A very tough puzzle that had me pecking away at it for most of the week, though it was very satisfying when I did manage to work things out! There were a lot of new words to take in, but fortunately just the one remaining clue where I haven’t grasped the wordplay.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | CHEEKPOUCH – (H + KEEP*) in COUCH. |
| 10 | OUNCE – U in ONCE. |
| 11 | BOLERO – BO[w]LER + O. |
| 12 | INDECORUM – DINE* + CO + RUM. |
| 13 | TELLTALE – (LL + T.A. + L) in TEE. |
| 16 | CHANT – N in CHAT. |
| 17 | MISERE – IS in (M + ERE). |
| 18 | SMALTO – MALT in SO. |
| 19 | PRUNED – RUN in PED. |
| 22 | SCRIMP – S + CRIMP. |
| 24 | TIRED – IT< + RED. |
| 26 | CREPERIE – PERI in CREE. |
| 27 | BUPRESTID – (BIRD UPSET)*. |
| 28 | LABILE – LA + BILE. |
| 29 | CEDAR – [noti]CED AR[ound]. |
| 30 | CONTRAVENE – RAVEN in CONTE. |
| Down | |
| 1 | CONTEMPTIBLE – CON + (BIT< in TEMPLE). |
| 2 | HUMERI – HUM + IRE<. |
| 3 | ENCLOSURE – CLO[g] in ENSURE. |
| 4 | KENTE – KEN + T[i]E. |
| 5 | PEDATE – P.E. + DATE. |
| 6 | OBELUS – O.B.E. + LUS[h]. |
| 7 | CLOCHARD – CHAR in CLOD. |
| 8 | TRUANT – (R in TUAN + T. |
| 9 | SOMATOPLEURE – (MORE TO SEAL UP)*. |
| 14 | TALIGRADE – GILA< in TRADE. |
| 15 | TENEBRIO – BEEN* in TRIO. |
| 20 | RITUAL – (UT in LAIR)<. |
| 21 | DORSET – I’m unsure here, though the R and SE seem clear: Take right direction in county. |
| 22 | SAETER – A in TREES*. |
| 23 | MAIDAN – AID in MAN. |
| 25 | SPICA – S + PI + CA. |
I think, Simon, that it may be DO (take) R(right) SET(direction) with Chambers justifying it.