Fiendishly clever
Across
1 Sea creature – French Republic has one in store STARFISH
RF (Republique Francaise) in STASH (store)
7 Loafer, say, very unwanted on barge SHOE
V (very) from SHOVE (barge)
10 Clear the room having dislodged a working gas detector CHLOROMETER
(CLEAR THE ROOM)* minus A
11 Judge, with euphemism, abandoned gamble JEFF
J (judge) EFF (euphemism) abandoned – unused
12 Rarely wipe off? Time to dismiss one DETERGE
DETER (block) AGE (time) minus A
13 Kerala tribe’s taken aback about lifeless Asian SRI LANKAN
LANK (lifeless) in NAIR’S< (of noble caste from Malabar coast – back)
14 Bird book used in degree once GREBE
B (book) in GREE (degree – obsolete)
17 Narrow thread passing through mountainside reveals it CHAIRLIFT
&lit HAIR (narrow thread) in CLIFT (mountainside)
20 No change in state in the night NOCTURNAL
NO TURN (change) in CAL (California State)
23 Old sage’s lines are found in old volume OLLAV
O LL (lines) AV (Bible)
24 A couple of attacks prompting retreat ? ABOUTTURN
A BOUT TURN (attack x 2)
25 Cross bridge pair probing rare touch TRANSIT
NS (pair in bridge) in TRAIT (touch)
26 Political manipulation’s worn down firmness of character SPIN
SPIN[e]
27 Starving? Fruit recipe – it fills part of the head INNUTRITION
NUT (fruit) R (recipe) IT in INION (external occipital protuberance)
28 Male fop disowning daughter ANDY
D (daughter) from DANDY (fop)
29 Liking power and charm PENCHANT
P (power) ENCHANT (charm)
Down
2 Ancient instrument curtailed conjecture by man
THEOR[y] (conjecture curtailed) BO (man)
3 Brusquely clears off, dropping farthing outside ALFRESCO
(CLEARS OFF)* minus F (farthing)
4 French monk at liberty to accommodate Rector FRERE
R (rector) in FREE (at liberty)
5 Carol holding Scots associate high SMELLING
MELL (associate in Scotland) in SING (carol – verb)
6 Prostitute inflamed upwardly-mobile locality HETAERA
HET (inflamed) AREA< (locality up)
7 Scone’s bound to stop supporting Stone? STEND
ST (stone) END (stop) maybe Scone’s should be Scot’s?
8 Nothing published after intervention by Government publication ORGAN
O (nothing) G (government) in RAN (published)
9 Results (one curtailed early) involving second ending in a draw
EVEN-STEVEN S (second) in EVENT EVEN[t] (results)
11 Occupant of vehicle, car that nearly has woman aboard JAGANNATHA
incarnation of Vishnu who was drawn on a chariot
JAG (car) ANNA (woman) THA[t]
15 Like the ostrich, going under South Africa’s incrustation ZARATITE
ZA (South Africa) RATITE (having a keel-less breastbone)
16 Trouble with eye bath? Cut off one article DIPLOPIA double vision
DIP (bath) LOP (cut) I (one) A (article)
18 Shakespeare’s rousing cry – advance uphill, capturing a French troop’s leader HUNTS-UP UN (a French) T[roop] in PUSH< (advance up)
19 Flag wrapping Queen and paramour no longer FRANION
R (queen) in FANION (flag)
21 A degree of intelligence requires disposal of a poison ABRIN
A BRAIN minus A
22 John’s deaf to some people DUNNY dd lavatory and deaf
23 Dog, head chasing tail, not restrained ORGIC
CORGI (dog) C moved to end
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit dd = double definition < = reverse
definitions in italics
I found this a bit harder than usual this week, and got stuck on the bottom left corner, having to resort to electronic word searches to finish. 11dn was last in, but by then it was very late on Sunday night.