Beelzebub 1349

I felt there were more ‘entry’ clues than usual in this one and I might have completed it in record time had I not been interrupted by a phone call.

Plenty to enjoy here (particularly 15ac) and a satisfying solve even if I do prefer a stiffer challenge.

Across
1 ‘Coloured’ is retained in memory – as symbol of this? (6)
RACISM – C (coloured) IS in (retained in) RAM (memory)

5 Amended old lyrics in performance, cutting opening (6)
EDITED – DIT (old lyrics) in [d]EED (performance, cutting opening)

10 Philosophical ruminators perhaps I accepted in hospitality (10)
PHILOXENIA – PHIL (philosophical) OXEN (ruminators perhaps) I A (accepted)

12 Take in twisted line for a bit? Not usually (4)
TAEL – EAT (take in) reversed (twisted) L (line)

13 Fun talk possibly providing wherewithal for travel (7)
TANKFUL – an anagram (possibly) of FUN TALK

14 Worthless coarse cloth, not one to perplex Scots (7)
BUMBAZE – BUM (worthless) BA[i]SE (coarse cloth, not one)

15 Opportunity to transfer a problem player, say, blocked by squad lacking leadership (12)
ALIENABILITY – A LIABILITY (a problem player, say) around (blocked by) [m]EN (squad lacking leadership)

17 Lout caught in trap, revealing something of blood (6)
GLOBIN – LOB (lout) in (caught in) GIN (trap)

19 Biblical priest and King resident in black house (6)
JETHRO – R (king) in (resident in) JET (black) HO (house)

22 Bustling tavern bound to draw one in, offering excess? (12)
OVERABUNDANT – an anagram (bustling) of TAVERN BOUND around (to draw … in) A (one)

24 Understand about nearly everything describing this grid? (7)
DIGONAL – DIG (understand) ON (about) AL[l] (nearly everything)

25 Tense backstage worker set off (7)
TRIGGER – T (tense) RIGGER (backstage worker)

26 Ring lost in marketplace in Indian city (4)
AGRA – AG[o]RA (ring lost in marketplace)

27 Airily: “No longer simple? Do you mean that?” (10)
ETHEREALLY – ETHE (no longer simple) REALLY (do you mean that?)

28 Disturbances go beyond Brazilian city (6)
RIOTRY – RIO (Brazilian city) TRY (go)

29 Most fly South, certainly into Lithuania (6)
SLYEST – S (South) plus YES (certainly) in (into) LT (Lithuania)

Down
1 Scoundrel not yet revealed in newspaper (6)
RATBAG – TBA (not yet revealed) in RAG (newspaper)

2 Scientist boxing me? (7)
CHEMIST – MI (me) put in CHEST (boxing)

3 Mortgage provider’s wrath, chasing second old trendy (6,6)
SLOANE RANGER – S (second) LOANER (mortgage provider) ANGER (wrath)

4 Crafty Oz mates cleaning out English – getting ______? (6)
MOTZAS – an anagram (crafty) of OZ MAT[e]S with an extended def.

6 Consonantal sound aligned until misaligned (12)
DENTILINGUAL – an anagram (misaligned) of ALIGNED UNTIL

7 I note memory (substantial amount) as component of personality test (3-4)
INK-BLOT – I N (note) KB (memory) LOT (substantial amount)

8 Nasty sort swallowing fine dram of Lagavulin (4)
TIFT – TIT (nasty sort) around (swallowing) F (fine)

9 Welshman idly puzzled about Welsh name (6)
DILWYN – an anagram (puzzled) of IDLY around (about) W (Welsh) plus N (name)

10 Fellow bagging first at Uttoxeter – think highly of historic rider (4,6)
PAUL REVERE – PAL (fellow) around (bagging) U[ttoxeter] (first at Uttoxeter) REVERE (think highly of)

11 Warning about arriving later in the bidding process? (10)
AUCTIONARY – CAUTIONARY (warning) with the C (about) moved back (arriving later)

16 Silence appropriate? Poet’s screamed (7)
SHRIGHT – SH (silence) RIGHT (appropriate)

18 Dispute ancient branch’s position relative to trunk? (7)
BRANGLE – BR ANGLE (branch’s position relative to trunk)

19 Where one notes Judge’s fur (6)
JOTTER – J (Judge) OTTER (fur)

20 Escorts heading off for the sheets (6)
QUIRES – [s]QUIRES (escorts heading off)

21 Feature shared by aristocrat and proletariat, ultimately (2,4)
AT LAST – both aristocrAT and proletariAT have AT LAST

23 Senior soldier secures it quickly (4)
CITO – CO (senior soldier) around (secures) IT