I wish I'd been able to find this in advance and enjoyed a more leisurely solve of this challenging crossword. If others found it easy I will know I've been rushing but I currently believe this to be 15x15 level.
There's lots of entertainment here - from odd penguins to an impenetrable NW. My LOI was 3dn which was also the cause of my DNF - as I biffed a colour with one letter different to the answer.
So - hoping you fared btette than me - here we go!
Definitions underlined, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition, deletionsCROSSED OUT
There's lots of entertainment here - from odd penguins to an impenetrable NW. My LOI was 3dn which was also the cause of my DNF - as I biffed a colour with one letter different to the answer.
So - hoping you fared btette than me - here we go!
Definitions underlined, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition, deletions
| Across | |
| 1 In France I must keep a horse, it being for James (8) | |
|    JACOBITE - In France 'I' is JE which holds a (A) , horse (COB), it (IT). 'Being for James' is the definition of (British, history) an adherent of James II after his overthrow in 1688, or of his descendants in their attempts to regain the throne. | |
| 5 Question wide headgear (4) | |
|    WHAT - Wide from cricket (W), HAT. | |
| 8 Mark article in colour (5) | |
|    TAINT - Article (A) in colour (TINT). Interesting that this 'tint' crosses 3dn's 'tone'. | |
| 9 A sniper’s awful language (7) | |
|    PERSIAN - Anagram (awful) of A SNIPER. Just for the record this isn't only an ancient language - it's the language of Iran or Persia in any of its ancient or modern forms, belonging to the West Iranian branch of the Indo-European family See also Avestan, Old Persian, Pahlavi2, Farsi | |
| 11 Fantasist, amusing, about to modify dream finally (6,5) | |
|    WALTER MITTY - Amusing (WITTY) around modify (ALTER), drea(M). So that we're all on the same page - the definition is a person who imagines that their life is full of excitement and adventures when it is in fact just ordinary ⇒ He's a bit of a Walter Mitty character. | |
| 13 Recruit French in good time (6) | |
|    ENGAGE - French in is EN, good (G), time (AGE). | |
| 14 Spaniard, maybe, in gang eloping (6) | |
|    ANGELO - In g(ANG ELO)ping. | |
| 17 Pets from Asia, etc, mess all over the place (7,4) | |
|    SIAMESE CATS - Anagram (all over the place) of ASIA ETC MESS. A smooth if rather unpleasant surface! | |
| 20 It’s used to fasten head on fly (4,3) | |
|    WING NUT - Head (NUT) after fly (WING). As I understand it 'on' as a positional indicator in an across clue would normally indicate NUT before WING. | |
| 21 Dismal daughter to bring up (5) | |
|    DREAR - Daughter (D), to bring up (REAR). | |
| 22 Catch about ten subsequently (4) | |
|    NEXT - Catch (NET) around ten (X). | |
| 23 Skeleton staff so lazy? (4,4) | |
|    BONE IDLE - I believe this to be a partial &lit - which is another way of saying I don't 100% get this one. If the bare bones of the staff are lazy they could be bone idle. | |
| Down | |
| 1 Old settlerfor sacking? (4) | |
|    JUTE - dd. I did know the definition of sacking: - either of two Old World tropical yellow-flowered herbaceous plants, Corchorus capsularis or C. olitorius, cultivated for their strong fibre: family Tiliaceae - this fibre, used in making sacks, rope, etc but not the old settler: - a member of one of various Germanic tribes, some of whom invaded England in the 6th century ad, settling in Kent. | |
| 2 Punch comedian making conversation (7) | |
|    CHINWAG - Punch (CHIN), comedian (WAG). The two together could 'make' conversation or be 'making conversation' - a sort of double definition. | |
| 3 Daring environmentalist’s tone (6,5) | |
|    BOTTLE GREEN - my LOI and downfall - I went, too hastily, for Battle Green. Daring (BOTTLE), environmentalist (GREEN). Tone as in a shade of colour. | |
| 4 Upset: as favourite racehorse was? (6) | |
|    TIPPED - dd. | |
| 6 Lift one in crowd (5) | |
|    HOIST - One (I) in crowd (HOST). | |
| 7 Poet’s sonnet composed about New York (8) | |
|    TENNYSON - Anagram (composed) of SONNET around NY. | |
| 10 One let offa wicked thing in the Vatican? (5,6) | |
|    ROMAN CANDLE - dd. The firework is 'let off', a thing with a wick is a candle - and one in the Vatican would be a Roman candle. | |
| 12 Whingers upset composer (8) | |
|    GERSHWIN - Anagram (upset) of WHINGERS. | |
| 15 English like to look after part of London (4,3) | |
|    EAST END - Emglish (E), like (AS), look after (TEND). | |
| 16 Man leading two ducks and a penguin (6) | |
|    GENTOO - Man (GENT), two ducks (from cricket) OO. The first scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a reference point of the Falkland Islands. They call in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting which is emitted with its head thrown back - but enough of the GREXIT crisis. | |
| 18 Appropriate girl with former partner (5) | |
|    ANNEX - Girl (ANNE), former partner (EX). | |
| 19 First of the regulars, usually extremely faithful (4) | |
|    TRUE - First letters of The Regulars Usually Extremely. | |