Cryptic Crossword 1-36

Theme: none

Across:

1.   Man!!, I am back in play with boxes of Jams say (8,6)

  Swimming trunks, M (man), back (reversal of) IM (I am), in (insertion), swing (play),

  with (juxtaposition), trunks (boxes), Jams say (def, Jams is a type of swimming trunk)

10. Facilitated in making overseas education accessible to deserving student (5)

   Eased, facilitated (def), in (hidden), rest is fodder.

11. Steady state gave batting an excellent start (9)

   Valentine, steady (def), VA (state), lent (gave), in (batting), start (first letter in) excellent.

12. Bjorn and Benny on waterloo say, like back-to-back sailors with soldiers (4,3)

   Abba men, Bjorn and Benny on waterloo (def, both are males from group Abba which

   produced the album waterloo), AB (sailor), ABBA (back-to-back sailors), men (soldiers)

13. Pressing the former spy (needing no introduction), about bit of information (7)

   Exigent, pressing (def), ex (former), needing no introduction (delete first letter in) agent

  (spy), about (container), bit of (1st letter in) information

14. Melody for beginners, many users say it’s cool (5)

   Music, melody (def), beginners (first letters in) “many users say it’s cool.”

16. Natural yet fashionable Cristin dressed (9)

   Intrinsic, natural (def), in (fashionable), dressed (anagram of) Cristin.

19. Guaranteed funds for bodyguard? (4-5)

   Ring-fence, guaranteed funds (def), ring (body as in community), fence (guard)

20. Name associated with old pedophile? (5)

   Nonce, N (name), associated with (juxtaposition), once (old), pedophile (def)

22. Chief executive amongst the achievers or cheats? (7)

   Dodgers, DG (chief executive), amongst (insertion), doers (achievers), cheats (def)

25. Star defender on the bench ain’t going to help keep opponent’s offense in shackle (7)

   Enchain, in (hidden), shackle (def), rest is fodder.

27. Top religion without a background... mostly! (9)

  Crescendo, top (def), credo (religion), without (container), mostly (delete last letter in) scene (background)

28. Unusual sitcom without lead character fails (5)

   Omits, unusual (anagram of) sitcom, without (deletion of) lead (1st letter in) character, fails (def as in forgets)

29. Character and control helps composure (4-10)

   Self-possession, self (character), possession (control), composure (def)

Down:

 2. Clean up here before hosting a small cocktail bash in the wagon (9)

  Washbasin, clean up here (def), hosting ... in (container), s (small), cocktail (anagram of)

  bash, wain (wagon), note hosting x in yy = yxy

 3. Maybe initially the first man was a woman? (5)

  Madam, initially (1st letter in) maybe, Adam (the first man), woman (def)

 4. At home 20 Italians drinking the concoction? (9)

  Invention, in (at home), Venti (20 in Italian), on (drinking), concoction (def)

 5. Mysterious galleon docked in port near India (5)

  Galle, in (hidden), port near India (def), rest is fodder.

 6. Diner served up empty container!! Your interpretation? (9)

  Rendition, served up (anagram of) diner, “tion” (empty container, ref. list of abbreviations, perhaps because 

        tion = o (nothing), inside, tin (container), i.e., empty container), interpretation (def)

 7. Upscale bottled water brand from the east for the gullible (5)

  Naïve, Evian (upscale bottled water brand), from the east (reversal), gullible (def)

 8. Doubting Thomas was held during the raid (7)

  Skeptic, doubting Thomas (def), kept (held), during (insertion), sic (raid)

 9. Peeled neck? apply lotion around to soothe (6)

  Becalm, peeled (select all middle letters in) neck, apply around (container), balm (lotion), soothe (def)

15. Police arresting ladies with ease? see you at Joe’s place perhaps (6,3)

   Coffee cup, cop (police), arresting (container), FF (ladies), EE (ease), See you (cu), Joe’s place perhaps (def)

17. So, in order to avoid confusion, wait here for elderly passengers to board first (9)

   Therefore, so (def), in (hidden), rest is fodder.

18. Romans in a ruinous state (3,6)

   San Marino, ruinous (anagram of) “Romans in a”, state (def, as in country)

19. Removes sensitive information applying communist laws (7)

   Redacts, removes sensitive information (def), red (communist), acts (laws)

21. Professional, not amateur Nobel prize winning American author (6)

   Ernest, earnest (professional), not (deletion of) a (amateur), rest is def.

23. Live in Germany? on what? (5)

   Dwell, live (def), D (Germany), on (juxtaposition), well (what as in interjection)

24. King’s banks after violation fails (5)

   Sinks, banks (1st and last letter in) King’s, after (positionally after), sin (violation), fails (def)

26. Proficiency needed to jump into civil service (5)

   Chops, proficiency (def), hop (jump), into (insertion), CS (civil services)