Sunday Times 4517 (23 Dec 2012) - Dean's Christmas Cracker

Solving time: 1:55:40

An excellent Yuletide solve from Anax this. I have no complaints about any of the clues, and some of them were really excellent. 2, 11 & 14 were probably the pick of the bunch for me, but 35a was one of the best &lits I've seen this year and easily my COD.

It wasn't hugely Christmassy. There were probably only half a dozen or so direct references to Christmas, and about the same number of indirect references. Not many out of 56 clues. But then it's better to have a few good ones than lots of mediocre ones.

Note to PB: We all hate resorting to aids, but who'd have thought reaching for a thesaurus could be so costly! You have my commiserations.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removals like this

Across
1	MA + GRITTEd
5	SCHNAPPS = "SNAPS" when said in a drunken fashion
10	RAPID - Dylan Mills is a rapper, so Dizzee Rascal is his Rap ID
13	LOSE FACE = (A + C) in (FEEL SO)*
14	WEIGHT-WATCHERS = WE + (TARGETS WHICH)* - a very natural surface
16	GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS - For those unfamiliar with Gillian McKeith, she is a Scottish nutritionist well-known for her tendency to assess peoples' diets by analysing their bowel movements.
19	WATER ON THE BRAIN = (HEART WON'T BE)* + RAIN
21	EYELID = L in (DIE + YE) rev
22	W + HELM - 'Whelm' means to submerge, as in overwhelm presumably. My dictionary doesn't list it as archaic, but I take it from the use of 'Old' that others do.
23	DISTORT = DIS (detectives) + TROT rev
24	POTHOLING - dd - literally putting holes in pots, and examing a sink which is a category of underground pothole.
26	RAVE + NOUS
28	EDUCATED = (C + ATE) in DUDE rev
30	TEN + ON
32	I KNOW = "AYE" + "NO" - at least that's how I interpreted it.
34	TOOK PART = TOO (overly) + P (quiet) in KART (race vehicle)
35	ABSEILER = RELIES rev after (A + Building) - a wonderful semi-&lit, one of the best I've seen for a while. Easily my COD.
37	HE + YPRES + TO
39	ON PAPER = tOrN uP + APER
41	ROCKS - dd
43	B(ELF + R)Y
44	TEAR ONE'S HAIR OUT - dd - 'tress' = hair, hence dis-tress = depilate, is something of an old chestnut
46	A BEAR OF VERY LITTLE BRAIN = (BEFORE BARE-ALL NATIVITY)* about R - Winnie-the-Pooh's self-deprecating catchphrase which he used often in A. A. Milne's childrens books.
49	MARCO POLO SHEEP = (SPOOR HOPE CAMEL)* - I hadn't heard of them, but when the Os started falling into place, there was little else it could be, although I was held up for a while by a mistake at 50d.
51	H(AM)ILTON
52	NO(SuitcasE)D - I wondered if BESED was a word for a while, but eventually cottoned on to the Land of Nod being an idiom for sleep.
53	RASHNESS = cRASH (failure) + NESS (point), I think.
54	OLIGARCH = OLGA RICH with the I moved to the centre (heart) of OLGA
Down
1	MistletoE + Lower Temperature
2	GAS-BOTTLE = (BAG'S)* + OTT + LikE - A good natural surface for some quite involved wordplay.
3	INFANTRYMAN = INFANT (young) + RYAN (soldier, from Saving Private Ryan) about filM
4	T(AC)IT
6	CHEQUEBOOK DIPLOMACY - cd - 'ready' = money is another chestnutty synonym
7	NOG - a drink, as in eggnog. For GIN to be IN it needs NO G.
8	PIT + C + HAND + PUTT
9	SMARMIEST = SM (officer, Sergeant Major) + Think about ARMIES
10	ROCK THE BOAT - dd - Put out Status Quo / 1974 disco hit (for Hues Corporation) - Status Quo were a rock band, and certainly never did disco!
11	PREPOSITIONAL = (APPLIES TO IN OR)* - Another wonderfully disguised surface
12	DE(S)IST
15	BRAHMS - I'm guessing this is BRAHAM'S without one of the As. Wikipedia offers three potential composers, one writer and an inventor with this name, all of whom could be considered to create things. I've not heard of any of them so I couldn't say which is being referred to.
17	HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS = (HELP + TV RADIO RESEARCH)*
18	A + W(K + WARD)ISH
20	NO DOUBT = "NODE" (bump) + "OUT" (off)
25	GENE + ROS(IT)Y
27	VANDYKE BEARDS = S after (NAKED + VERY BAD)*
29	DEBORAH = HAD about ROBE all rev
31	TOP OF THE POPS - dd - 'Christmas' here is strictly superfluous, and only present for thematic surface resons.
33	WORD FOR WORD - dd
36	EAR-PIERCING - dd
38	SOYA FLOUR = (YOUR LOAF'S)*
40	P(Rummage)ETTY
42	CH(O)RIST + ER
45	PA + XMAs + N - November is justifiable as part of the NATO phonetic alphabet - that's caught me out before.
47	EM + AIL
48	INCH - dd - Island / move slowly
50	HEN - hidden, although I confidently put ENA at first, being a woman's name, and only realised my mistake after puzzling over MARCO POLO HEPES for a while!