Independent 11,600 / Phi

CORN (=stale humour, as in corny jokes) + C<orrupt> O<ld> B<asic> (“starts to” means first letters only); the “ear” of the definition is an ear of corn

AD (=promotional material, i.e. advert) in BALLS (=dismissive comment)

AU (=gold, i.e. chemical symbol) + {I (=current, in physics) in [TOP (=best) + LOT (=group)]}

T (=temperature) in *(IRON); “molten” is anagram indicator

A in LUNCH (=meal)

Cryptic definition around “congress”, which can mean both sexual intercourse and legislative assembly!

*(A HITCH + LANDMASS); “quaking” is anagram indicator; the Chatham Islands are located off New Zealand’s South Island and are administered by New Zealand

*(CAMEO YES) + EASY (=simple) + GO (=thing to play, i.e. Chinese game); “playing” is anagram indicator

GRUNT (=infantryman, in military slang) + LED (=under command); gruntled is a back-formation from disgruntled meaning displeased

<c>O<penhagen (“second to” means second letter only) + DENSE (=not spread out, e.g. of population)

R<e>AD ON (=continue to study); “extracting energy (=E)” means letter “e” is dropped

T (=tense, in grammar) in [SHORTER (=more brusque, curter) + M (=male)]

CAR (=vehicle) + R<epairer> O<f> T<he> Y<ear>; “initially” means first letters only

[CH (=Switzerland, in IVR) + EL (=the Spanish, i.e. a Spanish word for the)] in *(ONE); “redistributed” is anagram indicator

RAD (=excellent, from radical) in CL<u>E (=hint; “head of union (=U, i.e. first letter)” means letter “u” is dropped); to cradle e.g. a baby in one’s arms is to nurse it

OU (=university, i.e. Open University) in RETCH (=gag, as if to vomit)

ACE (=expert, buff) in COPTIC (=Egyptian language); copacetic means excellent in colloquial US English

BOLT (=quantity of fabric) + HOLE (=difficult situation)

[TH<e> (“most of” means last letter is dropped) + OLIVE (=fruit)] in BAR (=hinder, obstruct); a Bath Oliver is a plain biscuit invented by Dr W Oliver of Bath!

<f>LYING (=very quick, rapid); “missing fine (=F)” means letter “f” is dropped

ACT (=something done) + <dian>A (“ultimately” means last letter only) + *(ONE); “torn apart” is anagram indicator; & lit., referring to the myth in which Diana/Artemis punishes Actaeon, who is transformed into a stag and then torn apart by his own hounds

[S (=Southern) in SCORES (=has a hit, succeeds)] + E (=Spain, in IVR); the reference is to the American film director Martin Scorsese (1942-)

*(ARMY SHELLS); “exploded” is anagram indicator

LAST (=go on, endure) + DITCH (=abandon, drop)

BERG (=Austrian composer, i.e. Alban) + ERAC (CARE=concern; “raised” indicates vertical reversal); Bergerac is a French commune in Dordogne

SH (=quiet!) + UDDER (=part of cow)

GENT<s> (=toilet; “mostly” means last letter dropped) + EEL (LEE=sheltered, of side at sea; “on reflection” indicates reversal)

MA (=mother) in PENN (=Quaker leader, i.e. William); a penman is a writer or author

TAN (=beath, thrash) + GO (=energy, activity)