Clues
Across
- 1 Social network’s his biz, ultimately? Mark buries head right inside bum (10)
- 6 They’re conciliatory to manufacturers of chess sets, we hear (11)
- 8 Unseat tourney leader - begone! (4)
- 9 Official regularly taking cure-all: “more gas!” (6)
- 10 Stunning socks found in tourist destination (3)
- 11 At heart, madam: egregiously slow-paced (6)
- 12 Bring forth multitude: left yields to power (4)
- 14 Cross’s holy points damaged by one playing with mallets (11)
- 15 Old star-ogler, put another way? (10)
Down
- 1 Lesser-known brother has final letter from disgraced Pope - with stains, we hear (5, 4)
- 2 Run-down barns where some gambling takes place (5, 6)
- 3 Contest doesn’t end level (4)
- 4 Live without fella - start to smoke some grass? (6)
- 5 Once again providing supplies for ‘riotously queer’ topless bathing (11)
- 7 Brackish stuff first spotted on surprisingly wet altar (4, 5)
- 9 Tuber’s not finished with tiny jumper (3)
- 10 One who sleeps with fish (6)
- 13 Juliet riding bird of prey - cheeky thing (4)
Setter’s notes
I hope you get somewhere with this one and are entertained along the way. The explanations below should shed some light where I’ve been unreasonably obscure — and especially where I’ve tried to pass that off as whimsy. Sincere apologies in all such cases.
Across
- 1 The last letter of “biZ” = Z + “mark” (a dupe) = SUCKER, minus its head + “right” = R inside “bum” = BEG — ZUCKERBERG.
- 6 Sounds like (“we hear”) makers of chess pieces, PIECE MAKERS — PEACEMAKERS.
- 8 “Tourney” = JOUST, minus its leader — OUST, “unseat”.
- 9 “Official” = REF + the regular (even) letters of “cUrE-aLl” — REFUEL.
- 10 Double definition: stunning socks (knock-outs, KOs) and the Greek island — KOS.
- 11 The hearts of “mADAm” and “egreGIOusly” — ADAGIO, “slow-paced”.
- 12 “Multitude” = SLEW, with “left” = L yielding to “power” = P — SPEW.
- 14 “Cross” = X + an anagram (“damaged”) of HOLY POINTS — XYLOPHONIST.
- 15 An anagram (“put another way”) of O + STAR-OGLER — ASTROLOGER, and the whole clue is the definition (&lit).
Down
- 1 “Final letter” = Z + an anagram (“disgraced”) of POPE + sounds like (“we hear”) “stains” = MARKS — ZEPPO MARX.
- 2 “Run-down barns” = CRAP STABLES — CRAPS TABLES.
- 3 “Contest” = EVENT, without its end — EVEN, “level”.
- 4 “Live” = BE, without (outside) “fella” = LAD + the start of “Smoke” = S — BLADES of grass.
- 5 An anagram (“riotously”) of QUEER + “bathing” = DIPPING, topless — REEQUIPPING.
- 7 The first letter of “spotted” = S + an anagram (“surprisingly”) of WET ALTAR — SALT WATER.
- 9 “Tuber” = ROOT, not finished — ROO, the tiny jumper.
- 10 Double definition, based on “kip” = sleep: one who kips, and a fish — KIPPER.
- 13 “Juliet” = J + “bird of prey” = OWL — JOWL, “cheek”.