Poins can be tricky for the IoS slot, and I certainly found this one challenging.
Plenty of clues: 32 if I have counted correctly, which must be the maximum number you can fit into a 15×15 grid. No full anagrams but ten insertions. Some good surface readings, as is usual with this setter.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Condescend to include son in plan
DESIGN
An insertion of S in DEIGN.
4 Complains about Wally not following arrangements for commuters
CAR POOLS
An insertion of [F]OOL in CARPS.
9 Greatly surprised by a confusing mass of information on Germany
AMAZED
A charade of A, MAZE and D for Deutschland or ‘Germany’.
10 Artist‘s wife possessing strength of character
MAGRITTE
An insertion of GRIT in MATE gives you a famous Belgian.
12 Nothing to like about German novelist
SALINGER
A reversal of NIL and AS (‘like you say/as you say’) followed by GER. No shortage of references to Germany today.
13 City centre of Bonn featured in TV crime drama
VERONA
Here’s another one. An insertion of ON for the middle letters of the German city in VERA, which is apparently a TV crime drama.
15 End of story on the radio
TAIL
A homophone of TALE, with ‘on the radio’ as the homophone indicator.
16 Unsatisfactory part of McIlroy’s game is disconcerting
OFF-PUTTING
Wouldn’t be an Indy puzzle without a golf reference, would it? Mr McIlroy’s a golfer; I’m sure you can work it out. A cd cum dd.
19 Uncommonly loud girl drinking wine with soldiers
STENTORIAN
Tough clue: not a common word, and there are lots of girls and lots of wines. Here you need SIAN for the former and TENT for the latter. TENT plus OR for Other Ranks or ‘soldiers’ is the insertion fodder.
20 Identify a moral flaw
SPOT
A dd.
23 Severely criticise wife leaving to sing carols at Christmas
ASSAIL
[W]ASSAIL
25 Want to be emotionally affected by the same thing
FEEL LIKE
A charade of FEEL and LIKE.
27 Give out a variety of seeds in Palau’s capital
DISPENSE
(SEEDS IN P)* Not that you need(ed) to know, but Palau’s capital is Ngerulmud, which looks like anagram fodder.
28 Stupid letters from Helena’s niece sent back
INSANE
Hidden reversed in HelENAS NIece.
29 Most cultivated Europeans admitting – it takes time
POLITEST
An insertion of IT in POLES followed by T.
30 Odd parts of essay on goddess ultimately dismissed as contrary to usual belief
HERESY
A charade of HER[O] and ESY for the odd letters of ‘essay’.
Edit: of course, it’s HER[A]. Thanks to rullytully.
Down
1 Insensitive clique? Absolutely
DEAD SET
Not sure that DEAD SET is replaceable with ‘absolutely’. But it’s a simple charade of DEAD and SET.
2 Minor issues raised over pedestrian shopping area
SMALL-TIME
Another insertion: of MALL in EMITS reversed.
3 Easily imposed on Sweden’s environmentalists
GREENS
A charade of GREEN and S. Nice surface.
5 Fellow American getting angry when upset
ADAM
Again, there are lots of ‘fellows’, but that’s what crossing letters are for. A charade of A and MAD reversed.
6 Pass through Portugal before receiving something to eat
PERMEATE
A charade of P and MEAT inserted into ERE.
7 Overcome when dismissed by Rob
OUTDO
A charade of OUT and DO. ‘He did me/he robbed me.’
8 Affair with Noah’s son not ending completely
SHEBANG
No, I didn’t know who Noah’s sons were, but Mrs Google did. A charade of SHE[M] and BANG. ‘He was bang on/completely on the money.’ A word most often preceded by THE WHOLE …
11 Do for retiring salesman taking shape
PERFORM
DO for ‘rob’; now DO for ‘perform’. A reversal of REP and FORM.
14 Rector involved in new appeal for clothing
APPAREL
Another insertion: of R in (APPEAL)*
17 Involve Independent politician at first looking into climate change
IMPLICATE
A charade of I for ‘independent’ and L for the first letter of ‘looking’ in (CLIMATE)*
Edit: in fact it’s P for the first letter of ‘politician, not ‘looking’. Thanks to Hovis.
18 Told to go to pick up rubbish around grating
STRIDENT
Another insertion: of DIRT reversed in SENT.
19 Remain valid for Brown following conclusion of discussions with Unionists
STAND UP
A charade of S for the final letter of ‘discussions’, TAN and DUP for Teresa May’s new best friends.
21 Because of that article about extremes of bigotry …
THEREBY
A charade of THE, RE and BY for the outside letters of the last word of the clue.
22 … German fellow gets shot
GLANCE
Another ‘fellow’ to pick a man’s name for. A charade of G and LANCE gives you a cricket ‘shot’. The ellipses can, as usual, be ignored.
24 Returned unaltered by London’s top rope maker
SISAL
A reversal of AS IS followed by the first letter of ‘London’.
26 Covers up ignoring Mark’s requests
ASKS
[M]ASKS, with the ‘Mark’ being the Deutschmark, I presume. If so, Germany have won on penalties as usual.
Many thanks to Poins for this morning’s puzzle.
A mixture of very easy and very obscure clues. Eg 19a although I’ve never consumed a glass of tent I accept it in crosswords but to combine it with an obscure girl’s name…….I didnt like the surface of 12 either.Oe 5d ..
Sorry to be a grump for a change. Chacun etc
Well, STENTORIAN was an immediate write-in for me from definition alone. Guess it helps to know Greek mythology. There’s a mistake in your answer for 17d, it is P for politician at first not L for at first looking. Lots to like here. As usual, I didn’t know the cricket reference in 22d. Thanks to S&B.
Thanks for your, as usual, entertaining blog, Pierre.
The goddess in 30a is, of course, Hera, not Hero.
Glad to hear I’m not the only one for whom this setter can be tricky. Didn’t complete this one but got a lot more in than previously so perhaps I’m getting more on the Poinsian wavelength. Fave, although I missed it, was 23a so thanks to the big P for the puzzle and to Pierre for the always fun blog.
I also found this a bit harder than some Sundays, particularly the NE corner. Lots to like though.
The “to” in the clue for SALINGER doesn’t quite work for me, which is a shame as I thought it a really nice clue otherwise. Enlightenment welcomed.
Thanks to Poins for the entertaining crossword and to Pierre for the entertaining blog.
P.S. Regarding the maximum number of clues in a 15×15 grid – there has been a 42-cluer in the Telegraph. Mr K did some looking in to that following a discussion on Big Dave’s. The link to the blog with his findings is here.
We didn’t think DEAD SET to be synonymous with ‘absolutely’, either. Otherwise we found this pretty straightforward, but didn’t see the obvious parsing of OUTDO – we were trying to think of a word for ‘rob’ and then remove ‘if’ or ‘as’ from it – doh!
Thanks to the two P’s.