The solved grid
1P
U
2M
P
S
3B
O
4U
Q
5U
E
6T
O
N
N
H
7L
E
A
D
8O
F
9F
10N
I
S
E
I
A
T
U
R
E
O
R
11P
O
S
I
T
12A
C
C
R
U
E
D
I
O
G
E
N
P
13S
E
14C
15F
A
R
E
S
16D
I
E
L
A
S
A
S
R
17A
G
R
E
E
O
N
18A
S
19S
E
S
Z
D
A
C
R
T
O
20U
N
I
T
S
21E
L
Y
S
I
A
N
L
A
O
N
22I
N
C
E
N
S
E
23L
A
K
E
R
Across
1 Across Shoes from quiet sump jumbled (5) → PUMPS Anagram
Anagram of “sump p”.
3 Across Posy seen in caribou quetzal (7) → BOUQUET Hidden word
Hidden inside “caribou quetzal”.
7 Across Pasture removing hat to begin (4,3) → LEAD OFF Charade
LEA + DOFF.
10 Across Whale after nickel for Japanese American (5) → NISEI Charade
NI + SEI.
11 Across Note bribe going back to propose (5) → POSIT Reversal
TI SOP reversed.
12 Across Amassed as excelled holding vineyard (7) → ACCRUED Container
CRU inside ACED.
13 Across Moment for leaders of super exciting concerts (3) → SEC Initialism
First letters of: super, exciting, concerts.
15 Across Charges for carnivals, reportedly (5) → FARES Homophone
Sounds like “fairs”.
16 Across Cores of odd pig pen perish (3) → DIE Middle letters
Middle letters of: odd, pig, pen.
17 Across Muddled no eager to settle (5,2) → AGREE ON Anagram
Anagram of “no eager”.
18 Across Fools from also seems regularly (5) → ASSES Alternate letters
Every other letter of “also seems”, starting with the first.
20 Across Divisions of crazy Tunis (5) → UNITS Anagram
Anagram of “Tunis”.
21 Across Heavenly cathedral city beside Welsh girl (7) → ELYSIAN Charade
ELY + SIAN.
22 Across Enrage in zinc ensemble (7) → INCENSE Hidden word
Hidden inside “zinc ensemble”.
23 Across Freshwater fish from whistleblower dropping east (5) → LAKER Deletion
LEAKER without E from the middle.
Down
2 Down Castle ditches from metre beside porridge grains (5) → MOATS Charade
M + OATS.
4 Down Needless ruined sunray scene (11) → UNNECESSARY Anagram
Anagram of “sunray scene”.
5 Down Flawed part of pun so undone (7) → UNSOUND Hidden word
Hidden inside “pun so undone”.
6 Down He or she from tangled north spider (5,6) → THIRD PERSON Anagram
Anagram of “north spider”.
7 Down Paul Zilla is transformed into blue gem (5,6) → LAPIS LAZULI Anagram
Anagram of “paul zilla is”.
8 Down Unavailable now from wrecked foes on autos (3,2,6) → OUT OF SEASON Anagram
Anagram of “foes on autos”.
9 Down Perfume from Paris's land taking in tease (9) → FRAGRANCE Container
RAG inside FRANCE.
14 Down Wag with one current is coronary (7) → CARDIAC Charade
CARD + I + AC.
19 Down Reek as knits climb (5) → STINK Reversal
KNITS reversed.
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
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corrections policy.
