Enjoyable puzzle from Tuesday regular, Armonie. The last couple of synonyms to fit with the definitions took a little bit longer. Thanks to Armonie. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle. Please enclose any comments on them in double brackets. Thank you.]]
Across
1 RAF set off more rapidly (6)
FASTER : Anagram of(off) RAF SET.
4 Spread top-class preserve for islander (8)
JAMAICAN : JAM(spread on eg. your toast) + AI(letters that look like A1;first class) + CAN(to preserve, eg. fruits to make jam).
10 Title obtained when pro is beaten (9)
OWNERSHIP : Anagram of(beaten) WHEN PRO IS.
Answer: Legal title to property.
11 Duck has grim smell (5)
ODOUR : O(letter that represents 0;a duck in cricket scores) plus(has) DOUR(grim;having a stern appearance).
12 Tight-fisted? Not far off! (4)
NEAR : Double defn: 1st: Stingy.
13 African oil processed in the US (10)
CALIFORNIA : Anagram of(processed) AFRICAN OIL.
15 Back ‘urdler following tip (7)
ENDORSE : ‘ORSE(is to “horse” as “‘urdler” is to “hurdler”, a jumping horse) placed after(following) END(the tip;the most extreme point).
Defn: To back;to champion.
16 Agreement for doctor by the fourth of July (6)
TREATY : TREAT(to doctor) plus(by) the 4th letter of(the fourth of) “July “.
19 Bishop’s perfectly happy (6)
BRIGHT : B(abbrev. for “bishop” in chess notation) + RIGHT(perfectly, as in “it suits you right”).
21 Tommy‘s secret (7)
PRIVATE : Double defn: 1st: Slang for a private in the British Army.
23 Investor misses out in the US (3,7)
LOS ANGELES : ANGEL(an investor that comes to the rescue of a financially troubled company) contained in(… out) LOSES(misses;fails).
25 Leave after the gin’s knocked back (4)
PART : Reversal of(…’s knocked back) TRAP(a gin;a snare for catching game).
Defn: To separate from.
27 Rogue caught fever (5)
CHEAT : C(abbrev. for “caught” in cricket) + HEAT(fever).
28 Tripe once cooked at home (9)
RECEPTION : Anagram of(cooked) TRIPE ONCE.
Defn: Or at-home;an informal party in one’s home
29 Instruments curbing long-term depression (8)
DOLDRUMS : DRUMS(musical instruments) containing(curbing) OLD(long-term;having been around for a long time).
30 Double-dealer makes wife stand (6)
WEASEL : W(abbrev. for “wife”) + EASEL(a stand for supporting or displaying a board, an artist’s canvas, etc.).
Down
1 Sovereign introduced to metalworker? That’s a fluke! (8)
FLOUNDER : L(symbol,£, for a pound sterling, the worth of a former gold coin;a sovereign in Britain) contained in(introduced to) FOUNDER(a worker who makes metal casings in a, well, foundry).
Answer: Aka a “fluke”;a European flatfish.
2 Worker caught in power tool in Spanish resort (9)
SANTANDER : ANT(a social insect, one of whose caste is the worker) contained in(caught in) SANDER(a power tool for smoothing or polishing surfaces).
3 Colour of some battle-cruisers (4)
ECRU : Hidden in(some) “battle-cruisers “.
Answer: A greyish yellow to a light greyish colour, eg. of unbleached linen.
5 Pick a president in time (7)
APPOINT : A + P(abbrev. for “president”) + POINT(a moment in time, as in “at the point of death”).
6 Sorry for writing book in a lyrical style (10)
APOLOGETIC : LOG(a book in which a record of events is written) contained in(in) [ A + POETIC(a lyrical style) ].
7 Brave when getting new piece of tooth (5)
CROWN : CROW(a Native American tribe) placed above(when getting, in a down clue) N(abbrev. for “new”).
8 Operatic heroine left well-adjusted (6)
NORMAL : NORMA(heroine in the opera of the same name by Bellini) + L(abbrev. for “left”).
9 Present king enters stage (6)
PHRASE : R(abbrev. for the Latin “Rex”;king) contained in(enters) PHASE(a stage;a distinct part of a series of events or a developmental process).
Defn: To present orally or in writing, in a particular way, as in “you should present;phrase your concerns clearly”.
14 Speaker keeps one drink for founder (10)
ORIGINATOR : ORATOR(a speaker) containing(keeps) [ I(Roman numeral for “one”) + GIN(an alcoholic drink from any of various grains) ].
17 Office assistants duck – article passes over (3,6)
TEA LADIES : TEAL(any of several small freshwater ducks) + A(an article in grammar) + DIES(passes over from life to death – it’s only a one-way street).
18 Transported home the Spanish guard (8)
SENTINEL : SENT(transported, also figuratively;turned on) + IN(in the home) + EL(“the” in Spanish).
20 Those people accept foreign currency in principle (7)
THEOREM : THEM(3rd party plural pronoun for those people) containing(accept) ORE(a currency unit of Denmark, Norway or Sweden, but not in Finland).
Defn: A principle;a rule in, say, mathematics or logic.
21 Coppers get hold of address (6)
PREACH : P(abbrev. for “pence”;coins of small denomination;coppers) + REACH(to get hold of;to grasp by stretching out).
Defn: To address a congregation in church.
22 Poet Laureate has bitter or mild (6)
PLACID : PL(abbrev. for “Poet Laureate”) placed above(has, in a down clue) ACID(sarcastic;caustic;bitter, as in “bitter words are hurtful”.
24 Old Bob happily provides balloon (5)
SWELL : S(abbrev. for the former British currency, “shilling”;a bob in slang) + WELL(happily;with good nature;without rancour, as in “he took the joke well”).
Defn: As a verb.
26 Scattered peas in church (4)
APSE : Anagram of(Scattered) PEAS. Answer: A recess in a church. ============================================================
Thanks, scchua. And thanks to Armonie — nice and neat and tidy as usual!
[[The film Cool Runnings, about the JAMAICAN bobsled team, links pic1 (John Candy) and pic6 (bobsled). Madonna (pic4) sang “Papa Don’t PREACH.” That’s all I can manage before running out of the house.]]
[[pic2: Anthony Newley (with Joan Collins), who sang “Pop Goes the WEASEL”
pic3: SANTANDER Bank
pic5: ski jump at Lake PLACID
pic7: Raytheon SENTINEL
pic9: Pauline McLynn, who wrote BRIGHT Lights and Promises
pic10: an illustration of four-colour map THEOREM]]
[[Plus pic 8 is the logo of Abbey National, long since taken over by SANTANDER Bank.]]
[[Right Keeper & Tom_I, well done!….except for pic9. I was thinking of McLynn’s more visible acting career than her writing one.]]