vote for the left) | |
| 29 | Avoid female authors, with TLS heartlessly making small changes (13) |
| READJUSTMENTS – READ JUST MEN (avoid female authors), then T{l}S [heartlessly] | |
| 32 | Standing quietly, nothing grand here (7,5) |
| UPRIGHT PIANO – UPRIGHT (standing), PIANO (quietly) | |
| 33 | Irish revolutionary moving left holds news channels beyond salvation (12) |
| IRREMEDIABLE – IR (Irish) then REBEL (revolutionary) moving left becomes RE⁁BLE and contains [holds] MEDIA (news channels) | |
| 37 | Bull in mortuary? (4,6) |
| DEAD CENTRE – A cheeky cryptic hint supports the main definition which refers to the centre of a target | |
| 38 | Immunity may be so complex to claim with depression on top (10) |
| DIPLOMATIC – DIP (depression), anagram [complex] of TO CLAIM | |
| 41 | Church never more pessimistic? (9) |
| CHEERLESS – CH (church), E’ER LESS (never more) | |
| 42 | Some underwear poet hasn’t finished wearing (8) |
| ABRADANT – A BRA (some underwear), DANT{e} (poet) [hasn’t finished]. Not a word I knew. | |
| 46 | On application, obtain date (4,3) |
| TAKE OUT – Two meanings | |
| 47 | One fleeced, put up initially across better city (6) |
| ALPACA – A{cross} [initially] + CAP (better) + LA (city) reversed [put up] | |
| 48 | Long to throttle editor, a nit-picker (6) |
| PEDANT – P⁁ANT (long) containing [to throttle] ED (editor) | |
| 50 | Part of minor thoroughfare that is magnetically attractive (5) |
| NORTH – Hidden in [part of] {mi}NOR TH{oroughfare} | |
| 52 | Greens joined by a star (4) |
| VEGA – VEG (greens), A | |