Ah, that’s better! Plenty of unfamiliar words unlike the last two Beelzebubs I have blogged. More of a challenge and therefore much more enjoyable. Plenty of easy ‘entry’ clues to get a foothold into the grid and then extensive use of Chambers to confirm answers that I had not come across before.
My main delay was in the parsing of 31ac in which, as indicated below, I initially misconstrued the ‘picked up’ and so didn’t consider the reversal of a shortened Barbary ape.
Across
1 Communal arrangement laments parish disintegrating (13)
PHALANSTERISM – an anagram (disintegrating) of LAMENTS PARISH
12 Recall of puzzle not right – fail to despatch one, being not quite matched (8)
SUBEQUAL – [r]EBUS (puzzle not right) reversed (recall of) QUA[i]L (fail to despatch one)
14 River, one river that’s a source of water (6)
IRWELL – I (one) R (river) WELL (source of water)
15 Useless Biblical chariot overturned by Absalom, initially (4)
RACA – CAR (chariot) reversed (overturned) A[bsalom] (Absalom, initially)
16 Multiplying number’s right for computer circuit (4)
XNOR – X (multiplying) NO (number) R (right)
17 Decision not to trade as isolated vessel enters for sure (7)
AUTARKY – UT (as) ARK (isolated vessel) in (enters) AY (for sure)
18 Is next answer possibly about introduction of three termites? (8)
ISOPTERA – IS OPERA (next answer possibly {Aida}) around (about) T[hree] (introduction of three)
19 Assistance needed with a fabric for stitching (4)
AIDA – AID (assistance) A
20 Scottish pit revealing seabird seconds before (4,3)
MOSS HAG – MO S (seconds) SHAG (seabird)
24 House and way of working identifying humans (4)
HOMO – HO (house) MO (way of working)
26 French scientist‘s mistake about Oxford University college (8)
FOUCAULT – FAULT (mistake) around (about) OU (Oxford University) C (college) – Léon Foucault
28 Plague poet’s gone back, penning one about mythical King (7)
OGYGIAN – NAG (plague) YGO (poet’s gone) reversed (back) around (penning) I (one)
30 Duck? John’s spinning? Both viewable here (4)
OVAL – O (duck) LAV (john) reversed (spinning) with an extended definition
31 Ape mostly picked up old alphabet (4)
OGAM – MAGO[t] (ape mostly) reversed (picked up) – this would work in a down clue but as it is an across one I was initially looking for a homophone
32 French revolutionary newspaper appearing in the evening back then (6)
ENRAGÉ – RAG (newspaper) in (appearing in) ENE (the evening back then)
33 Book on trade in votes given in recommendations (8)
BLOGROLL – B (book) LOGROLL (trade in votes)
34 Nile blue Peter daubed in representative art (5,8)
BELLE PEINTURE – an anagram (daubed) of NILE BLUE PETER
Down
2 Trick brass instruments ahead of Ring (11)
HORNSWOGGLE – HORNS (brass instruments) WOGGLE (ring)
3 Blacked out when name used around court (6)
ASWOON – AS (when) N (name) around (used around) WOO (court)
4 Bleak plaque with top removed (5)
ABLET – [t]ABLET) (plaque with top removed)
5 Pear has fallen under new tree’s base (6)
NELIES – N (new) [tre]E (tree’s base) LIES (has fallen)
6 One brought in hymn when entering traditional clergyman’s home (11)
SQUARSONAGE – A (one) in (brought in) SONG (hymn) in (when entering) SQUARE (traditional)
7 Skirt and poisonous shrub as well? As well, we hear (4)
TUTU – two definitions plus a homophone (we hear) of ‘too’ (as well) ‘too’ (as well)
8 Husky singer‘s electrical connection with American (6)
EARTHA – EARTH (electrical connection) A (American) – Eartha Kitt
9 Current damage I observed in porcelain (5)
IMARI – I (current) MAR (damage) I
10 Indication of wind – rod moving with gale – suggesting a big blow (11)
SOCKDOLAGER – SOCK (indication of wind) plus an anagram (moving) of ROD GALE
11 Child’s garment that is seen in photos (local area) (5,4)
PIXIE HOOD – IE (that is) in (seen in) PIX (photos) HOOD (local area)
13 Name in tragic betrayal is secondary point (9)
BAY-ANTLER – N (name) in an anagram (tragic) of BETRAYAL
21 Bird, old, landing in ordinary nettle (6)
ORIOLE – O (old) in (landing in) O (ordinary) RILE (nettle)
22 Bones I found under military vehicle (one male missing) (6)
HUMERI – HUM[m]ER (military vehicle (one male missing)) I
23 Second person in France to appreciate nearly all Pacific territory (6)
TUVALU – TU (second person in France) VALU[e] (to appreciate nearly all)
25 Wild year breaking into shops (5)
MYALL – Y (year) in (breaking into) MALL (shops)
27 Stop operating the works (5)
CANON – CAN (stop) ON (operating)
29 Stopping literally just short of Queen’s Head, say, having reached hill’s crest (4)
ATOP – AT OP (stopping literally just short of Queen’s Head, say,) – the queen’s head is Q so, alphabetically, if you are just short of it you would be AT O [or] P
Hi Gaufrif
How about A TO P for the wordplay in 29 down?
Thanks Pelham, that makes more sense than my suggestion.
The two I had trouble parsing where 31ac and 29dn, so thanks for the explanations. For 31ac, I kept wondering if “old” was part of the word play and there was a type of ape starting GAM-.
Yes, this did seem to be more a “typical” Beelzebub than of late. I finished it Sunday night, but not before I’d had my dinner.