As usal, Paul McKenna has treated us to a pun across the top row, though it took me a few readings to see it as CUBE ROOTS.
The first definition is underlined in clues.
Away we go...
| Across | |
| 1 | This line comes from outspoken centre of growing excellence (5) |
| QUEUE - sounds like the gardens at KEW | |
| 5 | Northern island’s full of right beasts (6) |
| BRUTES - BUTE'S(Northern Island's) containing R | |
| 9 | Previously grave and quiet soak to open up (9) |
| INTERPRET - INTER(bury, grave as a verb), P(quiet), RET(soak) | |
| 10 | High canto nicely done (11) |
| ANTICYCLONE - anagram of CANTO,NICELY. It takes a little peeking to find it, but "anticyclone" is given under "high" | |
| 11 | Lean on reserve fund for bit of protection (4) |
| REST - this clue is made from all three definitions of REST in Chambers | |
| 12 | Alternatively such as could be a threat (6, two words) |
| OR ELSE - double definition | |
| 14 | Ultimate in mistaken dalliance (6) |
| END-ALL - hidden in mistakEN DALLiance. In Mephisto clues, hyphens in answers are not indicated | |
| 15 | iPod with various changes — weight perhaps (11) |
| AVOIRDUPOIS - anagram of IPOD,VARIOUS, and a word I cannot spell to save my life | |
| 16 | Return iron and stand (3) |
| NEF - reversal of FE(iron), 'N' - a stand you might find on a dinner table | |
| 19 | Snapper’s stultifying stuff? (3) |
| PAP - double definition, the snapper being a PAPPARAZZO | |
| 22 | We keep back storage space during blights (11) |
| WITHHOLDERS - HOLD(storage space) inside WITHERS(blights) | |
| 23 | Lubricious bunch in case of skullduggery (6) |
| STEAMY - TEAM(bunch) in S |
|
| 25 | In Marseilles and bound to enthrall one African as before (6) |
| ETHIOP - ET(and, in French), and HOP(bound) containing I | |
| 26 | Case of seeds showing no hint of propagating in a month (4) |
| ARIL - remove the first letter of Propagating in the month of APRIL | |
| 27 | Palaeographer, say, may be happier with gist unravelling (11) |
| EPIGRAPHIST - anagram of HAPPIER,GIST | |
| 28 | Mince is another miss in Lisbon (9) |
| SENHORITA - anagram of IS,ANOTHER | |
| 29 | Hamper next to stone trough (6) |
| HOGTIE - the HOG is a stone in curling, and a TIE is a trough for washing ore, found in Chambers under TYE | |
| 30 | Tipped ciggie is rough (5) |
| ASPER - remove the end of GASPER(cigarette) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Question knowhow over an affliction which repeats (7) |
| QUARTAN - QU(question), ART(know-how) over AN | |
| 2 | Macron’s one sadly never put out (7) |
| UNNERVE - UN(French for one), then an anagram of NEVER | |
| 3 | Concert in place of study borders on tetchy (5) |
| UNITY - UNI(university, place of study), then T |
|
| 4 | Carvers and the rest belonging to that girl? (7) |
| ETCHERS - ETC(and the rest), HERS(belonging to that girl) | |
| 5 | Dopey dopey bromance is without rival (13, two words) |
| BEYOND COMPARE - anagram of DOPEY,BROMANCE (despite dopey bromance being a redundancy) | |
| 6 | United excuse personal trainer that’s risen rapidly (7) |
| UPLEAPT - U(united), PLEA(excuse), PT(personal trainer) | |
| 7 | Swagger in hat — old-fashioned dress (9) |
| TROLLOPEE - ROLL(swagger) in TOPEE(hat) | |
| 8 | Guides spread amongst Saints (6) |
| STEERS - TEER(spread) inside S,S(saunts) | |
| 13 | Fog’s swirling about l-light — it’s not a problem (9, two words) |
| SOFT THING - anagram of FOG'S surrounding T-THIN(light) | |
| 17 | Expression of joy over boat being up once (7) |
| AHEIGHT - AH(expression of joy), EIGHT(eight-oar boat) | |
| 18 | Ignoring what’s second, just male and female spiritual games venue (7) |
| OLYMPIA - remove the second letter from ONLY(just), M(male), PIA(pious, spiritual in the female form) | |
| 20 | One involved with extravagant treats? (7) |
| ARTISTE - I inside an anagram of TREATS, an all-in-one clue | |
| 21 | Wit in a devotional book (7) |
| PSALTER - SALT(wit) in PER(a, each) | |
| 22 | Scots zip it with hands, learn about going in (6) |
| WHEESH - W(with), H,H(hands) containing SEE(learn) reversed | |
| 24 | Crackers with added hot Thai greens (5) |
| BAHTS - BATS(crackers) containing H. Greens meaning money in this case | |
