Independent 10779 / Silvanus

Mishap ultimately stops new girl with Angus making European festival (9,5) 

WALPURGIS NIGHT (the eve of the first of May, when witches, according to German popular superstition, rode on broomsticks and male goats to revel with their master the devil, especially on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains; European festival)

P (final letter of [ultimately] MISHAP) contained in (stops) an anagram of (new) GIRL WITH ANGUS

WAL (P) URGIS NIGHT*

Barely spot obvious signs of injury (5) 

LIMPS (styles of walking that results from injury; signs of injury)

GLIMPSE (spot momentarily) excluding the first and last letters (uncovered; barely) G and E

LIMPS

Partner is desperate to become known (9) 

TRANSPIRE (become known)

Anagram of (desperate) PARTNER IS

TRANSPIRE*

Emphasise instruction to student for improving ungrammatical essay? (9) 

PUNCTUATE (emphasise)

PUNCTUATE (a possible instruction that will help improve the grammar of an essay)  double definition

PUNCTUATE

Popular tenor starts to ruin ostentatious musical opening (5) 

INTRO (the opening passage of a jazz or popular music piece)

IN (popular) + T (tenor) + RO (first letters of [starts to] each of RUIN and OSTENTATIOUS)

IN T RO

Contradiction of soldier coming to place where sailors are seen in conversation (7)

PARADOX (something which is contrary to received, conventional opinion; contradiction)

PARA (soldier who is a member of the PARAchute Regiment) + DOX (sounds like [in conversation] DOCKS [a place where sailors are seen])

PARA DOX

Some inconspicuous car certainly is harder to find (7) 

SCARCER (harder to find)

SCARCER (hidden word in [some] INCONSPICUOUS CAR CERTAINLY)

SCARCER

Salesman born in Idaho felt discontent (7) 

REPINED (felt discontent)

REP (representative; salesman)  + (NE [of a man, born] contained in [in] ID [American State of Idaho]

REP I (NE) D

Without nurse regularly around, must reset bone (7) 

STERNUM (the breastbone in humans)

Anagram of (reset) MUST containing (without; outside) (NRE [letters 1, 3 and 5 [regularly] of NURSE, reversed [around])

ST (ERN<) UM*

Two leading characters dropped from pleasant story (5)

FABLE (a narrative in which things irrational and sometimes inanimate are, for the purpose of moral instruction, made to act and speak with human interests and passions; story)

AFFABLE (pleasant) excluding (dropped from) the first two [two leading] letters A and F

FABLE

Pen sort of language that’s found on UK banknotes (5,4)

POUND SIGN (symbol to designate pound sterling that appears on UK banknotes)

POUND (pen) + SIGN (reference SIGN language [means of communication using finger and hand movements, used eg by deaf people])

POUND SIGN

Cake that was to help neither side during World War II reportedly? (5,4) 

SWISS ROLL (type of cake)

SWISS (relating to Switzerland) + ROLL (sounds like [reportedly] ROLE [part played in life or in an event as the Second World War)  During World War II, Switzerland maintained armed neutrality, and was not invaded by its neighbors or helpful to either side. Consequently, it was of considerable interest to belligerent states as the scene for diplomacy, espionage, and commerce, as well as being a safe haven for refugees.

SWISS ROLL

Head of society chasing supporters for money (5) 

BRASS (money)

BRAS (supporters [of breasts]) + S (society)

BRAS S

A charge that is concocted to arrest international author (6,8)

AGATHA CHRISTIE (reference AGATHA CHRISTIE [1890 – 1976], English author of detective fiction)

Anagram of (is concocted) A CHARGE THAT IS containing (to arrest) I (international)

AGATHA CHRIST (I) E*

Desktop image that is cut and pasted (9) 

WALLPAPER (material that is cut and pasted an applied to walls as a covering and decoration)

WALLPAPER (background pattern on a computer screen)  double definition

WALLPAPER

Tour de France winner runs over towards parents initially. Sweet! (5,4) 

LEMON DROP (hard sweet)

LEMOND (reference Greg LEMOND [born 1961], American cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1990) + R (runs [in cricket scoring notation]) + O (over) + P (first letter of [initially] PARENTS)

LEMON D R O P

Completes puzzle, on reflection admitting surprise (5) 

UPSET (unexpected outcome; surprise)

UPSET (reversed [on reflection] hidden word [admitting] in COMPLETES PUZZLE)

UPSET<

Ten grand used up entertaining American with meal and posh cakes (7) 

GATEAUX (cakes)

(X [Roman numeral for ten] + G [grand]) reversed (used up) containing (entertaining) (A [American] + TEA [meal] + U [upper class; posh])

G (A TEA U) X<

Sisters experience taking out first European young boys (7)

SHAVERS (youngsters, usually boys)

This seems to be built up from SISTERS excluding (out or taking out) (IST [first] + E [European]) and HAVE (experience) but I can’t quite see how the clue positions HAVE in SRS.  It might be the word ‘taking’ that indicates the containment leaving ‘out’ to reference the exclusion of ISTR

S (HAVE) RS

Start eating, it’s freshly made (9) 

INSTIGATE (begin; start)

Anagram of (freshly made) EATING ITS

INSTIGATE*

Tackle landlord about source of infestation (5)

HOIST (tackle for lifting heavy objects)

HOST (landlord) containing (about) I (first letter of [source of] INFESTATION)

HO (I) ST

Ban day of celebration supported by electorate essentially (4) 

VETO (withhold assent to; ban)

VE (reference VE day [Victory in Europe day]) + TO (central letters [essentially] of ELECTORATE)  As this is a down entry, the letters VE are supported by the letters TO

VE TO

Admit nine Euros went oddly missing in collection plates (6,3) 

DINNER SET (complete SET [collection] of plates and dishes for a company at DINNER)

DINNER SET (letters 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 [even letters, so odd letters [oddly] are all excluded [missing]) of ADMIT NINE EUROS WENT)

DINNER SET

Close friend of Tory worker seen outside bar (9)

CONFIDANT (close friend)

(CON [Conservative; Tory] + ANT [worker]) containing (see outside) FID (a square bar, with a shoulder, used to support the weight of the topmast or top-gallant mast)

CON (FID) ANT

Think nostalgically about car having small coupé’s shell (9) 

REMINISCE (think, usually favourably or nostalgically, about something that happened in the past)

RE (about) + MINI (type of car) + S (small) + CE (outer letters of [shell] COUPE)

RE MINI S CE

Tactful individual must sacrifice time to get qualification (7)

DIPLOMA (document conferring some honour or privilege, such as a university degree or other qualification)

DIPLOMAT (tactful individual) excluding (must sacrifice) T (time)

DIPLOMA

Crushing retort from second schoolmaster to Billy Bunter (7)

SQUELCH (a disconcerting or quashing retort or rebuff)

S (second) + QUELCH (surname of a schoolteacher in the Billy Bunter stories by Frank Richards)

S QUELCH

Mouldy smell caused commotion, so to speak (4) 

FUST (mouldy or musty smell)

FUST (sounds like [so to speak] FUSSED [agitated about trivial matters; caused commotion])

FUST

Former Welsh politician avoids criticising fancy jewellery (5) 

BLING (jewellery, especially of a large and conspicuous style)

BLAMING (finding fault with; criticising) excluding (avoids) AM (former abbreviation for a Member of the Welsh Assembly [Assembly Member].  The term now is MS [Member of the Senedd])

BLING

Name major road in Middle Eastern city (5) 

DUBAI (Middle Easter city in the United Arab Emirates)

DUB (name) + AI (A one; main road from London to Edinburgh)

DUB AI