Cryptic clues
ACROSS
1 Lose concentration in shoot-out? (6,3) 6 Defendant, doomed, right to escape (7) 10 Hard to leave immaculate social group (5) 13 Possible cause of tears involving religious view (7) 14 Canvas covers feel bad (7) 15 Worker breaking into strongbox for capital (5,2) 16 Acknowledge agreement not deleted — nothing is chopped (4,2,3,6,4) 17 Successful song delivers beat (3) 18 Fugitive away from home turf endlessly (6) 20 Clandestine romance just beyond alpha female (6) 21 One to harass soldiers between peaks (9) 23 Need publication to probe writer’s bad spelling? (5,5) 25 Brown backed one catalogued as a certain politician? (11) 29 20 a regret when curtailed (5) 30 Father rebuffed in joint expressing contempt (8) 31 Building workers dividing 13 (8) 34 Made effort to have additional layer wrapped around (8) 36 Scaremonger having a large weapon is finally shot (8) 37 Stagehand beginning to eat beef (5) 39 Nothing takes care of bulging waistline (4,7) 41 Expert boarding last tube reveals outcome (3,7) 43 Rising from piano, concedes right to play (9) 45 Retired shooter to acquire a little wisdom? (6) 47 Brilliant to find outdated inside information (6) 49 Narrowly defeat Dickensian hero (3) 50 Air Force mistreated some recruits perhaps (11,8) 52 Limb damaged when trapped in the sewer cover? (7) 53 Native American artist parking in two areas by house (7) 54 Gent entertains false female ousted in burlesque (4-3) 55 Dead right — but not right now! (5) 56 Co-operation from offender, reportedly heartless guy (7) 57 Hard-skinned alien creature returns, then departs (9)
DOWN
1 Present aboard ship, tool that’s for Arctic walker? (8) 2 Freezing bonus? (5) 3 Greek character one to exaggerate as fortune-teller (11) 4 Crackers are not highly decorated (6) 5 Pop star for example showing authority (6,6) 6 Start to accept representative house god in ancient vessel (7) 7 Full references provided in CV? (7,3,5) 8 Thus salt diet recreated using only chips? (5-5) 9 Vagrant snatching current file (7) 10 Allied with Italian, twice scoffed about first lady (11) 11 Wind up eating this at Ship and get sozzled (9) 12 Flat race doesn’t need a versatile horse (7) 19 Cat in river gets bony fish (7) 22 Little lad swallowing fly (8) 24 Satanic Hitler’s scheme finally dashed unrealistic hopes (7,2,3,3) 26 Approach open river (8) 27 Bond introduced to frustrate the racketeers (6) 28 Skip school — no time to run away (6) 32 Showed one short bloke embracing another (7) 33 Centre for education? (6,6) 35 Room for reflection? (4,7) 37 Forlorn setter maybe up for drink at noon (11) 38 Processing for labs to do in criminal evidence? (10) 40 Opinion given in tussle with fielder (9) 42 Malnourished when working to FBI agent? (8) 43 Pass round an enclosure for animal fights in Roman temple (7) 44 God’s contact book? (7) 46 Good monarch married, even one in a republic (7) 48 Note to be used in concert until proper arrangement is made (3,3) 51 Submarine about to disintegrate (1-4)