I thought this was fairly straightforward; it took me 17 minutes, plus checking the answer to 39dn (PHILISTIA).
As ever, * indicates an anagram.
Across | |
1 | SPENCER – sounds like (Edmund) Spenser. Hubert SPENCER coined the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’, subsequently used by Charles Darwin |
5 | NECESSARY – double definition. ‘The NECESSARY’ can be used to mean ‘money’ |
10 | DIVA – avid (reversed) |
14 | BAG AND BAGGAGE – nag (reversed), in BAD BAGGAGE |
15 | CHEONGSAM – (G-man chose)*. A CHEONGSAM is a traditional style of Chinese dress |
16 | SHOPFITTER – SHOP (defined by ‘to inform on’) + FITTER |
17 | MUM’S THE WORD – double definition |
18 | TOPIC – TOP + IC |
19 | HUNTINGDON – DON after HUNTING |
21 | PISTOL – (spoilt)*. Reference is to a character in Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ |
23 | ANDROMEDA – AND + ROME + DA (District Attorney) |
25 | THETA – TA (Territorial Army) after THE |
26 |
OTHELLO – O + T |
28 | PRESS RELEASES – PRESS + RE + LEASES |
31 | EDITORIAL – ORAL around I, after tide (reversed) |
33 | RHOS-ON-SEA – SON in (a horse)* |
35 | MERRIE ENGLAND – (lame rendering)*. MERRIE ENGLAND is an opera by Edward German |
37 |
TREASON – TREA |
38 |
SCRAP – CRAP |
40 |
SURPASSED – SUR |
42 | SCHEME – S + ME, around CHE (Guevara) |
44 | PRAIRIE DOG – PRAIRIE, + DOG (to tail) |
46 |
SHOWY – SHOW + |
48 | PURITANICAL – (Lunatic pair)*) |
50 | INS AND OUTS – double definition |
52 | POTPOURRI – (up to prior)* |
53 | GET TO THE POINT – GET + TOT + HE + POINT |
54 |
RIPE – |
55 | SANCTUARY – (scary aunt)*’ |
56 | THRUSTS – TRUSTS around H |
Down | |
1 | SOBS – OB in SS (steam ship) |
2 |
EGG-SHAPED – EG + G |
3 | CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION – CONSPICUOUS (apparent) on CONSUMPTION (tuberculosis) |
4 | RUBBISH – RUSH, round B + B + I |
5 | NIGHTINGALE – this clue took me the longest to work out completely. It’s N GAL (northern lass), in NIGHTIE (i.e. in a nightdress, therefore ready for bed) |
6 | CHAIRLIFT – cryptic indication (St Moritz – ski resort) |
7 |
STEAM – S |
8 | ACCOMMODATE – triple definition |
9 |
YVETTE – VETTE |
11 | IN SHORT – IN SORT around H |
12 | ARMADILLO – (mall radio)*. I hadn’t realised that the armadillo is nocturnal! |
13 | KNEE-HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER – (shopkeeper has no right)*, around AG (Ag is the chemical symbol for silver) |
18 | TRAPPER – (rep + part), reversed – here, ‘rep’ = ‘repertory theatre |
20 |
GREASER – GREASE (the film) + |
22 | DOMINEER – MINE (pit) in DOER (energetic person, defined by ‘live wire’) |
24 | EVENSONG – EVEN SO, + NG (no good) |
27 |
LEILA – hidden in |
29 |
ERODE – ROD, in E |
30 |
SAMURAI – SA + MURA |
32 | LADY DAY – LADY + DAY |
34 | ABSTRACTION – AB’s (Able-Bodied Seaman’s) + TRACTION |
36 | INSIDE STORY – cryptic definition |
37 | TEST PAPER – TEST (assess) + PAPER |
39 | PHILISTIA – PHI + LIST (border) + I + A. PHILISTIA was the historical name of a region in the Middle East – I had to check this |
41 | SMOOTHIES – (I’m the so so)* |
43 | HARDTOP – HARD + TOP |
44 | MOTHIER – I in MOTHER |
45 | GUNSHOT – GUNS + HOT |
47 | IN ARMS – IN (elected) + ARMS (members) |
49 | LIGHT – double definition |
51 | OTIS – cryptic definition (OTIS lifts) |
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