Times for the Times

Mostly straightforward but I do have an issue with the definition in 31A - more detail below. Hopefully someone can provide more support. I don't have any particular favourite among the other clues.

Across
1 COSTA RICA - COST = charge, A(f)RICA = continent
6 STEWPOT - TOP = leading, WETS = Tory moderates, all reversed
10 DUCAT - DUCT = tube, around A = area
13 TENUOUS - TENS = decades, around U = university, (n)O(t) and U = university again
14 INERTIA - TER(r)AIN* around I = one
15 ROLLMOP - ROLL sounds like ROLE = part, MOP = cleaner
16 WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN - double definition, the second mildly cryptic
17 ADO - alternate letters in bAnDbOx
18 LOCALE - LOCAL = watering hole, (gazell)E
20 TELEDU - T.U. = trade union, around E = European and LED = prompted. I have come across this word on crosswords before
21 ARTHURIAN - (TURN A HAIR)*
23 MORATORIUM - MUM = old lady, around ORATORI(o) = choral work
25 REED BUNTING - RED = colourful, BUNTING = flags, around E = eastern
29 INTRO - INTO = knowledgeable about, around R(achmaninoff)
30 TRANSACT - T.T. = races, around RANSAC(k) = rifle
31 CLAYMORE - C(ontractor), LAY = put down, MORE = additional. I have a problem with the definition here as I can't find anything suggesting a claymore as a pipe. A pipe bomb for the anti-personnel mine definition of claymore also does not seem reasonable as I believe a claymore mine sends a shrapnel-filled bomb into the air to then explode. I can't find any other word to fit the wordplay in the clue and checking letters
34 SHREWISH - SH = quiet, WISH = desire, around R.E. = soldiers
36 SPILLAGE - (expose)S, PILLAGE = depredation
37 OCTET - O = old, CT = Connecticut, ET = film
39 HANDICAPPER - HANDY sounds like HANDY = practical, CAPPER sounds like KAPPA = Greek character
41 RITORNELLO - (TRIO OR)* around NELL = girl
43 FOSTERAGE - FO(r), STAGE = part of theatre, around E.R. = leading lady
45 HAUNCH - HUNCH = suspicion, around A
47 TWINGE - TWIN = Remus, perhaps, GE = E.G. = for example, reversed
49 LEI - LEI(sure) = rest
50 HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD - double definition
52 NINEPIN - NINE sounds like NEIN = no in German, PIN = device for identifying
53 EPICARP - EARP = Wyatt, around PIC = film
54 AVIATOR - A(scend), VIA = by way of, TOR = rocky peak
55 STEAL - S = second, TEAL = duck
56 MASONRY - MARY = woman, around SON = close relative
57 INTEGRATE - IN = current, TEG = sheep, RATE = charge
Down
1 COTSWOLD - COTS = sleeping places, W(elcomed), OLD = elderly
2 SINGE - SINE = function, around G(rub)
3 AMONTILLADO - A, MON = day, TILL = up to the time of , A DO = a party
4 ISSUED - ISSUE = children, D = duke
5 ARITHMETICAL - (THE ART I CLAIM)*
6 STEEPLE - STEP = action, LE = the in French, around E = English
7 EXTRACURRICULAR - EXTRA = additional, CIRCULAR* around UR = old city
8 PEACEMAKER - PACEMAKER = heart stimulator, around E = European
9 TURNOUT - double definition
10 DELINQUENCY - (CINDY, LEN)* around QUE = that in Paris
11 CAMPANILI - CAM = river, PAN = vessel, IL = the in Italian, I = one
12 TYPHOON - TYCOON = magnate with C = key removed and replaced by P = quiet and H = hotel
19 CROFTER - CR = creditor, OFTER = with greater frequency
22 CONTESSA - CO = firm, NA = AN reversed, around TESS = Hardy character
24 MISAPPREHENSION - MI'S = intelligence agency's, APPREHENSION = arrest
26 BILBERRY - (BRIBE, L(o)R(r)Y)*
27 GHETTO - GET TO = arrive at, around H = horse
28 KITSCH - KIT'S = Christopher's, CH = church
32 ORTOLAN - ORTON = British dramatist, around L.A. = US city
33 FAIT ACCOMPLI - FAT = stout, around I = one, ACCOMPLI(ce) = crony
35 WHITECHAPEL - (THE PLACE W(h)I(c)H)*
37 OVERWEENING - OVER = about, WING = projecting part of house, around E,E and N = quarters
38 SPEECHLESS - double definition
40 NESCIENCE - (NICE SCENE)*
42 GENDARME - GEN = information, DAME = titled woman, around R = runs
43 FILINGS - FLINGS = chucks, around I = one
44 ANTONYM - ANTONY = roman general, M(en)
46 UNITARY - UNI = college, TRY = test, around A(cclaimed)
48 STUART - START = set about, around U = uniform
51 EXTRA - EX(i)T = doorway, R.A = Burlington House

I suspect this was a hard one. It’s hard for me to be sure because I had a very full weekend, but after looking at it several times in free intervals, I only had 9ac and 20dn.

My clue of the day was 18dn for the cunning reference to Boz! My LOI was 13ac, where I didn’t know the answer and constructed a plausible alternative. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.

Clues are blue, with definitions underlined. (ABC*) means ‘anagram of ABC’. Deletions are in [square brackets]. The blog is in Times New Roman font, as part of a gentle campaign to urge the club site to use a font in which it is easier to tell one’s stem from one’s stern.

Across
1	Pass to a defender, bringing some whistling? (8)
	FEEDBACK – FEED to the [full]BACK. The whistling here is from the speaker system, getting feedback from the mikes.
5	City’s keeper initially not prepared to accept defeat (6)
	KRAKOW – K[eeper] ‘initially’, RAW (not prepared) ‘to accept’ KO (knockout/defeat).
8	Cover painful swelling that’s got in conclusion to very rough game (5,5)
	RUGBY UNION – RUG (cover), BUNION ‘that’s got’ [very]Y.
9	Chance that meeting with bachelor might be quick (4)
	RISK – if you add B for bachelor, you get BRISK.
10	Am an hour in a van commuting to work (3,3,2,6)
	OUR MAN IN HAVANA – ‘commution’ (AM AN HOUR IN A VAN*). The work was by Graham Greene.
11	Relative’s very modest salary (7)
	GRANDPA – GRAND (very), PA[y] (‘modest’ salary). The wordplay here puzzled me a bit. GRAND doesn’t quite seem like VERY, and ‘modest’ seems a doubtful way to say ‘take the last letter off’? I await the wisdom of the comments! Thanks to vinyl1, I now get it. A grand ($1,000) p.a. is indeed a very modest salary these days.
13	Brother penning old verse one would see for a bit (7)
	LORIMER – LOR (‘brother’!), ‘penning’ RIME (old verse). A lorimer made bridle parts apparently. Since I didn’t know that, I couldn’t decide between this answer and the made-up BORIMER, constructed via BR (brother) ‘penning’ O (old) and RIME (verse).
15	Journey for pleasure to take years: not practical? (7)
	GADGETY – GAD (journey (v.) for pleasure). GET (take), Y (years).
18	Playmaker’s rating sustained (7)
	OSBORNE – OS (rating, as in Ordinary Seaman), BORNE (sustained, as in ‘not to be borne’).
21	Benefactor, loudly derogatory, clashing with him (5,9)
	FAIRY GODMOTHER – F (loudly, as a musical direction), then ‘clashing’ (DEROGATORY HIM*).
22	Composer affronted not to be fully backed (4)
	ORFF – reverse (‘backed’) hidden answer (‘not to be fully’).
23	One deposited in a tall tree unfortunately put with a lot of bees? (10)
	ALLITERATE – (‘unfortunately’) makes an anagram of (I A TALL TREE*). Very subtle definition! To add, 'bee' here is referring to the letter, not the insect, so a lot of bees could be alliteration: beaded bubbles winking at the brim.
24	Small catch: there’s no bouquet! (6)
	STENCH – S (small), TENCH (a fish, so possibly a catch).
25	Most cleaned out for this medical procedure? (4,4)
	SKIN TEST – SKINT would be cleaned out, so SKINTEST would be most so.

Down
1	A few chains in need of a clip? (7)
	FURLONG – if your FUR is LONG, it may need a clip.
2	Hang around with prize pair regularly in the country! (9)
	ENGARLAND – [p]A[i]R in ENGLAND.
3	Loudly cheer “bravo” along with pop stars (3,4)
	BOY BAND – BOY said ‘loudly’ sounds like BUOY (in England at least, not in the USA, where I gather it’s pronounced BOO-EY; does anyone know why?), B for ‘bravo’, AND (with).
4	Where guests miraculously got wine, without money for wine shop (7)
	CANTINA –CANA (where the wedding was),  outside (‘without’) TIN.
5	Fruit-eaters not finishing junk a kiosk flogged (9)
	KINKAJOUS – (JUN- A KIOSK*) ‘flogged’.
6	Carriage? Are demanding one for transport (3,4)
	AIR TAXI – AIR (carriage, as in he has a confident air/carriage), TAX (are demanding), I (one).
7	Leg in different ways visible to the audience? (7)
	ONSTAGE – ON (leg side in cricket), STAGE (leg in cycling for example).
12	US stars of rock and country making ready (5,4)
	PETTY CASH – Tom PETTY, Johnny CASH.
14	One in Tea Party to advance career (5,4)
	MARCH HARE – MARCH (advance), HARE (career).
16	Originally a way to contain disagreement arising (2,5)
	AT FIRST – A ST ‘containing’ RIFT ‘arising’.
17	Monster guitar solo maybe opening gig — not closing number (7)
	GRIFFIN – RIFF, GI[g], N (number).
18	The Dickens version of Newgate or Marshalsea? (3,4)
	OLD NICK – Newgate and Marshalsea were both OLD NICKS, closed over a century ago. The definition is a euphemism for the Devil. Not sure where the ‘The’ disappeared to.
19	I disapprove of that thin sort of logic (7)
	BOOLEAN – BOO (I disapprove), LEAN (thin). Boolean algebra – see here.
20	Strangest film about Southern Ireland recalled (7)
	EERIEST – ET ‘about’ S EIRE all ‘recalled’.