Independent on Sunday 1389 Poins

Thanks to Poins for an enjoyable Sunday puzzle.  Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Stop in cobbled side street (6)

DESIST : Anagram of(cobbled) SIDE + ST(abbrev. for “street”).

4 Indifferent about protecting extremely inflamed blister near the mouth (4,4)

COLD SORE : [COLD(indifferent to;lacking warmth or affection) + RE(about;with reference to) ] containing(protecting) SO(extremely;very, as in “you’re so cold”).

9 Make publicly known at opening of parish club (6)

PUTTER : UTTER(to say something out loud, so that it’s publicly known) placed after(at) the 1st letter of(opening of) “parish “.

Defn: … in a golf set.

10 Carefully studies article going into race being fixed (8)

CONSTANT : CONS(carefully studies) + [ AN(an article in grammar) contained in(going into) TT(abbrev. for “Tourist Trophy”, the annual motorcycle races held in the Isle of Man) ].

12 Seriously affected by changes to trek in South Carolina (8)

STRICKEN : Anagram of(changes to) [TREK IN + SC(abbrev. for the US state of South Carolina)].

13 Unruffled by prophet in conversation about space (6)

SERENE : Homophone of(… in conversation) “seer”(a prophet) containing(about) EN(a unit of measurement of space in the printing of text).

15 Struggle over stopping it turning left (4)

TOIL : O(abbrev. for “over”, in cricket scores) contained in(stopping) reversal of(… turning) IT + L(abbrev. for “left”).

16 Key on laptop due to be replaced is of no more use (7,3)

CLAPPED OUT : C(one of the keys in music) plus(on) anagram of(… to be replaced) LAPTOP DUE.

Defn: Worn out from age or overuse, and hence unable to be used any more.

19 Old agricultural workers taking in Liberal leader’s inconsequential remark (10)

PLEASANTRY : PEASANTRY(traditional agricultural workers, especially in the Middle Ages, or in any pre-industrial society) containing(taking in) the 1st letter of(… leader) “Liberal“.

20 Proceed with difficulty when airship fails to start (4)

LIMP : “blimp”(a small non-rigid airship, wingless and filled with lighter-than-air gas) minus its 1st letter(fails to start).

23 Not a hint of dyspepsia after she ate (6),

NOSHED : NO(not a, as in “there’s no chance of getting it”) + [ the 1st letter of(hint of) “dyspepsia” placed after(after) SHE]. A well-constructed surface.

Defn: Slang for ….

25 Horse around a lot in the middle of Oslo (8)

STALLION : Anagram of(around) [A LOT IN + the middle 2 letters of(the middle of) “Oslo “].

27 Material to make underwear collected by girl after church (8)

CHAMBRAY : [ BRA(feminine underwear) contained in(collected by) AMY(a girl’s name) ] placed after(after) CH(abbrev. for “church”).

28 Sack Virginia during a fit of madness (6)

RAVAGE : VA(abbrev. for US state of Virginia) contained in(during) RAGE(a fit of madness;anger).

29 Make weak literary tailor back off from scrap at first (8)

ENFEEBLE : FEEBLE(Francis, woman’s tailor turned soldier in Shakespeare’s King Henry IV Part 2) placed after(… at first) “end”(scrap;a small bit left at the end after use) minus its last letter(back off from …).

30 Union dispute ultimately leads to workers appearing in court (6)

CEMENT : [ Ll0(… ultimately) “dispute ” plus(leads to) MEN(workers) ] contained in(appearing in) CT(abbrev. for “court”).

Down

1 Set down almost half a dozen in storehouse (7)

DEPOSIT : “six”(half a dozen) minus its last letter(almost …) contained in(in) DEPOT(a storehouse).

2 Vase held by sculpted saint seen on top of Elgar’s grave (9)

SATURNINE : URN(a vase) contained in(held by) anagram of(sculpted) SAINT placed above
(seen on, in a down clue) the 1st letter of(top of, in a down clue) “Elgar“.

3 Outline of small boat (6)

SKETCH : S(abbrev. for “small”) + KETCH(a small boat).

5 An honour to accept Orbison’s first instrument (4)

OBOE : OBE(abbrev. for Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an honour from the British monarchy) containing(to accept) the 1st letter of(…’s first) “Orbison“.

6 Break off to criticise girl in front of Rex (8)

DISSEVER : DISS(to criticise) + EVE(a girl’s name) placed above(in front of, in a down clue) R(abbrev. for “Rex”, Latin for “king”).

7 Rowe oddly neglected to include talk about language (5)

OSAGE : “Rowe ” minus its 1st and 3rd letters(oddly neglected) containing(to include) reversal of(… about) GAS(slang for empty and idle talk).

Defn: … of a North American Indian people.

8 Implore conservationists to step in before soldiers return (7)

ENTREAT : NT(abbrev. for the National Trust, an organisation concerned with the conservation of historic buildings, monuments, and countryside) contained in(to step in) ERE(poetic form of “before”) + reversal of(… return) TA(abbrev. for the Territorial Army of volunteer soldiers).

11 Significant to find Swiss nationalist in government (7)

TELLING : TELL(William, Swiss nationalist and bowman) + IN + G(abbrev. for “government”).

14 Run for a time with a couple of teachers after work (7)

OPERATE : [ ERA(a long period of time) plus(with) the 2 letters of(a couple of) “teachers ” ] placed below(after, in a down clue) OP(abbrev. for “opus”, a musical work).

17 Be born in spring (9)

ORIGINATE : Double defn.

18 Congregate in dining area in island retreat (8)

ASSEMBLE : Reversal of(… retreat) [MESS(a dining area for members of the armed forces) contained in(in) ELBA(a Mediterranean island) ].

19 Criticise American revolutionary’s swagger (7)

PANACHE : PAN(to criticise severely) + A(abbrev. for “American”) + CHE(Guevara, Argentinean revolutionary).

21 Speculation over general’s tart (7)

PUNGENT : PUNT(a bet;a speculation) containing(over) GEN(abbrev. for “general”, the military rank).

22 End of public holidays in Split (6)

CLEAVE : Last letter of(End of) “public” + LEAVE(holidays;vacation).

24 Waller perhaps turned to Falkland initially for support (5)

STAFF : Reversal of(… turned) FATS(reference to;perhaps, Waller, American jazz pianist) plus(to) the 1st letter of(… initially) “Falkland“.

26 Acknowledge an American astronomer in speech (4)

HAIL : Homophone of(… in speech) “Hale”(George Ellery or Alan – take your pick – American astronomers, the latter co-discoverer of the Hale-Bopp comet).