The solved grid
1C
A
2T
E
3R
T
O
4E
C
5H
O
6S
E
R
E
X
O
P
7L
E
I
S
U
R
8E
9E
N
S
U
E
E
V
N
G
C
T
A
10B
L
I
N
I
11G
A
S
M
A
S
K
A
O
B
E
12W
13L
I
N
G
E
R
14I
N
15G
R
A
A
N
A
16I
M
17P
L
18A
N
T
19G
U
R
U
20S
T
U
S
E
E
N
P
21I
O
T
A
S
22R
E
S
P
I
T
E
N
T
E
T
S
L
23G
A
S
P
S
24P
A
S
C
H
A
L
Across
1 Across Indulge: supply meals, then shut (5,2) → CATER TO Charade
CATER + TO.
4 Across Signallers' Es chose freely (5) → ECHOS Anagram
Anagram of “chose”.
7 Across Garland, certain, spare time (7) → LEISURE Charade
LEI + SURE.
9 Across Follow printer's space and go to law (5) → ENSUE Charade
EN + SUE.
10 Across One, nil, book, sent back for Russian pancakes (5) → BLINI Reversal
I NIL B reversed.
11 Across Mags ask, jumbled, for toxic-fume shield (3,4) → GAS MASK Anagram
Anagram of “Mags ask”.
13 Across Long-lasting coat lining wrapping German (9) → LINGERING Container
GER inside LINING.
16 Across Graft, found in maxim plants (7) → IMPLANT Hidden word
Hidden inside “maxim plants”.
19 Across Mentors, initially gone under radar until spring (5) → GURUS Initialism
First letters of: gone, under, radar, until, spring.
21 Across Idol teams, oddly, tiny amounts (5) → IOTAS Alternate letters
Every other letter of “idol teams”, starting with the first.
22 Across Some tips erupt, holding back relief (7) → RESPITE Hidden backwards
Hidden backwards inside “some tips erupt”.
23 Across Short breaths from idle talk and a postscript (5) → GASPS Charade
GAS + PS.
24 Across Dance step, Swiss aluminium, Easter (7) → PASCHAL Charade
PAS + CH + AL.
Down
1 Down Big name to party without charge (5) → CELEB Deletion
CELEBRATE without its final RATE.
2 Down Rival it scrambled, trifling (7) → TRIVIAL Anagram
Anagram of “RIVAL IT”.
3 Down One ruin wrecked, gathering (7) → REUNION Anagram
Anagram of “ONE RUIN”.
4 Down Bosses at centres of sheep, boxer, green, focus, basin (5) → EXECS Middle letters
Middle letters of: sheep, boxer, green, focus, basin.
5 Down Hydrogen and teaching assistant flanking system yields shade plant (5) → HOSTA Container
OS inside HTA.
6 Down Small summit with hesitation for an orator (7) → SPEAKER Charade
S + PEAK + ER.
8 Down Twisted grebe gate, kitchen whisk (9) → EGGBEATER Anagram
Anagram of “GREBE GATE”.
12 Down Standing by, adding ballast, we hear (7) → WAITING Homophone
Sounds like “weighting”.
14 Down Consumes fashionable exploits (7) → INGESTS Charade
IN + GESTS.
15 Down Gaudy, taking in new, to decorate (7) → GARNISH Container
N inside GARISH.
17 Down Golf strokes: discharge keeping dry (5) → PUTTS Container
TT inside PUS.
18 Down Donkeys in mass escape (5) → ASSES Hidden word
Hidden inside “mass escape”.
20 Down Magical charm, brief stint (5) → SPELL Double definition
Two separate definitions of the same word.
How this puzzle was checked
Every clue in this crossword was verified against its own wordplay by
software, then the finished puzzle was read and edited by hand before
publication: definitions, indicators, enumerations and surface readings
all get looked at, and clues that don't hold up are rewritten. The
editorial standards set out what that
covers.
Spotted something wrong here? Email
badclues@decryptic.app and
this page will be corrected. See the
corrections policy.
