No 10225, Friday 05 Aug 11, M Manna

ACROSS

1   - Arouses pity for the route so taken in retreat (6) - PATHOS {PATH}{OS<-}

4   - A heavenly place is featured in display (8) - PARADISE {PARAD{IS}E}

10 - Make clear that it was flat (7) - EXPLAIN {EX}{PLAIN}

11 - To urge a change might well give offence (7) - OUTRAGE*

12 - After her degree she returns to Middle East (4) - EMMA {EM<-}{MA} After or Before?

13 - Priests eat hash — there's an entertaining revelation! (5,5) - STRIP TEASE* Mrs PP must be saying 'Tut-Tut'

16 - Tax levied on those in car for wearing a neckerchief in lieu of a tie (6) - CRAVAT {CRA*}{VAT}

17 - Loathes employment department's exams (7) - DETESTS {DE}{TESTS} Is 'DE' an accepted abvn for Department?

20 - Cut short the scoundrel, with say, a tale to tell (7) - CURTAIL {CUR}{TAIL}(~tale) My COD

21 - We hear there's sea air above a mountain range (6) - SIERRA (~sea air){SIERR}{A}

24 - Sporting event that is sharply contested (6,4) - NEEDLE GAME [CD]

25 - Have a distant look at a RAF base set up (4) - AFAR*

27 - Study group remains baffled (7) - SEMINAR*

29 - Too much foam: a drawback (7) - SURFEIT {SURF}{EIT<-}

30 - Last to include many a woman, it's realised (8) - ENCASHED {EN{C}{A}{SHE}D}

31 - Right hand pages ruled for clergyman (6) - RECTOR {RECTO}{R}

DOWN

1   - Sham about model in the money (8) - PRETENCE {P{RE}{T}ENCE}

2   - A narrow rule that is not usually rigid (4,7) - TAPE MEASURE [CD]

3   - Alternative to Al is to appear for a verbal exam (4) - ORAL {OR}{AL}

5   - A cat is in front of the queen — get the aerosol! (8) - ATOMISER {A}{TOM}{IS}{ER}

6   - The opposite of Athens, is it? Yes (10) - ANTITHESIS*

7   - She needs to be given aid (3) - IDA*

8   - Eve and Ned were put on equal basis (6) - EVENED {EVE}{NED}

9   - These fliers were also known as Sabre killers (5) - GNATS [DD] I suppose our setter flew in one of them in his heydays.

14 - It won't be felt straightaway (5,6) - AFTER EFFECT [E]

15 - Worldly people? (10) - EARTHLINGS [CD]

18 - Ring diggers, perhaps, to empty contents (8) - DISG(O)RGE* (o+diggers)

19 - He tells you it's nonsense; the island is backward (8) - NARRATOR {NARRA<-}{TOR} (Correction - {NARRA}{TOR}<- )

22 - To isolate one take a quarter on the Nile (6) - ENISLE* (se+nile)

23 - A dollar helps Sam gather them in great quantity (5) - AMASS* (a+s+sam)

26 - Not bound by rules or restrictions (4) - FREE [E]

28 - Informal way to address one whose name is not known (3) - MAC [E]

GRID