Big round of applause to the setter for a very enjoyable crossword indeed, and I’m glad to have got a blog in on the right day for once (I hope), even if the timezone I did it in may leave something to be desired if you were looking forward to it first thing in the British morning. (Greetings from sunny Berkeley! Off out for a nice long walk shortly.)
ACROSS
1 When Barnet manager let the side down? (3,4,3)
BAD HAIR DAY – cryptic definition, the “Barnet manager” presumably being here a hairbrush or comb
6 Alternative band added clause to include new musician for handling crank? (5,7)
ORGAN GRINDER – OR GANG [alternative | band] + RIDER [added clause] “to include” N [new]
14 Score twice for final outcome (3,6)
NET RESULT – two words meaning score
15 Energy powder knocked back for striking effect (5)
ECLAT – E [energy] + reversed TALC [powder]
16 Obsolete former colour (no longer used) (7)
EXTINCT – EX TINCT [former | colour (archaic)]
17 Awful, flaky model’s a creature of legend (10,7)
ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN – ABOMINABLE [awful] + SNOWMAN [model made of (snow)flakes]
18 The end for, eg, Speedy Gonzales, small and mischievous (5)
ELFIN EL FIN means “the end” in Spanish, Speedy’s mother tongue
19 Ally using encryption to conceal weapon pointed towards west (7)
COMRADE – CODE [encryption] “to conceal” reversed ARM [weapon]
21 Poorly rates unknown substitute (6)
ERSATZ – (RATES*) [“poorly”] + Z [unknown]
22 Access divinity programme (8)
RECOURSE – R.E. COURSE [divinity | programme]
24 Heading off, speechless with anger, having taken it? (7)
UMBRAGE – {d}UMB with RAGE [“heading off”, speechless | anger], semi-&lit
26 One is after revolutionary massage — they’re heavenly! (8)
CHERUBIM – I’M [one is] after CHE RUB [revolutionary | massage]
27 Commercial division’s directionless (6)
ADRIFT – AD RIFT [commercial | division]
30 Student of form favoured dog, maybe, following the races excitedly (8,3)
TEACHER’S PET – PET [dog, maybe] following (THE RACES*) [“excited”]
32 Identify as communist when union’s being held under siege (11)
BELEAGUERED – BE RED [identify as | communist] when LEAGUE [union] is being held
33 Addiction to horse? This gear might be appropriate (6,5)
RIDING HABIT – playing on two meanings of HABIT
35 Oil company adjusted ratios for better distribution system (11)
TOTALISATOR – TOTAL [Oil company] + (RATIOS*) [“adjusted”]. “Better” as in one making bets, at the track.
37 Comedy creator previously getting the bird (6)
GODWIT – WIT [comedy], GOD [creator] previously
38 Tall plant from Tennessee containing spliff (4,4)
TREE FERN – TN [Tennessee] containing REEFER [spliff]
39 Pub worker maybe taking order for spirit (7)
PHANTOM – P.H. ANT taking O.M. [pub | worker maybe | order]
42 Dodgy viagra no good, causing severe damage (8)
RAVAGING – (VIAGRA NG*) [“dodgy”]
44 U.S. weapon China introduced to Vietnam (6)
NAPALM – PAL [china] introduced to NAM [Vietnam]
46 More dull, crushing bores cornering you in the Louvre (7)
OBTUSER – (BORES*) [“crushing”] “cornering” TU [you, anywhere in France]
48 Private meal from which duke’s excluded (5)
INNER – {d}INNER [meal, minus D for duke]
49 Talking rook might be one! (12,5)
CONVERSATION PIECE – CONVERSATION [talking] + PIECE [rook might be one], &lit
51 Commercial watchdog to pass judgment generally (2,1,4)
AS A RULE [ASA = Advertising Standards Authority = commercial watchdog] + RULE [to pass judgment]
52 Number’s occurring with frequency (5)
OFTEN – OF TEN [number’s, as in belonging to a number]
53 Aggravate complaint, swallowing pill regularly (9)
DISPLEASE – DISEASE [complaint], “swallowing” P{i}L{l}
54 Horse has position behind second in field, being as far from start as finish? (12)
EQUIDISTANCE – EQUID [horse] has STANCE [position] behind {f}I{eld}
55 Prominent Greek in favour of America possessing Middle East (10)
PROMETHEUS – PRO THE U.S. [in favour of America] “possessing” M.E. [Middle East]
DOWN
1 Tale of Ratty’s home, perhaps, and where the bread’s kept? (4,7)
BANK ACCOUNT – playing on two meanings of BANK
2 Pointlessly correct to the same thing (5)
DITTO – {e}DIT [“pointlessly”, correct] + TO
3 Yank stuff in a camera out (9)
AMERICANA – (IN A CAMERA*) [“out”]
4 Stable worker cornered by rake is a dish (7)
ROULADE – LAD [stable worker] “cornered by” ROUE [rake]
5 A set of steps with bee in flower (7)
ASTILBE – A STILE [a | set of steps] with B in
7 Revised version of Blue Fur Moth — A Practical Guide (4,2,5)
RULE OF THUMB – (BLUE FUR MOTH*) [“revised version of…”]
8 Fall on mutual’s holding after rise (6)
AUTUMN – hidden reversed in {o}N MUTUA{l}
9 Lower arms when queen enters, then you must rise (8)
GUERNSEY – GUNS [arms] when E.R. [queen] enters, then reversed YE [you]
10 This setter and latest in endless series of editors getting vintage spirits down (2,3,8)
IN THE DOLDRUMS – I [this setter] and NTH ED [latest in endless series of editors] getting OLD RUMS [vintage | spirits]
11 Half of food in kebab’s condemned (4,3)
DONE FOR – FO{od} in DONER [kebab]
12 Leftist holding a metal event full of despised creatures (3-8)
RAT-INFESTED – RED [leftist] “holding” A TIN FEST [a | metal | event]
13 Determined leader of Arabs not in Iran’s camp (10)
PERSISTENT – PERSI{a}’S TENT [Iran’s | camp, minus A{rabs}]
20 En masse, holding caps? (3-6)
MOB-HANDED – playing on two meanings of MOB
23 Rex’s X-ray perhaps put in this private language (3,5)
PIG LATIN – wherein “Rex” becomes “exray”
25 Your lug on top is grubby (6)
EARTHY – THY [your], EAR [lug] on top
26 Frightfully pacy horse pulled up, seeing rodent (8)
CAPYBARA – (PACY*) [“frightfully”] + reversed ARAB [horse]
28 Irish woman set up needles (9)
IRRITATES – IR RITA [Irish | woman] + reversed SET
29 Beat politician with legislation arising (6)
WALLOP – reverse all of POL with LAW [politician | legislation]
31 Staying execution to have a few drinks? (7,6)
HANGING AROUND – HANGING [execution] + A ROUND [a few drinks]
33 Bring up tiger rug, tattered and munched (11)
REGURGITATE – (TIGER RUG*) [“tattered”] + ATE [munched]
34 Article to knock Brussels — habitual response meant to make one feel better (11)
THERAPEUTIC – THE RAP EU TIC [article | to knock | Brussels | habitual response]
35 Drunken tenants had a ball in the afternoon (3,7)
THÉ DANSANT – (TENANTS HAD*) [“drunken”]
36 Not letting up, note decoded? (11)
REMORSELESS – RE [note] + MORSE-LESS [de-coded?]
40 Ideal state’s ending up with fate in control bypassing human intervention (9)
AUTOPILOT – UTOPI{<-A} [ideal state, with its ending moving up to the start] + LOT [fate]
41 A thousand pounds on small underwear (8)
KNICKERS – K NICKER on S [a thousand | pounds | small]
43 Pacific nation head installing alternative technology in universities (7)
VANUATU – VAN [head] + A.T. [alternative technology] installed in U U [(two) universities]
45 Spanish performer runs after dull performance (7)
MATADOR – R [runs] after MAT ADO [dull | performance]
46 Tree climber, work very good, picked up amount of money (7)
OPOSSUM – OP [work] + reversed SO [very good] + SUM [amount of money]
47 Woolly right embraced by African nation after rejecting left (6)
ANGORA – R [right] “embraced by” ANGO{l}A [African nation, after rejecting its L for left]
50 “Skip advertisement” pressed by Apple consumer (5)
EVADE – AD [advertisement] “pressed by” EVE [apple consumer]
I’d be grateful for clarification on 23d. No doubt my being dim ….