Beelzebub 1,109 (22/05/11)

A very tough solve this week – I very quickly found myself reaching for various solving aids in attempt to get this one done. The explanations for couple of clues still elude me, so I’ve reproduced them among the answers.

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.

Across
1	THEMOTHETES – (MOT + HET) in THESES.
10	RIVIERA – I in RIVERA. Presumably that’s Diego Rivera. I don’t recall having heard of him, but the wordplay was clear, and the name seemed likely.
11	AMOVE – A.M. + OVE[r].
13/14	TRUMPET MARINE – not sure about this one: I’m a pert instrument? (Isn’t this misjudged there!)
15	YONT – [dail]Y ON T[iree].
16	ETOUFFEE – U[s] in (E + TOFFEE).
18	RESORT – OR in REST.
20	AGORAE – ORA in AGE.
21	TESTEE – TESTE + [undergraduat]E.
22	LAGANS – N in LAG + AS.
25	ENTROPIC – (NICE PORT)*.
26	ALFA – [sever]AL FA[rms].
27/29	MOTHER COURAGE – MOTHER (“dam”) + (OUR in CAGE).
30	ERGOT – G in TORE<.
31	UNNOBLE – (N[ag] + NOB) in [y]ULE.
32	DIETHYL ETHER – a strange one – I can’t see the definition at all, and can’t quite make the anagram work either: Number 33? Not right – led astray.

Down
1	TRIMER – M in TIMER.
2	HICATEES – (EACH SITE)*.
3	SIMI – IS< + I'M<.
4	MEAN FREE PATH – (PREF[er] + THE AA MEN)*.
5	TAR SEAL – TAR + SEAL.
6	HAUTE GARONNE – .N in (TOUGHEN AREA)*
7	EMMYS – SYMME[try]<.
8	TOPOGRAPHY – R in (HAPPY TO GO)*.
9	SETTLE – dd. A town perhaps best known for being one end of the Settle-Carlisle line.
12	GROSSE FUGE – [l]OSS in (G + REFUGE).
17	DANIELLE – (I.E. + LL (“lines”)) in DANE.
19	TENT-GUY – GU in TENTY.
21	TRACED – TRA[n]CED.
23	SCRYER – CRY in SEER.
24	TAROT – A in TROT (28dn).
28	TROT – TORT<.

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