ACROSS
1 Small growths extremely likely to fill small cracks (6)
POLYPS – L{ikel}Y “to fill” POPS [small cracks]
4 Experiences fellow feeling, with English politician at his tablets (10)
EMPATHISES – E MP AT HIS E’S [English | politician | at | his | tablets]
10 Representing noble of the French state (5)
DUCAL – DU CAL [of the (in) French | state (California)]
14 Criminal female comes in handy with debtor’s notes (9)
NEFARIOUS – F [female] comes in NEAR [handy] + IOU’S [debtor’s notes]
15 Suspect streak in hugely rich sport on wheels (6-7)
ROLLER-SKATING – (STREAK*)[“suspect”] in ROLLING [hugely rich]
16 Ace is away boxing, causing worry (7)
AGONISE – A [ace] + IS, GONE [away] “boxing”
17 Mentioned poet providing woman’s undergarment (7)
SPENCER – homophone of SPENSER [poet]
18 Umpteenth rally more than enough to reveal rivet (7)
ENTHRAL – hidden in {umpte}ENTH RAL{ly}
19 Swimmers should avoid this Iberian armed ship (10,3-2-3) (5)
PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR – double def
21 Originally the supreme autocrat, leader of Russia (4)
TSAR – T{he} S{upreme} A{utocrat} + R{ussia}, &lit
24 Acclaim legend about fencing clubs (5)
ECLAT – reversed TALE [legend] “fencing” C [clubs]
26 Starving old American pursues crow (8)
RAVENOUS – O US [old | American] pursues RAVEN [crow]
27 Shuffles fish during drinks (5-3)
SHAKE-UPS – HAKE [fish] during SUPS [drinks]
29 Graduate, lout and English guy cross fine sea area (3,2,6)
BAY OF BENGAL BA, YOB + ENG AL [graduate | lout | English | guy] “cross” F [fine]
30 The most timid avoid eastern unit in national park (11)
YELLOWSTONE – YELLOW{e}ST [the most timid “avoid E (= eastern)”] + ONE [unit]
32 Rodney plugs terrible sweetener (6,5)
GOLDEN SYRUP – (RODNEY PLUGS*) [“terrible”]
35 Old warship had go and turned unexpectedly (11)
DREADNOUGHT – (HAD GO + TURNED*) [“unexpectedly”]
37 Tea during the present time? That’s definitely out (2,6)
NO CHANCE – CHA [tea] during NONCE [the present time]
39 Where film would be kept secretly (2,6)
IN CAMERA – double def
40 Time when Powell has gained power, replacing Nationalist (5)
EPOCH – take ENOCH [Powell], and replace N = Nationalist with P = power
43 Pupils no longer returning after a punishment (4)
ASBO – reversed OB’S [pupils no longer] after A
44 Spare no effort to play the pipes at full volume (4,3,3,3,5)
PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS – double def, pertaining to pulling out organ stops
47 Pretend deal includes song (7)
PLAYACT – PACT [deal] includes LAY [song]. A hard one to see, when not hyphenated.
48 New displays in gallery the lady’s backing with dread almost (7)
REHANGS – reversed HER [the lady] + ANGS{t} [dread “almost”]
50 Ring about gunmen casing home, blow it! (7)
OCARINA – O CA RA [ring | about (= circa)| gunmen (= Royal Artillery)] “casing” IN [home]
51 Priest in church has men close to pulpit for Albert, say (6,7)
PRINCE CONSORT – PR IN CE CONS OR [priest | in | church | has (= tricks)| OR (= Other Ranks)] + {pulpi}T
52 Main man eats one like some Glasgow chocolate bars? (4-5)
DEEP FRIED – DEEP FRED [main | man] “eats” I [one]
53 Poles brought in money for viola (5)
PANSY – N S [(both) poles] “brought in” PAY [money]
54 Busy Italians accepting revolutionary firm’s withdrawn (10)
ANTISOCIAL – (ITALIANS*) [“busy”] “accepting” reversed CO [firm]
55 Plucky one locked in iron enclosure (6)
FEISTY – I [one] “locked in” FE STY [iron | enclosure]
DOWN
1 Long drink filled with very soft fruit (9)
PINEAPPLE – PINE ALE [long (for)| drink] “filled with” PP [very soft]
2 Firefly Leo and I manoeuvred, making excellent time (4,2,5)
LIFE OF RILEY – (FIREFLY LEO + I*) [“manoeuvred”]
3 Border stitch that is used at the front (7)
PURLIEU – PURL IE [stitch | that is ] + U{sed}
5 Lawmaker takes a stroll, avoiding Yankee (5)
MOSES – MOSE{y}S [takes a stroll, “avoiding Y = Yankee]
6 Two kinds of screen for part of Heathrow (3,8)
AIR TERMINAL – AIR [screen (verb)] + TERMINAL [screen (noun)]
7 Batter felt raunchy, making good score (4-7)
HALF-CENTURY – (FELT RAUNCHY*) [“batter…”]
8 Vow to give up fade after last of hooks (5,3)
SWEAR OFF – WEAR OFF [fade] after {hook}S
9 Englishman and SAS chase criminal around north (9)
SASSENACH – (SAS CHASE*) [“criminal”] around N [north]
10 Note conductor’s deficiency (6)
DEARTH – D EARTH [note | (electrical) conductor]
11 Like artwork in Fifty Shades of Grey? (11)
CHIAROSCURO – cryptic def
12 It’s acceptable for one article to appear between lines (5)
LEGAL – EG A [for one | article] to appear between L + L [(two) lines]
13 On radio, what makes one stud’s leading part? (12)
FOREQUARTERS – homophone of FOUR QUARTERS, which sum to one
20 It recalled silver in highly uncivilised state (8)
SAVAGERY – SA [sex appeal = it] + AG [silver] in VERY [highly]. Not sure what the “recalled” is doing…
22 Admire scripture cult absorbing pressure (7)
RESPECT – RE SECT [scripture | cult] “absorbing” P [pressure]
23 Second opener for Kent is to run sports venue (3,5)
SKI SLOPE – S [second] + K{ent} + IS + LOPE [to run]
25 Cloths in which to wrap up oily cheeses? (8)
TAFFETAS – reversed FAT [oily] + FETAS [cheeses]
28 Obscene call for former dancing girl (8)
BLUEBELL – BLUE BELL [obscene | call]
29 Almost clear off one initially aggressive plant (7)
BEGONIA – BEGON{e} [“almost” clear off!] + I [one] + A{ggressive}
31 Authority in east London built square (3-9)
OLD-FASHIONED – ‘OLD [authority, as a Cockney would say it] + FASHIONED [built].
Spent so long thinking this was a synonym for “authority” in (E LONDON*)…
33 Late study of lutetium, copper and boron quota (11)
LUCUBRATION – LU CU + B RATION [lutetium | copper | boron | quota]
34 Leg reduces impact of aids for sewers (11)
PINCUSHIONS – PIN CUSHIONS [leg | reduces impact]
35 Confusing enigmatic ad showing oddly attractive quality (11)
DIAMAGNETIC – (ENIGMATIC AD*) [“confusing”]
36 Global subject, say, upset old, old drunk cutting images (11)
GEOPOLITICS – reversed EG [say] + O [old] + O LIT [old | drunk] “cutting” PICS [images]
38 Marine arthropods covering hole in one area (9)
CRUSTACEA – CRUST ACE A [covering | hole in one | area]
41 Farming hours now and then on group lines (9)
HUSBANDRY – H{o}U{r}S, on BAND RY [group | lines]
42 Wine inspires latest member of orchestra (8)
CLARINET – CLARET [wine] “inspires” IN [latest]
45 Pinch a bit (7)
SNAFFLE – double def
46 Religious publication cautious about credit (3,3)
WAR CRY – WARY [cautious] about CR [credit]
47 Children’s drink more costly, like some of their books? (3-2)
POP-UP – POP [children’s drink] + UP [more costly]
49 Hindu workers, 500 in part of Koran (5)
SUDRA – D [500] in SURA [part of Koran]
ONG’ARA,
NAIROBI.
The PORTUGEUESE MAN O WAR is not, as commonly believed, a jellyfish. It is a siphonophore, or ‘colonial organism’ made up of numerous individual POLYPS.