The usual high quality Beelzebub puzzle, of medium difficulty I think. Just the one at 28ac that I can’t fully explain.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ASSIST – ASS + [g]IST. |
| 6 | ENGRAM – N in MARGE<. |
| 10 | SOMATOPLEURE – (TO SEAL UP MORE)*. |
| 11 | SCABROUS – S + (B in CAROUS[e]). |
| 14 | SMALT – M[ovie] in SALT. |
| 15 | BOTANIST – (OBTAINS + T)*. |
| 17 | TAEL – (L + EAT)<. |
| 18 | DEONTIC – (E in DON) + TIC. |
| 19 | EARLESS – [f]EARLESS. |
| 22 | DAUR – DA + U + R. |
| 23 | RACLETTE – LETT in RACE. |
| 24 | FANON – F + ANON. |
| 27 | MELODION – M + OLDIE* + ON. |
| 28 | GIGANTOMACHY – GIG + some things I don’t fully understand: Engagement with headless spirit in some mythic war. |
| 29 | ESTRAY – SET* + RAY. |
| 30 | DESERT – dd. |
| Down | |
| 2 | SOCA – OS< + CA. |
| 3 | SMATTERING – MATTER in SING. |
| 4 | STRINGER – ST + RINGER. |
| 5 | TOOK – TO + OK. |
| 6 | EPUISSE – E.P. + (I in USE). |
| 7 | GERMANDER – GERM + AND + [greenhous]E + R. |
| 8 | ARILLI – RILL in (A + I). |
| 9 | MEATSCREEN – (CAN SEE TERM)*. |
| 11 | SUBTERFUGE – (USE BUG [a]FTER)*. |
| 12 | CANTATRICE – CAN’T + A[nother] + TRICE. |
| 13 | MALLEOLAR – LEO in MALLAR[d]. |
| 16 | TOILSOME – OILS in TOME. |
| 20 | ABATIS – A + (I in BATS). |
| 21 | SAFETY – (F + E.T.) in SAY. |
| 25 | PLOD – PL + DO<. |
| 26 | MOHR – MO + HR. |
28ac GIG (engagement) + (S)TOMACH (headless spirit) in ANY (some)
Couldn’t see it at first last week, then it came to me, but when I went back to it just now, I couldn’t remember what it was and had to work it out again.