This took me about an hour and a half all told, with recourse to aids for one which I wouldn’t have got otherwise (39a).
A decent puzzle overall. Inevitably there were a couple I wasn’t completely happy with, but there was plenty of good stuff to offset that.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
| 1 | TIGRIS = TIG |
| 4 | CARJACKING – dd |
| 10 | STUMP – triple def – puzzle / dismiss (in cricket) / all that’s left |
| 14 | RANDOMISE = RISE (to stand) about AND + OM (order of merit) |
| 15 | SUBSTANTIA |
| 16 | WHALING + “WAILING” – a nice play on the word ‘blubber’ |
| 17 | MEDDLER – I assume this is a homophone for “MEDLAR” which is a type of fruit tree, but I don’t see the connection with roses. |
| 18 | REFUSAL = REAL (proper) about FUS |
| 19 | FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH – dd – the second being an allusion to the Trojan Horse |
| 21 | I + RIS |
| 24 | TAILS – cd – the captain of a sports team when calling the toss at the start of game |
| 26 | INTERIOR = IN TERROR with I replacing one of the Rs |
| 27 | GREEN TEA = (TEENAGER)* |
| 29 | BATTLEDRESS = BAT + TRESS (switch?) about LED (light) – A ‘Tommy’ being a British WWI soldier. A TRESS, as far as I’m aware, is a lock of hair, so I’m not sure how you get ‘switch’ from that. |
| 30 | EARL MARSHALL = (HEARS ALARM + |
| 32 | MANSARD ROOF = MAN’S (worker has) + (FAR DOOR)* |
| 35 | MISS THE BOAT – dd |
| 37 | OF COURSE = OFF COURSE with one F removed (no one following) |
| 39 | CONGREVE = CONGÉ about REV – I had to resort to aids here as I heard of neither congé (leave-taking; farewell) nor William Congreve (an English dramatist) – It seemed a bit obscure to me, but then everything one hasn’t heard of seems obscure, doesn’t it? |
| 40 | SAFER = A + REF rev all after S (point, south) |
| 43 | F + LAW |
| 44 | FAIR CRACK OF THE WHIP – dd/cd |
| 47 | MUDFLAP = FLOOD MAP when ‘Spoonerised’ |
| 48 | D(IS + G)UST |
| 50 | RIPOSTE – hidden |
| 51 | DRESSED TO KILL – dd – a reference to 29a: BATTLEDRESS |
| 52 | BUS(H)INESS |
| 53 | LIKEN = L (Liberal) + IKE (President, Eisenhower) + |
| 54 | DEL(EG)ATION – Delation wasn’t a word I knew, but I got it from the checkers and definition |
| 55 | P + REFER |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | THROW A FIT = THRO (by) + WAIT (delay) about F (loud) |
| 2 | GENEALOGISIT = O in GENERAL GIST with the R removed |
| 3 | IRON + I + ST |
| 5 | A + BEAM |
| 6 | JUST + DESERTS |
| 7 | COBBLESTONE = BLEST ONE after COB (horse) |
| 8 | INTERPOL |
| 9 | GENERA |
| 10 | S + NIFFY |
| 11 | UP TO SCRATCH = TO SCRATCH (to pull out) after UP (being in the lead) |
| 12 | PEDAL + P |
| 13 | SINGLE (run, in cricket) + MINDED (took care) |
| 20 | OUT-HEROD = |
| 22 | SHALLOT = LO in SHALT (old will) |
| 23 | PEERLESS = P |
| 25 | SYLLABUB = BALLY (wretched, as a mild expletive) in BUS all rev |
| 28 | PROSPERO = S in PROPER + O – a character from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a magician |
| 29 | BUMP OFF – dd |
| 31 | MOTHER TERESA = (RETREATS HOME)* – it’s good to see the Times can spell this, even if the ST can’t. An ST puzzle from September inserted an H in her name. |
| 33 | NECK AND NECK – dd |
| 34 | FLOURISHING = FLOUR (meal) + I SHING (slurred form of I SING, hence drunken) |
| 35 | MAGIC BULLET = MAG (publication) + I + “SEE” + BULLET |
| 36 | OFF THE SHELF – dd |
| 38 | STAMPEDED = DEEP (vivid) + MATS (small rugs) all rev about D – ‘Together quickly ran’ is the definition |
| 41 | REPRESSOR = RE / OR (two sorts of men, i.e. soldiers – Royal Engineers & Operational Reserve) about PRESS (iron) |
| 42 | CRUDE OIL = (CLOUDIER)* |
| 45 | EMPTIER = |
| 46 | ALISON – hidden |
| 47 | MODEL – dd |
| 49 | TABOO = BAT rev + |
17A Didn’t know the tree meaning of medlar, and Chambers doesn’t mention roses, but Google suggests it’s in the rose family.
29A Chambers has “a tress, usu false” as its 8th definition for switch.
39A Conge came up a few months back (as part of the wordplay for CONGEALMENT), but I got the answer then from checkers and definition, much the same as this one. I’m pretty sure I only know CONGREVE from crosswords, but probably not from the Times as I can’t find a mention of him in the archives.