Independent 9,972 / Phi

L (=lecturer) in *(BEING QUIET); “upset” is anagram indicator; the definition seems to imply that no men have an interest in quilts!

BUS<t> (=police operation); “taking rear off” means last letter is dropped

LEG (=cricket side) in <m>EANT (=intended; “to dismiss opener” means first letter is dropped)

Cryptic definition: crackers are “pulled” at Christmas

NUR (RUN=journey; “held over” indicates reversal) + [EM (ME; “turning back” indicates reversal) in SAID (=commented)]

BSE (=cattle ailment, i.e. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in IN (=popular); the reference is to the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)

D<yk>E (“both sides of” means first and last letters only) in SPAS (SAPS=trenches, cf. sappers; “over” indicates reversal)

S (=small, of sizes) + {[A + N (=new) + L (=line)] in WAKE (=”late” party, i.e. for the deceased)}; the reference is to the ballet Swan Lake, composed by Tchaikovsky in 1875-6

LEEP (PEEL=to take off clothes; “retiring” indicates reversal) in SING (=carol, at Christmas)

[U (=united, as in Man U) in BEAT (=defeat)] + <generosit>Y (“ultimate in” means last letter only)

Homophone (“according to reports”) of “peak (=at busiest times)”, as in peak traffic

(THOMA<s> (“dumping second (=S)” means letter “s” is dropped) + GIRL); “nasty” is anagram indicator

IT IS (=IT’S) in <b>ELT (=zone; “abandoned by British (=B)” means letter “b” is dropped)

A (=one) + MA (=old lady) + ZING (=pizzazz)

TUN=barrel; “rolling” indicates reversal

*(THE SCANNER’S); “broken” is anagram indicator; “charming” is to be understood as bewitching, enchanting

QU (=question) + E<v>EN (=fair; “very (=V) overlooked” means letter “v” is dropped); a queen is a man or piece in chess

*(A BEER IN IT); “swilling” is anagram indicator; an inebriate is a drunk(ard)

TRAP (PART=split (open); “up” indicates vertical reversal) + homophone (“we hear”) of “ease (=no difficulty)”

Hidden (“not entirely”) in “resurrectioN AT HANd”; Nathan is a prophet in the Old Testament

Wordplay: something to do with swans having down on their backs??

NO, I SAVE (=a positive answer to “Do you spend?”); “after reflection” indicates reversal

B<r>AKES (=stops); “abandoning run (=R, on a cricket scorecard)” means letter “r” is dropped

ANGEL (=patron, as in business angel, guardian angel) in [S (=second) + TRY (=attempt)]

*(EASY PHI) in S<ee>N (“gutted” means middle letters are dropped)

AIN (=Scots own, i.e. a Scottish word for ain) in [A + QUITE (=wholly)]

ANAL (=obsessive, compulsive) + YTIC (CITY (of London)=financial centre; “upset” indicates vertical reversal)

EC (=city, i.e. City of London postcode) in PRISE (=force (open))

H (=height) in [EAR (=attention) + ART (=skill)]; the reference is to US aviator Amelia Earhart (1897-1937)

IGUA (AUG 1=start of month; “picked up” indicates vertical reversal) + NA (=North American)

E (=energy) in QUIT (=stop)

MAG (=publication, i.e. magazine) + US (=American)