Fifteensquared

Solved in three sittings totalling over 75 minutes.

 Quite a  tough puzzle by Azed’s standards with a grid that didn’t offer a great deal of help from one section to another.  I solved the bottom half of the grid at the first sitting on a train between Euston and Manchester, once I had done and dusted with the recent circular Listener.  Thanks to Cathy V for a couple of explanations and solutions.

ACROSS   (*) = anagram     (CD) =  Cryptic def.   (R) = Reversal

1 ASPERGILLUMS  -  ASPER = Rough  GUMS = Old Eucalypts with ILL diseased inside.

10  CORTILE   TIL inside CORE

12 HUIS     I (one) inside HUS(H) [almost complete silence]

13 DIELDRIN   IN RIDDLE (*)

14 AREG   hidden answer

15 MARONS   MS – writing   with A R ON   [Australian river "concerning"] inside – Marons are similar to yabbies, little crayfish beloved of the TV show I’m A Celebrity, Rescue my Career”

18  TALOOKA  “Office” in this clue refers to a slang word for the toilet hence LOO inside TAKA,

19  SACRISTAN    Sneaky clue!   A CRISTA =  a crest  inside SN = tin.

22  EPAENETIC   AENE(AS) inside EPIC

24 CHADIAN   C + HAD(R)IAN

26  AZRAEL   In Jewish and Islamic lore, the Angel of Death. LAZARE(T)*

29  MOKI  OK inside MI  [middle of PEMMICAN].

30  RETINOID  Compound anagram    A VALET + RETINOID  =  TREATED A VIOLIN.  A signature Azed clue.

31 BUMF   UM [bits of unsolicited mail] inside BF [brought forward].

32 OVERLAY    LOVER with first letter moved to last +  AY

33  REDESCENDING   SCREED* + ENDING

DOWN

2  SOUR GAS    SO +  SUGAR*

3  PRIES    Homophone of Prize

4  RIDE   Hidden reversal

5  GLINTS  (BRATLINGS minus  BRA )*

6  LA LA LAND  LALAN(G) inside LAD

7  LADRONES  EARN O LSD*

8  UNROOST    ORNIS OUT less I*

9  MAIN   Dbl def

10  CHAISE CART   CHAI + TRACES (R)

11  UNSANCTIFY   CT + IF [supposition] inside  NUN SAY*

16  FREDAINE   RED + A inside FINE

17  RIPIENOS    Tutti (as in an orchestra) = def.  RIP + NOISE*

20  CHARTED    EARTH*  inside CD

21  MILKMAN    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLKaLvrtn-8    -  it’s  37 years old!

23  ENDIVE      END  +  I’VE

25  MOULI     OIL + MU*

27  ZEZE   Z inside  ZEE (A bar of metal shaped like a Z)

28  EDEN    (SW)EDEN