Clues
Across
- 1 Woodchuck’s short time in reversing vehicle (6)
- 5 Roughly inapt, clumsy leader (7)
- 9 Will he be the ultimate gatekeeper? (5)
- 10 Carnivorous sort of watchman (9)
- 11 Hide old boy’s kipper (7)
- 12 Liberal, one politician lacking vigour (4)
- 15 Misplaced glee they ultimately lament (5)
- 17 Local bigwig trashing royal dorm (4, 5)
- 19 These loaves are sticky? (9)
- 22 Arrange a comeback for fabulous storyteller (5)
- 24 Said to be familiar with one ancient mariner (4)
- 25 Unaware lithium’s been extracted? It’s very apparent! (7)
- 28 Tabloid snapper we represented (9)
- 29 Country retreat for the French writer (5)
- 30 An empty, abandoned settlement (7)
- 31 Star team tours regularly - it might be earth-shaking (6)
Down
- 2 Performer rates it poorly (7)
- 3 Copper stops slightly drunk rock singer (7)
- 4 Submit dummy hand, starting to give protective cover (10)
- 5 Team leader missing from swindle (4)
- 6 Crooked umpire first to make choice (7)
- 7 Stiff cuts forced payouts (7)
- 8 Gutlessly navigate Red Square? (4)
- 9 Gnomes illustrate bones one’s removed (8)
- 13 It’s a carrot, possibly? Not a common sort! (10)
- 14 Plan to support Windows, maybe, starts to annoy Linus (8)
- 16 Beast with no previous owner, we hear (3)
- 18 Archer’s odds selected by high-flier (3)
- 20 Get on board with this mob custom (7)
- 21 Model partner no longer sufficient (7)
- 22 Victor getting in a twist, perhaps, with down payment (7)
- 23 Sign mostly exclusive clothing “rip-off” (7)
- 26 Knocks back shot (4)
- 27 Boil sheep’s head and grass (4)
Setter’s notes
My first full-sized 15×15. I’m afraid it’s not my most inspired effort, but I hope you enjoy solving it all the same.
Across
- 1 “Short time” = MO, inside “vehicle” = TRAM reversed — MARMOT, a woodchuck.
- 5 “Roughly” = CA + an anagram (“clumsy”) of INAPT — CAPTAIN, “leader”.
- 9 Cryptic definition: St PETER, keeper of the pearly gates.
- 10 Double definition: a carnivorous sort, and a Tower of London warder — BEEFEATER.
- 11 “Old boy” = OB + ‘S + “kipper” = CURE — OBSCURE, “hide”.
- 12 “Liberal” = L + “one” = I + “politician” = MP — LIMP, “lacking vigour”.
- 15 An anagram (“misplaced”) of GLEE + the last letter of “theY” — ELEGY, a lament.
- 17 An anagram (“trashing”) of ROYAL DORM — LORD MAYOR.
- 19 Cryptic definition: loaves that are sticks — BAGUETTES.
- 22 “Arrange” = POSE + A, making a comeback (reversed) — AESOP.
- 24 Sounds like (“said to be”) “familiar with one” = KNOW A — NOAH.
- 25 “Unaware” = OBLIVIOUS, with “lithium” = LI extracted — OBVIOUS.
- 28 An anagram (“represented”) of SNAPPER WE — NEWSPAPER, a tabloid.
- 29 “The French” = LA + “writer” = PEN, all in retreat (reversed) — NEPAL.
- 30 An anagram (“abandoned”) of AN EMPTY — PAYMENT, “settlement”.
- 31 The regular (even) letters of “sTaR tEaM tOuRs” — TREMOR.
Down
- 2 An anagram (“poorly”) of RATES IT — ARTISTE.
- 3 “Copper” = CU, stopping “slightly drunk” = MERRY — MERCURY, Freddie the rock singer.
- 4 “Submit” = TABLE + “dummy” = CLOT + the start of “Hand” — TABLECLOTH.
- 5 “Swindle” = SCREW, missing its leader — CREW, “team”.
- 6 An anagram (“crooked”) of UMPIRE + the first of “Make” — PREMIUM, “choice”.
- 7 An anagram (“forced”) of PAYOUTS — AUTOPSY, where a stiff is cut.
- 8 “NavigatE ReD” with its guts removed — NERD, a square.
- 9 “Illustrate” = PROVE + “bones” = RIBS, with “one” = I removed — PROVERBS, “gnomes”.
- 13 An anagram (“possibly”) of IT’S A CARROT — ARISTOCRAT, not a common sort.
- 14 “Support” = PROP + “Windows, maybe” = OS + the starts of “Annoy Linus” — PROPOSAL, “plan”.
- 16 Sounds like (“we hear”) “with no previous owner” = NEW — GNU.
- 18 The odd letters of “ArChEr” — ACE, a high-flier.
- 20 “Mob” = GANG + “custom” = WAY — GANGWAY.
- 21 “Partner no longer” = EX + “sufficient” = AMPLE — EXAMPLE, “model”.
- 22 “Victor” = V, getting into A + “twist, perhaps” = DANCE — ADVANCE, a down payment.
- 23 “Exclusive” = SCOOP, mostly (SCOO), clothing an anagram (“off”) of RIP — SCORPIO, a sign.
- 26 “Knocks” = PANS, back (reversed) — SNAP, “shot”.
- 27 The head of “Sheep” + “grass” = POT — SPOT, “boil”.