My first reaction when I looked at the printout was...shit this is hard. I have that reaction to every puzzle. I wish I had the swirling answer fog like Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, but sadly no. Hard crack, battle through. I found I broke into the puzzle easiest from the Northeast corner.
As I'm writing, I've still not solved 29A, and it's very frustrating. Even with hints I'm treading water. I'm hoping as I write the clues out, It'll come to me. That's happened before. Here's hoping, anyway...
4A - Wolves upset sleezy bookish duo (6)
I see upset and think anagram. Answer is 6 letters and "wolves" is too so shift that around to get VOWELS. Now I think "slEEzy bOOkish duo" is trying to show us the vowels as sleazy is spelled wrong and may not have been as noticeable spelled correctly.
8A - Spot post-blaze hearth (9)
Definition is "Hearth", and the spot after a blaze would be the FIREPLACE.
10A - Reject garbage (6)
Double definition and I'd initially though SCRAPS, but the correct answer is REFUSE which is a nicer heteronym wordplay.
11A - Ray reconsidered hustling (8)
Definition is "Ray" and "reconsidered" is an anagrind so shuffle "hustling" for SUNLIGHT.
12A - Ends cling so sloppily (8)
"Sloppily" looks like an anagrind but "clings so" only has seven letters. I had to get 7D to see the last letter and guess we can steal the ending S from "Ends" and add to the given fodder to get CLOSINGS.
15A - Already arranged gift without Nancy (6)
"Already arranged" is our definition. Gift = present but "without Nancy" means remove the -N to get PRESET.
17A - Marine redistributed cocaine (7)
For most of the puzzle I thought this answer had 6 letters. It clearly says 7 but I'd mentally blocked that. Funny how we make trouble for ourselves like that. "Redistributed" is an anagrind and cocaine having 7 letters, when mixed up we get OCEANIC for Marine.
19A - Betrayal embroiled Senator (7)
"Betrayal" is our definition, "embroiled" is an anagrind and mix up "senator" for TREASON.
22A- For starters, I never did imagine green or blue (6)
"For starters" is hinting that we may have to take first letters to get our answer. "I Never Did Imagine Green Or ..." Blue is our definition and INDIGO the solution.
24A - Pride or jealousy after work exchanges (6, 2)
"Exchanges" is our definition. "Pride or jealousy" both are a SIN from the 7 deadly sins, and we're to put that after a synonym for "work" or TRADE to get TRADES IN.
26A - Ultimate riot damage (8)
"Riot" in an anagrind and our definition is "damage", shuffle "Ultimate" to get MUTILATE.
27A - Tiny fraction of an hour (6)
This is a clever double definition clue. I love clever clues. We want a word that is a synonym for both "Tiny" and "fraction of an hour" which is MINUTE. Another heteronym!
29A - Buzz, for example, as tight drinking Cuban rum (9)
The definition is "Buzz, for example" and...that's as far I can get. Sarah has kindly offered help @Crypticrochet Hint for 29A: Think of a synonym for "tight". And what is "rum" in Cuba? Definition = "Buzz, for example". ;) but even then, I'm not getting the answer. Rum in Cuban is RON and I'm even told tight = TAUT and I still can't get this. Even running these letters through anagram solvers brings failure. Cheated! I got the answer. ASTRONAUT! Ok AS TAUT is drinking RON so we put RON inside to get AS T RON AUT. Cor blimey, get me a drink!
30A - Dog in amidst sugar plants (6)
"Dog" is our definition and "IN amidst sugar plants" means we are put IN inside a synonym for sugar plants or CANE to get CANINE.
1D - Flavour of Sambuca booze on the rocks (9)
Note that "Flavour" is in the British spelling. That's important. "Flavour of Sambuca" is obvious for anyone who's tried it, and I've quaffed many a flaming shot to crunch my hot coffee bean reward. To be sure your answer is right "booze on the rocks" is LIQUOR ICE put together to get our answer. Lovely clue once I stopped spelling Licorice like my Yankee self.
2D - Mellow heart bound by cesium strings (6)
"Strings" is the definition but more exact is a strings instrument. "Mellow heart" means remove the middle-heart of mellow ELLO and that is "bound by cesium" or the letters for the element cesium which is CS to give us CELLOS.
3D - Twins scorned Ottowa's chaste spirit (6)
I needed help with this one as it's a new style of clue. "Twins" is an indicator that we need to take the first two letter of the following words to get our answer. "Spirit" is our definition and "SCorned OTtowa's CHaste" gives us SCOTCH.
5D - Kicks off unrestricted competitions (5)
Double definition clue. We need a word for both "kicks off" and "unrestricted competitions" OPENS.
6D - Australian runner finishes race from Uluru (3)
"Australian Runner" is the definition and "Finishes" is a hint that our answers will come from the end of the following words. "racE froM ulurU" for EMU.
7D - Geez! She messed up twice! (6)
"Geez!" is our definition where we need an equally inoffensive exclamation. "she messed up twice" is telling us to take the word SHE and scramble it twice to get the word SHEESH.
9D - Rose, salmon signs after phosphorous lamp (5, 5)
I got this from the cross letters because I wasn't sure what the question was asking of me. I think that's the burden of a novice solver. "Rose, salmon" is our definition. Signs = INKS "after Phosphorous" for P + INKS and lamp = LIGHT for LIGHT PINKS.
13D - What snowbirds do to new river whirlpool (10)
Definition is "What snowbirds do" and don't go rushing off for your Audubon bird book just yet. "Whirlpool" is an anagrind so looking for the 10 letters before that "to new river" scramble those to get OVERWINTER.
14D - Theory begins in distant Edwardian age (4)
"Theory" is our definition. Begins signals to us to use the first letter of the following words "In Distant Edwardian Age" for IDEA.
16D - Distracted, tailored left of rug (9)
"Distracted" is our definition and "tailored" is an anagrind. Mix what's left for FORGETFUL.
18D - Being in a state of wonder sounded unusual (4)
Double definition clue, but also sounded tells us we're dealing with homophones or something we need to say to understand. "Being in a state of wonder" is AWED and "Unusual" is ODD. Since we need a 4-letter answer, we'll take AWED.
20D - Any Tom & Dick without DKNY is practically nothing (6)
Looking at the clue we need to follow the instruction literally. "Any Tom & Dick" and remove (without) the letters DKNY which will leave us ATOMIC for "practically nothing" You really need a pen and paper for that kind of clue unless you are John Nash.
21D - Ensnare frantic chickens around me (6)
I like this clue. Definition is "Ensnare" Frantic is an anagrind and we need a synonym for "chickens" or HENS which will be scrambled...er mixed "around ME" means to split HENS around ME for ENMESH.
23D - Allotting fifty-one in Vietnamese currency (6)
Definition is "Allotting" "Fifty-one" whenever we see numbers we can assume the setter wants Roman numerals, in this case LI. Put that in "vietnamese currency" or DONG to get DOLING.
25D - Consumed inside of meat enchilada (5)
Our definition is "Consumed" and our answer is hidden inside of "mEAT ENchilada"
28D - Sister overheard nothing (3)
Homophone clue again. A word that sounds the same for both "sister" and "nothing"? NUN (NONE)
There we are. Suggestions welcomed for 29A as I'm in Australia and our setter Sarah is in Canada and won't have a reply for me until long after I'm asleep...No I couldn't wait!! I cheated and went to OneAcross and input the answer and what letters I have. Buzz, for example, is an ASTRONAUT! Damn now I'm going to have a head ache from banging it off my desk a dozen times. Sweet relief it's Done! Thanks again, Sarah!
Need a break now. And an aspirin.
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