It has only been during the last month or so that I have been solving the Beelzebub and I must say that I have been enjoying them. This one was no exception.
I did notice a few repetitions, such as company=CO in consecutive clues and ‘article’ to give A a couple of times, but this did not detract from a pleasurable solve.
Across
1 Fail to sufficiently empower delivery system (8)
UNDERARM – UNDER ARM (fail to sufficiently empower)
7 City area’s backed itself – see! (4)
ECCE – EC (City area) EC reversed (backed itself)
11 Go to get fish, taking off clothes (7)
PEELING – PEE (go) LING (fish)
12 Pale Aussie Cook, not offering Australian special (4)
GREY– GRE[as]Y (Aussie Cook, not offering Australian special)
13 Antelope edging round some bank (5)
SEROW – S[om]E (edging round some) ROW (bank)
14 Left-winger recalled former practice in misery (7)
TORTURE – TROT (left-winger) reversed (recalled) URE (former practice)
16 Welfare services about to retract job (6)
CAREER – CARE (welfare services) RE (about) reversed (to retract)
17 Catching fish is upsetting (9)
SNIGGLING – ‘S (is) NIGGLING (upsetting)
19 Old business club almost entirely rejected speechifying (7)
ORATORY – O (old) ROTARY (business club) with the first five letters reversed (almost entirely rejected)
22 Oriental warehouse opening for auction after turning in Japanese art (7)
NIHONGA – IN reversed (turning) HONG (Oriental warehouse) A[uction] (opening for auction)
25 See pincher all but turning into this? (9)
NIPCHEESE – an anagram (turning) of SEE PINCHE[r]
26 Cat brings it back in towards evening? (6)
LATISH – LASH (cat) around (brings … in) IT reversed (back)
29 Secretly impotent, distraught male leaving (2,5)
IN PETTO – an anagram (distraught) of I[m]POTENT
30 New College blocking drink for the time being (5)
NONCE – N (new) plus C (college) in (blocking) ONE (drink)
31 French state to worry about introduction of taxes (4)
ETAT – EAT (to worry) around (about) T[axes] (introduction of taxes)
32 Green mineral I place behind cross (7)
ZOISITE – ZO (cross) I SITE (I place)
33 A lot of space needed to accommodate river ferry (4)
RORO – ROO[m] (a lot of space needed) around (to accommodate) R (river)
34 Describing microscope study of recurrent cold almost completely (8)
CONFOCAL – CON (study) OF reversed (recurrent) C (cold) AL[l] (almost completely)
Down
1 Carousing as before – in cups? Yes (4)
UPSY – hidden in (in) ‘cUPS Yes’
2 Poverty loomed, with annual return dismissed (4)
NEED – NE[ar]ED (loomed, with annual return dismissed)
3 Fuel his whirling? (Something must!) (7)
DERVISH – DERV (fuel) plus an anagram (whirling) of HIS – extended def.
4 Carry off one girl, struggling? That’s not right (6)
ELOIGN – an anagram (struggling) of ONE GI[r]L
5 Time in goal spoiled for a particular number (7)
ANTILOG – an anagram (spoiled) of T IN GOAL
6 American subject swallowing frogs, supported by a Biblical misreading (9)
MARANATHA – MATH (American subject) around (swallowing) RANA (frogs) A
8 Savage poet’s gang descending on line (5)
CRUEL – CRUE (poet’s gang) L (line)
9 Campus initially heading off boring kit for brains (7)
CEREBRA – C[ampus] (campus initially) [t]EREBRA (heading off boring kit)
10 Possibly break teak article (antique) in here with my being clumsy (8)
EYE-RHYME – YE (article (antique)) in an anagram (clumsy) of HERE MY
15 German in action is involved in combat (9)
AGONISTIC G (German) in an anagram (involved) of ACTION IS – &lit
17 Realigns rampant beast on shield (8)
SANGLIER – an anagram (rampant) of REALIGNS
18 Insect in trouble round elegant tree (7)
AILANTO – ANT (insect) in AIL (trouble) O (round)
20 Fur company investing in radar equipment (7)
RACCOON – CO (company) in (investing in) RACON (radar equipment)
21 Film company upset about article about the sea (7)
OCEANIC – CINE (film) CO (company) reversed (upset) around (about) A (article)
23 Cymbal very much played with fervour (6)
ZELOSO – ZEL (cymbal) O SO (very much)
24 Article enthralled, elevating stock-market assessment (2,3)
AT PAR – A (article) RAPT (enthralled) reversed (elevating)
27 Unfortunate hunter not taking long time in proceedings (4)
ACTA – ACTA[eon] (unfortunate hunter not taking long time)
28 Bard’s cool / ship, poetically expressed (4)
KEEL – double def.
Thanks Gaufrid – for some reason we couldn’t parse 12ac!
Yeah, I couldn’t parse 12ac, too, and also 9dn. I needed aids to get 10dn.
25ac is a marvellous word I’ll have to try and get into conversation some time.
Thanks, Gaufrid. Quite a tough week, I thought. I’ve still not quite finished the lower right corner so it’s a good job you’re here!
Welcome to this blog slot Gaufrid, and (it seems) to the band of fervent admirers of this series.
Whichever of the two set this week’s, I went down with my ship, and I concede gracefully.