Terrific puzzle from the prince of the fallen angels
Across
1 Endless bad beer, not weak for local soak SIPE
SWIPER bad beer minus W (weak) and last letter (endless)
4 Sheep accommodating cat sound in unspecified manner SOMEWAYS
MEW (cat sound) in SOAYS (sheep)
9 No loop to be suitable around one? By no means NOT A BIT OF IT
NO TAB (loop) I (one) TO FIT (be suitable)
11 Current rubbish about noun or noun phrase ACTANT
AC (current) N (noun) in TAT (rubbish)
13 Instinctive revision of engine speed INGENERATE (ENGINE )* RATE (speed)
14 Real respite, ditching college TRUE TRUCE (respite) minus C (college)
15 Doctor reaching threshold of perception with great effort MOLIMEN
MO (doctor) LIMEN (threshold of consciousness)
17 Chartered surveyor recalled African city backed producing slag SCORIAC
CS< (chartered surveyor) CAIRO< (African city)
21 European country and the French importing rubber instrument UKULELE
UK (European country) ULE (rubber) LE (the French)
22 Goes east after start of tour in European city TRIESTE
TRIES (goes) T[our] E (east)
23 Started to offload one hut SHED SHIED (started) minus I (one)
24 Add oil to tarmac and hope for a change CAMPHORATE (TARMAC HOPE)*
26 Newts circling round river get no food as before STERVE
R (river) in EVETS< (newts circling)
27 A craving to assess, traverse and inspect PERLUSTRATE
PER (a) LUST (crave) RATE (assess)
28 Brain cells record death and may corrupt EPENDYMA
EP (record) END (death) (MAY)*
29 Equipment surrounding second coffin KIST S (second) in KIT (equipment)
Down
1 Fashionable folk evaluate males after being thrown over SMART SET
TEST RAMS< (evaluate males back)
2 Put away ointment for motorists? INCARCERATE
IN CAR (motorists) CERATE (ointment)
3 Arthritis drug starts to ease trauma one per cent, possibly ETANERCEPT
E[ase] T[rauma] A (one) (PER CENT)*
4 Atmosphere picked up following celebrated alcoholic punch SANGRIA
5 Local affected person brought bar into ridicule MINNOCK
INN (bar) in MOCK (ridicule)
6 Old character – end of life – no longer easy ETHE ETH (old letter) [lif]E
7 A fine old American square subjected to arson? AFLAME
A F (fine) LAME (square – old US)
8 Difficulty in observing line not in fashion STYE STYLE (fashion) minus L (line)
10 Covers of tome with several in, possibly INTERLEAVES &lit
(TE (outside letters of tome) SEVERAL IN)*
12 Burger cooked with great skill? GRILLSTEAK (GREAT SKILL)*
16 Department with workers amongst unemployed? It’s no longer something wanted NEEDMENT
D (department) MEN (workers) in NEET (not in employment, education or training)
18 Best to invest in gold and yen? Remains to be considered here AUTOPSY
AU (gold) TOPS (best) Y (yen)
19 Problem with a monstrous rat – here? SUMATRA &lit
SUM (problem) A (RAT)*
20 Measure of sound, tempo and mix tails off TIMBRE
TIME (tempo) BREW (mix) minus last letters (tails)
24 Clothing for shoulders and head CAPE dd
25 Acceleration in pilot’s display to remain valid at Turnhouse HAUD (Scottish)
A (acceleration) in Head Up Display
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
definitions in bold italics
Oops. Just couldn’t see 1ac so I did a search through Chambers and found “sine” as an alternative to “synd” meaning to wash or to rinse, so I guessed that must be the answer, couldn’t work out why. Should have kept searching.
Excuse me, but Beelzebub is Lord of the Flies.