Beelzebub 1301

This one took me a little longer than usual though progress was always steady apart from a slight hold-up towards the end in the SE corner (though, from what I am led to believe, there are always hold-ups in the SE, particularly on the M25).

I was able to parse all of the clues bar one during the solve but had to return to 18ac whilst writing this post because I had failed to see the anagram fodder (though I did suspect that ‘coarsely’ was an anagram indicator) or the fact that it was an excellent &lit.

Across
4 Bandage’s length wrapping that woman round (9)
SPHERICAL – SPICA (bandage) L (length) around (wrapping) HER (that woman)

11 Grounds to restrict opening of main branch not connected to trunk (7)
MEMBRAL – MEAL (grounds) around (to restrict) M[ain] (opening of main) BR (branch)

12 Individual following unknown band (4)
ZONE – Z (unknown) ONE (individual)

13 Plant collecting getting paranoid with time, possibly (12)
PTERIDOMANIA – an anagram (possibly) of PARANOID TIME

14 Followed former schoolfellow with vision (6)
OBEYED – OB (former schoolfellow) EYED (with vision)

16 Unhappy choice of bridge opponents? (4)
SORE – S OR E (choice of bridge opponents)

17 Novelist‘s mind surrounded by quiet almost completely (8)
STENDHAL – TEND (mind) in (surrounded by) SH (quiet) AL[l] (almost completely)

18 It abrades bits of fir and larch coarsely (7,4)
BASTARD FILE – an anagram (coarsely) of IT ABRADES F[ir] L[arch] – &lit

20 Cell counted in error (not in the set) (11)
UNCOLLECTED – an anagram (in error) of CELL COUNTED

23 Get back and retain plunder (8)
RETRIEVE – RET (retain) RIEVE (plunder)

25 Typical corps, wriggling out of ceasefire (4)
TRUE – TRU[c]E (corps, wriggling out of ceasefire)

28 Abbey dismissing first trainee (6)
INTERN – [t]INTERN (Abbey dismissing first)

29 A messenger pressed a hospital for retraction, getting order to depart (5,7)
APAGE SATANAS – A PAGE (a messenger) SAT (pressed) A SAN (hospital) reversed (for retraction)

30 Aircraft / corporation in Scotland (4)
KITE – double def.

31 Mistake nasal sound, ignoring weak stimulus to runny nose (7)
ERRHINE – ERR (mistake) [w]HINE (nasal sound, ignoring weak)

32 Lubricious poem – The Kiss – found in reference work (9)
OVERSEXED – VERSE (poem) X (The Kiss) in (found in) OED (reference work)

Down
1 East German engaged in obscene fraud (9)
IMPOSTURE – OST (East German) in (engaged in) IMPURE (obscene)

2 We move on water, interrupted by tense rower (3,3)
WET BOB – WE BOB (move on water) around (interrupted by) T (tense)

3 Engineers upset about Eastern potentate (5)
EMEER – REME (engineers) reversed (upset) around (about) E (Eastern)

5 Religious attitude not once engaging in spiritless wandering (12)
PRIESTLINESS – NE (not once) in an anagram (wandering) of SPIRITLESS

6 Regarding Walesa, say, elevated member of discouraged union? (6)
ELOPER – RE (regarding) POLE (Walesa, say) reversed (elevated)

7 Little cash about for housing fellow in prison (6,6)
REMAND CENTRE – RED CENT (little cash) RE (about) around (for housing) MAN (fellow)

8 Chamois very good in avoiding peak (5)
IZARD – [w]IZARD (very good in avoiding peak)

9 Reluctant fighter that is overwhelmed by shell (7)
CONCHIE – CONCH (shell) IE (that is)

10 Birds having dogs losing head (4)
ANIS – [c]ANIS (dogs losing head)

15 Break just occurring in other section (9)
ELEVENSES – EVEN (just) in (occurring in) ELSE (other) S (section)

19 Strained to keep up, blocking expert move (7)
ACTUATE – TAUT (strained) reversed (to keep up) in (blocking) ACE (expert)

21 Tenant not so much keen, being unhoused? (6)
LESSEE – LESS (not so much) [k]EE[n] (keen, being unhoused)

22 Tough fabric, sturdy for some, clothing artist (6)
DURANT – DUNT (sturdy for some) around (clothing) RA (artist)

24 Received self-confidence, boosted when amongst royal characters (5)
ROGER – EGO (self-confidence) reversed (boosted) in (when amongst) R R (royal characters)

26 Irish deny monarchy, promoting knight (5)
RENIG – REIGN (monarchy) with the N (knight) advanced (promoting)

27 Dodgy trader upped power, investing pennies (4)
SPIV – VIS (power) reversed (upped) around (investing) P (pennies)