A shame really as this was a rather pleasant puzzle, lacking much in the way of convolution but a nice workout throughout for the little grey cells, and with no shortage of elegant surfaces to enjoy. My COD award goes to 55ac accordingly, with its very attractive and ever-so-slightly Pythonesque surface reading.
Thanks setter and rest assured we did appreciate all your dedication and hard work.
1 Fool tucking into sparkling wine and tapioca (7)
CASSAVA – ASS [fool] tucking into CAVA [sparkling wine]
5 Sack with explosive — no end to wretched ammunition (9)
FIREPOWER – FIRE [sack] + POW{d}ER [explosive, no {wretche}D]
10 Parliamentary decisions banning opening of treaties (4)
ACTS – {p}ACTS [treaties, without the opening letter]
14 Rearranged cost and price, fixing limits to scientific work like analysis of starlight (13)
SPECTROSCOPIC – (COST + PRICE*) [“rearranged”], fixing S{cientifi}C + OP [work]
15 The best poet about love, right? (9)
STARBOARD – STAR BARD [the best | poet] about O [love]
16 Counsel initially blocking opening annoys chambers (10)
VENTRICLES – C{ounsel}, blocking VENT RILES [opening | annoys]
17 Muse quietly on brief moment with singular reptile (11)
TRICERATOPS – ERATO P [muse | quietly] on TRICE [brief moment] with S [singular]
18 Hit hard after alarm about left (5)
SLOSH – H [hard] after SOS [alarm] about L [left]
19 A chair to be carried annoys those who drop things (6-4)
LITTER-BUGS – LITTER BUGS [a chair to be carried | annoys]
21 Style of gardening — I will follow book about it (6)
BONSAI – I will followed B ON SA [book | about | sex appeal = it]
23 Democrat is actually getting energy for a purge (9)
DISINFECT – D IS IN F{a->E}CT [Democrat | is | actually, with E (energy) instead of A]
25 Add something to burst of current? (5)
SPIKE – double def
26 Guest in popular contest engaging half of team (7)
INVITEE – IN VIE [popular | contest], “engaging” TE{am}
28 Arrogant pair of sprites stabbing kind insect (4-9)
SELF-IMPORTANT – ELF IMP [part of sprites], “stabbing” SORT ANT [kind | insect]
31 Girl struggling with a lot of maths accepting old aid to calculation (9)
LOGARITHM – (GIRL + MATH{s}*) [“struggling”], accepting O [old]
33 Inspectors certain to impound volume belonging to you after leaving University (9)
SURVEYORS – SURE [certain] to “impound” V [volume], plus YO{u}RS [belonging to you, after leaving U]
35 I fancy I earn roughly about a pound in tax period (9,4)
FINANCIAL YEAR – (I FANCY I EARN*) [“roughly”], about A L [a | pound]
37 Advance North from Eastern Mediterranean in middle of week (7)
ELEVATE – LEVA{n}T [Eastern Mediterranean, losing its N], inside {w}EE{k}
38 Jazz hit involving English bassist primarily (5)
BEBOP – BOP [hit] “involving” E B{assist}
40 Winter sport occupying mediocre star unduly (6,3)
CRESTA RUN – hidden in {medio}CRE STAR UN{duly}
42 Metal shard I moved forward (6)
SILVER – SLIVER [shard], with its I moved one letter closer to the start
44 Puzzle about fuel the French rejected, creating upheaval (10)
REBELLIOUS – REBUS [puzzle] about OIL LE [fuel | the French] reversed
46 Form of insect excavator finally located in volcanic rock (5)
LARVA – {excavato)R, located in LAVA [volcanic rock]
48 Cases? I’m working to return local person’s (11)
NOMINATIVES – I’M ON [I’m | working] reversed, + NATIVE’S [local person’s]
50 Astronomical wonder — curmudgeon unable to be moved (4,6)
CRAB NEBULA – CRAB [curmudgeon] + (UNABLE*) [“to be moved”]
52 Thorough, it will absorb new thinking without power (9)
INTENSIVE – IT “absorbing” N [new], + {p}ENSIVE [thinking, without P for power]
53 Need a mariner when drifting around this at the outset? (13)
MEDITERRANEAN – (NEED A MARINER*) [“when drifting”], around T{his}, &lit
54 Bet about daughter being female (4)
LADY – LAY [bet] about D [daughter]
55 The Grail misplaced? Heading for Camelot at a slow pace (9)
LETHARGIC – (THE GRAIL*) [“misplaced”] + C{amelot}
56 Change, having taken on board article offering atonement (7)
PENANCE – PENCE [change], having “taken on board” AN [article]
DOWN
1 Copper stops to release foremost member of awkward squad (4)
CUSS – CU [copper] + S{top}S “releasing” TOP [foremost]
2 Leeks stewed a good deal for undernourished people (9)
SKELETONS – (LEEKS*) [“stewed”] + TONS [a good deal]
3 Preventive effect of surgical intervention in fourth dimension? (1,6,2,4,5,4)
A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE – cryptic def
4 A second old people’s uprising, disregarding community (7)
ASOCIAL – A S O [a | second | old] + LAIC reversed [people’s, “up-rising”]
5 I shone light on article penned by agent, one making life easier (11)
FACILITATOR – I LIT A [I | shone light on | article], penned by FACTOR [agent]
6 Again get hold of vigilante groups, among a lot of others (9)
REPOSSESS – POSSES [vigilante group], among RES{t} [“a lot of” others]
7 Mine keeping senior officer in loop (5)
PICOT – PIT [mine] keeping CO [senior officer]
8 Hoping for success? One drops in here (7,4)
WISHING WELL – double def, or possibly just a cryptic def, not entirely sure
9 Academic expected to ditch University coming in to train (6)
READER – D{u}E [expected, ditching U for university] coming into REAR [train]
11 Company importing meat is identifying ruminant (7)
CHAMOIS – CO [company] “importing” HAM [meat] + IS
12 Glancing blow? Teams getting clear (9)
SIDESWIPE – SIDES [teams] getting WIPE [clear]
13 Avowedly small-minded children’s hero (1,4,2,4,6,5)
A BEAR OF VERY LITTLE BRAIN – Milnean cryptic def
18 Daughter is beset by school tests — they’re cruel (7)
SADISTS – D IS [daughter | is], “beset by” SATS [school tests]
20 Account with money, we hear, included (5-2)
BUILT-IN – homophone of BILL TIN [account + money, “we hear”]
22 Calls one of French offering a clear view? (8)
RINGSIDE – RINGS I DE [calls | one | of French]
24 One hires engineers upset about ruse (8)
EMPLOYER – REME [engineers] reversed about PLOY [ruse]
27 Some felt I threw over the championship (5)
TITLE – hidden reversed in {f}ELT I T{hrew}
29 Jumbo runs into delay before end of voyage (5)
LARGE – R [runs] into LAG [delay], before {voyag}E
30 A story containing little fine and pleasant (7)
AFFABLE – A FABLE [a | story] containing F for fine
32 I’m raising name in theatre school for Shakespeare role (7)
MIRANDA – I’M reversed + N [name] in RADA [theatre school]
34 Secondary sea vessels never tangled with it (11)
SUBSERVIENT – SUBS [sea vessels] + (NEVER + IT*) [“tangled”]
36 Display arena inspiring love, working a strange sort of magic (11)
NECROMANTIC – NEC ROMANTIC [display arena | inspiring love]
37 Vital sale arranged? Dispatched one to block it (9)
ESSENTIAL – (SALE*) [“arranged”], SENT I [dispatched | one] “blocking” that
39 Copper’s back-up kept cool during game — good (6,3)
POLICE DOG – ICED [kept cool] during POLO G [game | good]
41 Cleric excited re a land containing Biblical city (5,4)
RURAL DEAN – (RE A LAND*) [“excited”] containing UR [Biblical city]
43 Covering wrapping child, not very big (7)
LIMITED – LID [covering] “wrapping” MITE [child]
45 Warm spot, half in a hollow, with raised section (7)
SUNTRAP – SUN{ken} [“half” in a hollow] + reversed PART [section]
47 A court case affecting chambers? (6)
ATRIAL – A TRIAL [a | court case]
49 A second article supporting South Pacific nation (5)
SAMOA – A MO A [a | second | article] “supporting” S [South]
51 Sharp pain finally moving upward in part of leg (4)
KNEE – KEEN [sharp], with {pai}N moving upwards to be its new second letter
I enjoyed this, not too hard, not too easy .. I see ventricles popped up again in today’s cryptic (6 Mar)with a similar but not identical clue. Thud must be happy about that
Edited at 2018-03-06 04:26 pm (UTC)
I did enjoy the long cryptic definitions, which opened up the puzzle almost immediately.
Merci tres beaucoup V.
Ong’ara,
Kenya.