Across
Maybe like a microphone trick to smother insolence (4-2)
Cut around soft spot (6)
Keen officer hugging ace soldiers (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An envelope (‘hugging’) of A (‘ace’) plus MEN (‘soldiers’) in LT (lieutenant, ‘oficer’).
Place where you’ll find people who are little and large – bad place for one to be in (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A charade of L (‘large’) plus ILL (‘bad’) plus I (‘one’) plus PUT (‘place’), for the fictional state in Gulliver’s Travels .
‘Moneymaker’ that may grow in the garden (4)
I’m dire pest to be given spray? (6,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An anagram (‘to be given spray’) of ‘I’m dire pest’. As some spider mites are pests on commercial crops, the clue has an &lit definition.
Fitting a number into sheltered accommodation to the east of a very quiet old city (11)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A charade of ‘a’ (the second one) plus PP ( pianissimo , musically ‘very quiet’) plus UR (‘old city’) plus TENANT, an envelope (‘into’) of NA AN (‘a number’ – I do not see any justfication of the transposition) in TENT (‘sheltered accommodation’ ). ‘To the east of’ indicated the order of the particles.
Creep is dodgy when capturing photo? Don’t step too close to these! (10)
Sound asleep, having abandoned party (4)
Fellow introducing singer Bobby is a bigwig (8)
Correspondence from one in political organisation (6)
Reportedly top vehicle for winter conditions (6)
Uncultivated, like a Ted of yesteryear? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A Pauline formation, with reference to Ted Heath, Prime Minister of the UK 1970-1974
Down
Bypass – is speed limit finally reduced? (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An anagram (‘reduced’) of ‘is speed’ plus T (‘limi T finally’).
Pharmacist stocking drug gets stars (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An envelope (‘stocking’) of E (‘drug’) in BOOTS (‘pharmacist’), for the northern constellation.
Rascal observed penning pages about gangster (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A double envelope (‘penning’ and ‘about’) of AL (Capone, ‘gangster’) in P P (‘pages’) in SEEN (‘observed’). For me, and I would guess many others, a new word, clearly clued.
Element of hospital meal, mostly very dry, eaten by tramp? (6)
Brainboxes managed to penetrate spy agency (6)
Troubles in hotel with relatives (6)
Silence poet conjured up in a time long ago (11)
Act of sports official – superior male with holy anger (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A charade of U (‘superior’) plus M (‘male’) plus PI (‘holy’) plus RAGE (‘anger’).
Religious type with extreme characters in an uplifting ceremony (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
An envelope (‘in’) of AZ (‘extreme characters’) in NA, a reversal (‘uplifting’ in a down light) of ‘an’ plus RITE (‘ceremony’).
Old coins found in grain (6)
Snobbish as pig away from home apparently! (6)
Club characters regularly coming in could get on well together (6)
The old man’s upset, a soldier (6)
Type letters or click words in the clue