Independent 11321 / Tees

Gathering of riders and hounds: was it proper? (4) 

MEET (gathering of riders and hounds)

MEET (Shakespearean [in the past; was] word for fitting or fittingly; was it proper)  double definition

MEET

See 2 Down 

[EDSON] [ARANTES DO] NASCIMENTO

Fruit went up in price? Hiked initially by smallest amount (7) 

ROSEHIP (fruit of the ROSE)

ROSE (went up) + H (first letter of [initially] HIKED) + I P (one penny) – hiked by one penny implies that the price rose by the smallest amount in current legal tender

ROSE H IP

Classical canine shapeshifting and beginning to talk (7) 

ANCIENT (of long standing; classic)

Anagram of (shapeshifting) CANINE + T (first letter of [beginning to] TALK

ANCIEN* T

Ship train company’s taken round island (5) 

LINER (ship)

LNER (London and North Eastern Railway; train company, both historic and current.  The Government owned LNER is responsible for East Coast mainline services at the moment) containing (taken round) I (island)

L (I) NER

See 2 Down 

[EDSON] ARANTES DO [NASCIMENTO]

Veronica‘s source of methamphetamine? (9)

SPEEDWELL (Veronica is any of several herbs and shrubs of the SPEEDWELL genus)

SPEED (a form of methamphetamine) + WELL (source)

SPEED WELL

Bouncers down under? Opener in trepidation bats here (5) 

ROOST (any place a wild bat uses for shelter or rest)

ROOS (kangaROOS; bouncers from Australia [down under]) + T (first letter of [opener in] TREPIDATION)

ROOS T

Cook slowly leaves M&S having returned sandwiches (5) 

STEAM (cook slowly)

(M+ S [Marks & Spencer]) reversed (having returned) containing (sandwiches) TEA (leaves)

S (TEA) M<

Esoteric knowledge from international, more talented, in decline (9) 

DIABLERIE (magic; sorcery; esoteric knowledge)

(I [International] + ABLER [more talented]) contained in (in) DIE (decline)

D (I ABLER) IE

Clever in getting mastermind to stay over (9) 

INGENIOUS (clever)

IN + (GENIUS [mastermind] containing [getting to stay] O [over])

IN GENI (O) US

Brownish colour very good in ocean (5) 

SEPIA (a fine brown colour)

PI (sanctimonious; very good) contained in (in) SEA (ocean)

SE (PI) A

See instruments originally used in Enigma variation? (7) 

IMAGINE (visualise; see)

I (first letter of [originally] INSTRUMENTS) contained in (used in) an anagram of (variation) ENIGMA

IMAG (I) NE*

Routine changes where life develops (2,5) 

IN UTERO (in the womb, where life develops)

Anagram of (changes) ROUTINE

IN UTERO*

Commando new to service seen with sappers in punt (5,5) 

GREEN BERET (British or American Commando)

GREEN (inexperienced; new to service) + (RE [Royal Engineers; sappers] contained in [in] BET [punt])

GREEN BE (RE) T

Genius on pitch, now 4, in training with the French (4) 

PELE (reference the Brazilian footballer, PELE, considered to be a genius on the pitch.  Having recently died, he is now AT PEACE [entry at 4 down)

PE (physical education; training) + LE (one of the French forms of ‘the’)

PE LE

Philosophers said to be among clouds? (9) 

MORALISTS (ethics can be defined as moral philosophy, so some Philosophers could be described as MORALISTS)

ORAL (spoken; said) contained in (to be among) MISTS (clouds)

M (ORAL) ISTS

"Maradona, in contest, so needs to be sent sprawling" (27) (5,7,2,10) 

EDSON [ARANTES DO] [NASCIMENTO] (Full name of the Brazilian footballer PELE [entry at 27])

Anagram of (to be sent sprawling) MARADONA IN CONTEST SO NEED

EDSON ARANTES DO NASCIMENTO*

Rat’s tail carried by parrot, one in calm state (2,5) 

AT PEACE (in calm state)

T (final letter of [tail] RAT) contained in (carried by) APE (copy; parrot) + ACE (one)

A (T) PE ACE

Witch in contact finds artist (7) 

CHAGALL (reference Marc CHAGALL [1887 – 1985] Russian-French artist)

HAG (witch) contained in (in) CALL (contact)

C (HAG) ALL 

Sneer at rules put to cooks providing course (4,6,4) 

MOCK TURTLE SOUP (a dish that constitutes a course of a meal)

MOCK (sneer at) + an anagram of (cooks) RULES PUT TO

MOCK TURTLE SOUP*

NHS boiler becoming unpredictable nuclear scientist needed (5,4) 

NIELS BOHR (reference NIELS BOHR [1885-1962], Danish nuclear scientist)

Anagram of (becoming unpredictable) NHS BOILER

NIELS BOHR*

Have advantage over United in 0-0? (5) 

OUTDO (surpass; have advantage over)

UTD (United) contained in (in) (O + O [two characters representing zero, so nil-nil, 0-0)

O (UTD) O

Solid has this diminished, torn asunder (5,9) 

THIRD DIMENSION (solids have depth [a THIRD DIMENSION} as well as the length and width of two-dimensional objects)

Anagram of (asunder) DIMINISHED TORN

THIRD DIMENSION

Always happy close to rapture in Slough? (9) 

EVERGLADE (marsh; slough)

EVER (always) + GLAD (happy) + E (last letter of [close to] RAPTURE)

EVER GLAD E

Old woman coming upon fox in part of wood fluke perhaps (9) 

TREMATODE (class of parasitic, unsegmented flatworms with adhesive suckers; flukes)

(MA [mother; old woman] + TOD [fox]) contained in (in) TREE (part of a wood)

TRE (MA TOD) E

See GP outside one facility in discussion? (7) 

DIOCESE (Bishop’s see)

DOC (doctor; GP) containing (outside) I (Roman numeral for one) + ESE (sounds like [in discussion] EASE [effortlessness; facility])

D (I) OC ESE

Sailor Small is in church, separate (7) 

ABSCISE ([cause to] separate)

AB (Able Seaman; sailor) + S (small) + (IS contained in [in] CE [Church {of England}])

AB S C (IS) E

Sweet concretion here in Paris no good (5) 

ICING (concreted sugar)

ICI (French [Paris] for ‘here’) + NG (no good)

ICI NG

Bug water vole’s eviscerated (5) 

PEEVE (annoy ; peeve)

PEE (urine; water) + VE (letters remaining in VOLE when the central letters OL are removed [eviscerated])

PEE VE