First One In 1ac, Last One In 39ac after I mentally double checked that it was a CLIP and not a FLAP… no hardened cyclist, me. Clue of the Day definitely goes to cheeky/clever &lit 5dn. Thanks setter!
ACROSS
1 After pressure, Democrat, implicated in US money changing, giving fake name (9)
PSEUDONYM – After P [pressure], D [Democrat] “implicated” in (US MONEY*) [“changing”]
6 Power and current provided reduction in frozen ocean (7)
PACIFIC – P [power] and AC IF [current | provided] + IC{y} [“reduction in” frozen]
10 Line taken with infant making incomprehensible sounds (5)
BABEL – L [line] taken with BABE [infant]
13 Member of House displaying a nature that’s unruly (7)
TAUREAN – (A NATURE*) [“that’s unruly”]. Zodiacal “house”.
14 Candidate supported by me most of opposing voters will accept (7)
NOMINEE – MINE [supported by me], NOE{s} [“most of” opposing voters] will “accept”
15 Stage layout material recalled role in Hamlet (7)
LAERTES – SET REAL [stage layout | material] reversed
16 Blasé sign? It’s surprisingly good (1,8,2,8)
A BLESSING IN DISGUISE – Reverse cryptic, “a blessing” being the anagrist and “in disguise” the anagrind to clue “blase sign”.
17 View only 50% decent (3)
SEE – SEE{mly}
18 Brainboxes hurried to block agents (6)
CRANIA – RAN [hurried] to “block” CIA [agents]
20 Encourage a judge to tuck into cabbage (6)
CAJOLE – A J [a | judge] to “tuck into” COLE [cabbage]
21 Mostly futile cracking lock — siren results (9)
TEMPTRESS – EMPT{y} [“mostly” futile] “cracking” TRESS [lock]
23 Farm building showing several different layers? (7-3)
CHICKEN RUN – cryptic definition, the layers here being layers of eggs, i.e. hens.
25 Summons learner driver aboard vehicle in local smashes (7,4)
CLARION CALL – L [learner driver] “aboard” CAR [vehicle] + (IN LOCAL*) [“smashes”]
29 Detective’s skill, containing one racket (5)
NOISE – NOSE [detective’s kill], containing I [one]
30 Transfer story in article upset most of team (8)
ALIENATE – LIE [story] in AN [article] + (TEA{m}*) [“upset”]. A legal transfer, here.
31 Poorly educated fellow accepting University maltreatment (3-5)
ILL-USAGE – ILL SAGE [poorly | educated fellow] “accepting” U [university]
34 Element supporting barter economy perhaps seeing no end to trade (8)
ANTIMONY – ANTI-MON{e}Y [supporting barter economy, perhaps], minus {trad}E
36 Party functionary governed area (8)
DOMINION – DO MINION [party | functionary]
37 Parliamentarian abandoning leader? That is strange (5)
EERIE – {p}EER [parliamentarian “abandoning leader”] + I.E. [that is]
39 Appropriate speed providing security for cyclist? (7,4)
TROUSER CLIP – TROUSER [appropriate, as in “pocket”] + CLIP [speed]
41 Audio version of dark gangster title (10)
KNIGHTHOOD – homophone of NIGHT [dark] + HOOD [gangster]
43 Clears rocks behind compartment in mountain transport (5,4)
CABLE CARS – (CLEARS*) [“rocks”] behind CAB [compartment]
45 Party, only not the right wing, probed by one in Central America (6)
SOCIAL – SOL{e} [only, “not the right wing”] probed by I [one] in CA [Central America]
47 Save money? Shortening of film scenario saving millions (6)
SCRIMP – SCRIP{t} [“shortening of” film scenario] “saving” M [millions]
49 Say more days will be attached to allowance at the outset (3)
ADD – D D [(two) days] will be attached to A{llowance}
50 Assertion of solidarity with players from Broadway? (5,5,4,5)
YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE – cryptic definition I think, the players being footballers, and “Broadway” referring to the fact that the song was original in Broadway musical Carousel.
52 Exotic orchestra has scheme excluding piano (7)
GAMELAN – GAME{p}LAN [scheme, minus P for piano]
53 Attempt the black, perhaps, and fail badly (2,2,3)
GO TO POT – double def, the first half being a snooker reference
54 Lad’s first to dismiss a form of winter sport (7)
BOBSLED – BOB’S LE{a}D [lad’s | first “to dismiss A”]
55 What one US mayor will do in a fluid way (5)
RUNNY – RUN NY [what one US mayor (currently Bill de Blasio) will do]
56 Is content missing from Friday after next day’s content? (7)
SATISFY – IS F{rida}Y after SAT [next day (after Fri)]
57 Unconventional business involving Queen trapped by spell (9)
HETERODOX – TO-DO [business] “involving” ER [Queen], “trapped by” HEX [spell]
DOWN
1 Former PM, note, engaged by expert for a small amount (8)
PITTANCE – PITT [former PM] + N [note] “engaged by” ACE [expert]
2 Peer’s endless uneasiness after end of vote (5)
EQUAL – QUAL{m} [“endless” uneasiness] after {vot}E
3 Fashion groupies, perhaps, in part of theatre (5,6)
DRESS CIRCLE – which also suggests a circle of people who are into dress, sort of
4 Ambassador’s sister ultimately ecstatic, over the moon (6)
NUNCIO – NUN [sister] + {ecstati}C, over IO [moon]
5 Blokes get on with Rosa, becoming involved with it? (6,1,5)
MENAGE A TROIS – MEN AGE [blokes | get on] + (ROSA … IT*) [“…becoming involved with…”] &lit
6 Pepper the writer fed to horse (7)
PIMENTO – ME [the writer] “fed to” PINTO [horse]
7 Cheating king enveloped in self-assurance given approval rating (10,5)
CONFIDENCE TRICK – R [king] “enveloped” in CONFIDENCE [self-assurance] given TICK [approval rating]
8 Railway vehicle about to be surrounded by battle — no end of concern (7-3)
FREIGHT-CAR – RE [about] to be “surrounded by” FIGHT [battle] + CAR{e} [“no end of” concern]
9 Metal collected, involving one into copper (7)
CALCIUM – CALM [collected], “involving” I [one] “into” CU [copper]
10 How you should articulate of course at the Sorbonne? (4,7)
BIEN ENTENDU – cryptic definition, actually just looking for the French for “of course”
11 Biblical 21, clean, with sex appeal, ensnaring Hebrew (9)
BATHSHEBA – BATH [clean] with S.A. [sex appeal] “ensnaring” HEB [Hebrew]. 21 = 21ac’s solution, temptress.
12 Follows advice when dismissing first two in combat (7)
LISTENS – {wh}EN [“dismissing first two”] in LISTS [combat]
19 One not believing in being at scene of crime (7)
ATHEIST – or, differently punctuated, AT HEIST [at scene of | crime]
22 Fee covering coach but not car ultimately (8)
RETAINER – RE [covering] + T{r}AINER [coach, but not {ca}R]
24 Rampant nepotism amongst junior officers is without reason (3,6,6)
NON COMPOS MENTIS – (NEPOTISM*) [“rampant”] amongst NON-COMS [junior officers]
26 Stage show capable of providing a lone hit (8)
IOLANTHE – (A LONE HIT*) [“capable of providing…”]
27 Art-songs remain greatly loved, bar the third (6)
LIEDER – LIE [remain] + DE{a}R [greatly loved, “bar the third”]
28 Child really should have name — not Charlie (6)
INFANT – IN FA{c->N}T [really] taking N [name] for C [Charlie]
32 Deduced time for pranks or indiscretions, primarily (1,6)
A PRIORI – APR 1 [time for pranks] + OR I{ndiscretions}
33 One won’t give you a hand for a time (7,5)
DIGITAL WATCH – cryptic def, digital watches being the type that don’t tell the time using hands
35 Religious presentation having awed response? Yes, partly, after rewriting (7,4)
MYSTERY PLAY – MY! [awed response] + (YES PARTLY*) [“after rewriting”]
37 Room for reflection? (4,7)
ECHO CHAMBER – cryptic definition
38 Escape, carrying whip and torch (10)
FLASHLIGHT – FLIGHT [escape] “carrying” LASH [whip]
40 Government official starts to develop motorway in Arab state (9)
OMBUDSMAN – BUDS M [starts to develop | motorway] in OMAN [Arab state]
42 A photographer’s first photographs appearing around last supplement (8)
APPENDIX – A P{hotographer} + PIX [photographs] “appearing round” END [last]
43 Electric device runs after payment (7)
CHARGER – R [runs] after CHARGE [payment]
44 Former student requiring a reduction in mass student body (7)
ALUMNUS – A + LUM{p} [“reduction in” mass] + NUS [student body]
46 Engaging ambassador, about to work for little money (7)
CHEAPLY – “engaging” H.E. [ambassador], CA PLY [about | to work]
48 Very nearly join, after intervention of Lord Lieutenant (3,3)
ALL BUT – ABUT [join], after “intervention of” LL [Lord Lieutenant]
51 Not initially filthy drunk (5)
OILED – {s}OILED [“not initially” filthy]
Also liked 5dn, but there were quite a lot of neat clues, look at 40dn for example, v. clever. If I could clue like that I would die happy. Happier, anyway.
ONG’ARA,
KENYA.