Despite two answers I'd not met before (19ac, 36dn), I didn't find this too difficult, with a solving time of 21 minutes split across two sessions. There were two George Eliot references (25ac, 55ac), but I don't think they were part of an overall theme - perhaps the setter just likes George Eliot!
As ever, * indicates an anagram.
| Across |
| 1 |
SNAZZIEST - (mizzenmasts)* |
| 6 |
BIDET - I'D in BET |
| 9 |
BUCKS UP - BUCK + SUP |
| 13 |
OUTDO - OUT, + DO (defined by fleece, = con, cheat) |
| 14 |
BURNOUS - O + U, in BURNS |
| 15 |
PLATITUDE - Potassium + LATITUDE |
| 16 |
TICKLED PINK - TICK, + Del (reversed), +PINK |
| 17 |
RIDE SHOTGUN - (shouting Red)* |
| 18 |
SPRING - double definition |
| 19 |
TROUPIAL - O + UP, in TRIAL. I'm not usually too bad on bird names, but I'd never heard of a TROUPIAL |
| 21 |
ASTRAY - AS + TRAY |
| 25 |
EOLITHIC - (Eliot)* + H + I + C |
| 26 |
UTHER PENDRAGON - LUTHER + PEN + DRAG ON |
| 28 |
EDWIN - hidden in rED WINe |
| 29 |
SIERRA - the dedfinition is chain (as in mountain chain). SIERRA is the NATO phonetic alphabet code for the letter S. It took me a while to figure this one out! |
| 30 |
VILLANELLE - LLANELLi in VIE |
| 33 |
THESSALIAN - (saint heals)* |
| 35 |
PHLEGM - P, + LEG in HM (= Her Majesty). PHLEGM was one of the four "humours" in ancient medical terminology - the others were black bile, yellow bile and blood. Apologies if you're reading this over breakfast... |
| 36 |
KOORI - rook (reversed), + I. This was my other did-not-know answer |
| 38 |
PIG IN THE MIDDLE - cassowary has SOW (= pig) in the middle of the word |
| 40 |
BARATHEA - Arab (reversed), + THE + A |
| 42 |
DETAIN - DIN around ETA |
| 43 |
DIPLOMAT - Time after DIPLOMA |
| 44 |
PIERCE - PIER + CavE |
| 47 |
WASHING SODA - (Ads showing a)* |
| 50 |
ALL-NIGHTERS - cryptic definition |
| 52 |
PLAINTIFF - PLAIN + TIFF |
| 53 |
IMITATE - I ATE around M.I.T. |
| 54 |
EMAIL - Niamey, reversed, +L |
| 55 |
DE MILLE - MILL (reference to 'The Mill on the Floss'), in DEE |
| 56 |
LANCE - gLANCE |
| 57 |
KEEPSAKES - KEEPS, around SAKE (Japanese rice wine) |
| Down |
| 1 |
SNOUT - SN (chemical symbol for tin is Sn), + OUT (defined by old hat) |
| 2 |
ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE - (win local guarantee)*. This one brought back unpleasant memories of school history lessons |
| 3 |
ZOOPLANKTON - ZOOm + PLANK, + not (reversed) |
| 4 |
EMBEDS - E + M, + BEDS (short for Bedfordshire) |
| 5 |
TERRIERS - TIERS around ERR |
| 6 |
BLOCKBUSTERS - BLOCK, + BUSTER'S (reference to Buster Crabbe, the American athlete/actor) |
| 7 |
DISTRAINED - DI'S TRAINED (DI = Detective Inspector) |
| 8 |
TEPID - P, in diet (reversed) - 'diet' is a term used for the Japanese Parliament, as well as various historical assemblies |
| 9 |
BOATSWAIN - BOA (defined by stole), + ThiS + WAIN |
| 10 |
CHIROPTERAN - (to pinch rare)* |
| 11 |
STUNG - gnu (reversed) under ST |
| 12 |
PAEONY - AttractivE in PONY (a PONY is a kind of small drinks glass) |
| 18 |
STEREOTYPE - (See pottery)* |
| 20 |
LOPSIDED - LOPS, + alternate letters of birdseed |
| 22 |
ANGELS ON HORSEBACK - GELS in A + N + ON HORSEBACK. The appetizer traditionally consists of oysters wrapped in bacon, though these days I imagine it's just as likely to feature real horse |
| 23 |
DIESEL - DIES + E + L |
| 24 |
INDELICATE - INDICATE around EL |
| 27 |
BECALMED - BE CALM, + ED |
| 31 |
LAMMAS - Mass in LAMAS |
| 32 |
WHALE OF A TIME - (Who ate meal if)*. The definition is 'ball', as in 'having a ball' |
| 34 |
SENSATIONAL - horSE, + S in NATIONAL |
| 36 |
KNAVISHNESS - (saves NHS ink)* |
| 37 |
ADAPTATION - Parisian + TATI + ON, preceded by ADA |
| 39 |
HANG-GLIDE - N + G + G, in HALIDE |
| 41 |
BALLPARK - double definition (reference to a 'ballpark estimate') |
| 45 |
SWIPED - double definition |
| 46 |
BIREME - sounds like 'buy ream' |
| 48 |
SWARM - S + WARM |
| 49 |
OFFAL - OFF + A + L |
| 51 |
SILAS - is (reversed), + LASS |
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