Independent 10899 / Phi

Mark of extended union membership apparently on the cards? (7,7) 

DIAMOND WEDDING (celebration to mark the sixtieth anniversary of a couple’s marriage day)

DIAMOND (suit in a pack of cards) + WEDDING (part of the cryptic definition – the event that is  ‘on the cards’)

DIAMOND WEDDING

The writer’s offended feeling with America is a motivation (7) 

IMPETUS (motivation)

I’M (I am; the writer is) + PET (slighted and offended feeling) + US (United States; America)

IM PET US

Applies charge to honours? Liberal steps down (7) 

IONISES (forms electrically charged particles)

LIONISES (treats as a hero; honours) excluding (steps down) L (Liberal)

IONISES

Key period not entirely wasted, ready for review (9) 

ALTERABLE (capable of being modified; ready for review)

ALT (reference the ALT key on a computer keyboard) + ERA (period of time) + BLEW (wasted) excluding the final letter W (not entirely)

ALT ERA BLE

Bill carrying nothing aboard capsized vessel (4) 

BOAT (vessel)

(TAB [bill] containing [carrying] O [character representing zero; nothing]) all reversed (capsized)

(B (O) AT)<

Calm down idiot before second half of speech (7)

ASSUAGE (mitigate; soften; calm down)

ASS (idiot) + LANGUAGE (speech) excluding the first four letters [of eight; half] LANG to leave the second four letters UAGE

ASS UAGE

Biblical renegade in a book before Biblical dancer? Not entirely (7)

ABSALOM (third son of King David.  ABSALOM rebelled against his father)

A + B (book) + SALOME (reference the dancer in the Dance of the Seven Veils) excluding the final letter E (not entirely)

A B SALOM

Man returned, chopping a tree (3) 

ELM (type of tree)

MALE (man) reversed (returned) and excluding (chopping) A

ELM<

Source of intelligence, say, Government picked up, discounting Russia’s leader (7)

EGGHEAD (intellectual; source of intelligence)

E.G. (for example) + G (government) + HEARD (picked up) excluding (discounting) R (first letter of [leader] RUSSIA)

EG G HEAD

Alien chasing British religious figure (7) 

BROTHER (member of a religious order)

BR (British) + OTHER (different; alien)

BR OTHER

Opening jar, ignoring recipe (4) 

GATE (opening)

GRATE (jar) excluding (ignoring) R (recipe [Latin])

GATE

Arizona city’s overlooked by spies from Mediterranean region (9) 

PHOENICIA (civilisation originating in the Levant region of the Eastern Mediterranean)

PHOENIX (city in Arizona) somehow losing the X but I can’t see why unless overlooked is a way of suggesting that the following CIA overwrites the X + CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

PHOENI CIA

City set to absorb one valley after reflection (3,4) 

TEL AVIV (city in Israel)

TV ([television] set) containing (to absorb) (I [Roman numeral for one] + VALE [valley]) all reversed

T (EL AV I)< V

Increasingly describing the Arctic, unlike the first answer? (3-4) 

ICE-FREE (as global temperatures rise, the Arctic is becoming increasing ICE-FREE)

ICE [diamond] + FREE (without), unlike a DIAMOND [ice] WEDDING, the entry at 1 across

ICE FREE

Letters about alternative sources of decoration suggest the cuckoo pint (5,3,6) 

LORDS AND LADIES (another name for the cuckoo-pint plant)

LANDLADIES [letters [of rooms or properties]) containing (about) (OR [word used to link alternatives] + DS [first letters [sources of] each of DECORATION and SUGGEST)

L (OR DS) AND LADIES

One enthusiast receiving positive information (5) 

INPUT (information)

I (Roman numeral for one) + (NUT [enthusiast]) containing [receiving] P [positive])

I N (P) UT

Mooted car to be decorated – for this? (9) 

MOTORCADE (procession of motor cars, especially ones carrying a head of state and his or her entourage; decorated cars often travel in a MOTORCADE)

Anagram of (decorated) MOOTED CAR

MOTORCADE*

Quantity of claret following punch? (9)

NOSEBLEED (a quantity of blood [claret])

a NOSEBLEED can be generated by a PUNCH to the nose – cryptic definition

NOSEBLEED

Chart-topper penned by our group is unblemished (5) 

WHITE (unblemished)

HIT (chart-topper) contained in (penned by) WE (our group)

W (HIT) E

Study origins of every blue star (5)

DENEB (brightest star in the constellation Cygnus)

DEN (study) + EB (first letters of [origins of] each of EVERY and BLUE)

DEN EB

Elected politician has refurbished rising concert venue, God willing (9) 

INSHALLAH (among Muslims, if Allah wills, equivalent to ‘God willing’)

IN (elected [politician]) + an anagram of (refurbished) HAS + HALL (concert venue) reversed (rising; down entry)

IN SHA* LLAH<

Cry of astonishment: finally, Pigs in Space (4) 

GASP (sharp intake of breath [cry] in astonishment)

S (last letter of [finally] PIGS) contained in (in) GAP (space)

GA (S) P

A newspaper probing scandalous behaviour in Ministerial residence (8) 

VICARAGE (residence of a church minister)

(A + RAG [derogatory term for a downmarket newspaper]) contained in (probing) VICE (depravity; scandalous behaviour)

VIC (A RAG) E 

Wrong to go to Paris to secure good radio operator? (9) 

SIGNALLER (communicator, such as a radio operator)

(SIN [wrong] + ALLER [‘to go’ in French [Paris]) containing (to secure) G (good)

SI (G) N ALLER

Delicious aroma is swirling around Bishop before end of meal (9) 

AMBROSIAL (delicious)

(anagram of [swirling] AROMA IS containing [around] B [bishop]) + L (last letter of [end of] MEAL)

AM (B) ROSIA* L

Provide bits of information to first of defendants after court charge (5-4) 

SPOON-FEED (doled-out doses of cut-and-dried information)

SPOON (indulge in courtship) + FEE (charge) + D (initial letter of [first of] DEFENDANTS

SPOON FEE D

Spread element of culture, say, enthralling English girl (8) 

MARGARET (girl’s name)

(MARG [sounds like [say] MARGE [margarine {spread}] + ART [element of culture]) containing (enthralling) E (English)

I could simply be MARG + ART enthralling E, but I can’t see where ‘say’ fits into that parsing, unless it is simply a link word describing ART, to improve the surface.

MARG AR (E) T

Individuals not seeing first supernatural beings (5) 

ELVES (in folklore, supernatural beings)

SELVES (individuals) excluding (not seeing) the opening letter S (first)

ELVES

Old man taking lead position in historic dance (5) 

PAVAN (slow formal dance of Spanish origin, popular in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries [historic])

PA (father; old man) + VAN (the lead positions)

PA VAN

Set foot in central area to see Dorset castle (5) 

CORFE (castle in Dorset)

F (foot) contained in (set in) CORE (central area)

COR (F) E

Promoted recent way of abbreviating a list (2,2) 

ET AL (and other things; a term used to shorten a list)

LATE (recent) reversed (promoted; down entry)

ET AL<