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enter image description here

Across
1. Funny actor Lemmon (leaving out Matthau, at first) showing part of 1 down (5,5)
6. Space station of beheaded king (3)
9. Sumerian city inside Brazilian city? That's perfectly normal (7)
10. Paul follows a hundred chat groups (7)
11. A must-see in 1 across: some harmonicas in orchestra (6)
13. Part of Canada ignored a head of state of 1 down (6)
16. Remote selling of skiing technique by alien with gin cocktail (13)
19. Armenia rented out sea bordered by 1 down (13)
22. Roll in African priest (needing no introduction) to show theological concept (6)
24. Warden and resistance leader meeting with hatred (6)
28. A piece of tumor Ceauceșcu concealed (7)
29. One hosted by vacant free state, smaller than 1 down (7)
31/14d. Elements of syntax have nothing leading to 1 down, for one (3,5)
32. Make up a language in a French competition hosted by 1 down (7,3)

Down
1. Country's team on a cool part (6)
2. Rolling Stone showing symbols of musical sounds (5)
3. Make a mistake in terror (3)
4. Competent comeuppance of 19 across island (4)
5. Need for a unit of energy briefly brought up (4)
6. Possibly all mine in thousands of years (9)
7. Adjusts and tastes erroneous part from the south (6)
8. A woman retreating to Dead Sea? (4)
12. Lesions on the skin resulting from tainted Evian (5)
14. (See 31 across)
15. Avoid women's clothing (5)
17. Bringer of death for the last member of police – copper eaten by horrible T-Rex next to retired Chinese leader (9)
18. Country guitarist on Gaffney piece (5)
20. Top university under siege, undermining most entrances (6)
21. Authority having lost his country, neighbouring 1 down (6)
23. Links time that is short, at first (4)
25. Popular science magazine covering Louis's reptile (5)
26. Unlimited nerve cell currency of 1 down (4)
27. Cell block never injures human hearts (4)
30. Chess champion in Italy (3)

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1 Answer 1

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Filled crossword (and some comments)

enter image description here

Thanks to @LannyStrack for a lot of help with the last few clues and explanations.

The big break was to solve 1 down, as that made a lot of the other clues doable/easy by association. But it took me a while to get it. The first clue I solved was 15 down, although I stupidly wrote it in the 18 down position at first - that's why the intersection of 18 down and 19 across looks a bit strange. 12 down taught me a new word.

Clue explanations

Across

  1. Funny actor Lemmon (leaving out Matthau, at first) showing part of 1 down (5,5)

MONTE CARLO (def "part of 1 down", anagram of "actor Lemmon" minus M)

  1. Space station of beheaded king (3)

MIR (def "space station", EMIR minus first letter)

  1. Sumerian city inside Brazilian city? That's perfectly normal (7)

NATURAL (def "perfectly normal", UR inside NATAL)

  1. Paul follows a hundred chat groups (7)

CIRCLES (def "groups", C plus IRC plus LES [apparently Les Paul is some kind of famous person?]). Thanks @LannyStrack!

  1. A must-see in 1 across: some harmonicas in orchestra (6)

CASINO (def "must-see in [Monaco]", found in "harmoniCAS IN Orchestra")

  1. Part of Canada ignored a head of state of 1 down (6)

ALBERTA (def "head of state of [Monaco]", ALBERTA minus A)

  1. Remote selling of skiing technique by alien with gin cocktail (13)

TELEMARKETING (def "remote selling" - TELEMARK plus ET plus anagram of "gin")

  1. Armenia rented out sea bordered by 1 down (13)

MEDITERRANEAN (def "sea bordered by 1 down", anagram of "Armenia rented")

  1. Roll in African priest (needing no introduction) to show theological concept (6)

UBUNTU (def "theological concept", BUN in TUTU minus first letter)

  1. Warden and resistance leader meeting with hatred (6)

RANGER (def "warden", first letter of Resistance plus ANGER). Thanks @LannyStrack!

  1. A piece of tumor Ceauceșcu concealed (7)

MORCEAU (def "piece", found in "tuMOR CEAUcescu")

  1. One hosted by vacant free state, smaller than 1 down (7)

VATICAN (def "state smaller than [Monaco]", I in anagram of VACANT)

31/14d. Elements of syntax have nothing leading to 1 down, for one (3,5)

TAX HAVEN (def "[Monaco], for one", found in "synTAX HAVE Nothing")

  1. Make up a language in a French competition hosted by 1 down (7,3)

FORMULA ONE (def "competition hosted by [Monaco]", "make up" = FORM plus LAO language inside UNE). Thanks @ChrisCudmore!

Down

  1. Country's team on a cool part (6)

MONACO (def "country", found in "teaM ON A COol")

  1. Rolling Stone showing symbols of musical sounds (5)

NOTES (def "symbols of musical sounds", anagram of "stone")

  1. Make a mistake in terror (3)

ERR (def "make a mistake", found in "tERRor")

  1. Competent comeuppance of 19 across island (4)

ABLE (def "competent", ELBA backwards). Thanks @WeatherVane!

  1. Need for a unit of energy briefly brought up (4)

LACK (def "need for", KCAL backwards)

  1. Possibly all mine in thousands of years (9)

MILLENNIA (def "thousands of years", anagram of "all mine in")

  1. Adjusts and tastes erroneous part from the south (6)

RESETS (def "adjusts", found backwards in "taSTES ERroneous")

  1. A woman retreating to Dead Sea? (4)

ARAL (def "dead sea", LARA backwards). Thanks @LannyStrack!

  1. Lesions on the skin resulting from tainted Evian (5)

NAEVI (def "lesions on the skin", anagram of "Evian")

  1. (See 31 across)
  2. Avoid women's clothing (5)

SKIRT (ddef)

  1. Bringer of death for the last member of police – copper eaten by horrible T-Rex next to retired Chinese leader (9)

EXECUTRIX (def "bringer of death" - last letter of policE plus CU inside anagram of TREX plus XI backwards)

  1. Country guitarist on Gaffney piece (5)

TONGA (def "country", found in "guitarisT ON GAffney")

  1. Top university under siege, undermining most entrances (6)

SUMMIT (def "top", first letters of Siege Undermining Most plus MIT)

  1. Authority having lost his country, neighbouring 1 down (6)

FRANCE (def "country neighbouring [Monaco]", FRANCHISE minus HIS)

  1. Links time that is short, at first (4)

TIES (def "links", T plus IE plus first letter of Short). Thanks @LannyStrack!

  1. Popular science magazine covering Louis's reptile (5)

GECKO (def "reptile", GEO covering CK [apparently Louis CK is some kind of famous person?]). Thanks @LannyStrack!

  1. Unlimited nerve cell currency of 1 down (4)

EURO (def "currency of [Monaco]", NEURON minus first and last letters)

  1. Cell block never injures human hearts (4)

OVUM (def "cell", middle letters of "blOck neVer injUres huMan")

  1. Chess champion in Italy (3)

TAL (def "chess champion", found in "iTALy")

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27
  • $\begingroup$ 4 down is rot13(noyr, sebz Ryon). $\endgroup$
    – Weather Vane
    Mar 13, 2020 at 9:53
  • $\begingroup$ 24a enatre 'e'(rfvfgnapr) + 'natre' 23d gvrf 'g'(vzr) + 'v.r.' + 'f'(ubeg) 25d trpxb 'TRB' nebhaq (Ybhvf) 'PX' $\endgroup$
    – Lanny Strack
    Mar 13, 2020 at 10:02
  • $\begingroup$ How do I put a carriage return / newline in a comment? $\endgroup$
    – Lanny Strack
    Mar 13, 2020 at 10:03
  • $\begingroup$ @LannyStrack Thanks! In 24A the "and" was confusing me into trying to make the join in the wrong place. In 25D, why CK = Louis??? 23D - wow, nice one! I also got 22A now. And you can't put a carriage return in a comment. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Mar 13, 2020 at 10:10
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ Well, unless you employ some Latex trickery $${}$$ like this. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Mar 13, 2020 at 10:11

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