This is a very clever, good fun crossword - thank you Mara for clever clueing - lovely surfaces and cunning anagram indicators. I should have spent more time enjoying it but quick, quick very, very slow was the order of my solve today. So many clues flew in - which ended up being the problem - 12dn flew in rather too quickly leaving me staring at 13ac for ages. Memo to self - don't get overexcited with a quick time - take time to fully parse the answers.
ACROSS
1. Fahrenheit - scale of temperature. Hot (H) in an anagram (unusual) of A FIRE THEN.
8. Unarmed - lacking weapons. Not injured (unharmed) in a Cockney accent.
9. Poole - port. Some water (POOL) with E.
10. Fate - lot. (F)or (A)uction (T)erribly (E)xpensive.
11. Uncouple - release. UNCLE holding (O)ffences and UP. Clever clue - suggesting the first letters of 'offences' and 'up' - but 'up' was just 'up'.
13. Snail - slow creature. (S)nake, catch (NAIL). Much easier when you don't think the final letter is an 'N'.
14. Easel - support for an artist. Comfort (EASE), (L)ove.
16. Damocles - toady of myth. Anagram (corrupt) of SAME COLD.
17. Opus - work. Drink (SUP) backwards after O.
20. Congo - African river. Argument against (CON), GO.
21. Ukraine - country. British (UK - anyone care to debate the differences between UK and Britain?), RAIN, wo(E).
22. Straighten - put right. Anagram (mould) of SHATTERING. Excellent anagrist.
DOWN
1. Fluff - double definition.
2. Heartwarming - cheering. Anagram (resolved) of NIGHTMARE WAR.
3. Emmy - TV award. Este(EM MY)thical.
4. Hiding - double definition.
5. Improved - picked up (often a Homophone indicator). Devil (IMP), wandered off (ROVED).
6. Compass point - north perhaps. Anagram (off) of I POP SCOTSMAN.
7. Reveal - show. Make merry (REVEL) taking in A. Great surface reading.
12. Blackout - loss of power. Loss (LACK) in a fight (BOUT). 'Knockout' was my far too quick biff.
13. Seduce - corrupt. Anagram (convert) of USED with church (CE). Mara keeping up the entertainment with two potential anagram indicators.
15. Nebula - cloud of gas and dust. Anagram (to disperse) of UNABLE. Lovely surface.
18. Stern - double definition.
19. Frog - amphibian. (R)ed in FOG.
ACROSS
1. Fahrenheit - scale of temperature. Hot (H) in an anagram (unusual) of A FIRE THEN.
8. Unarmed - lacking weapons. Not injured (unharmed) in a Cockney accent.
9. Poole - port. Some water (POOL) with E.
10. Fate - lot. (F)or (A)uction (T)erribly (E)xpensive.
11. Uncouple - release. UNCLE holding (O)ffences and UP. Clever clue - suggesting the first letters of 'offences' and 'up' - but 'up' was just 'up'.
13. Snail - slow creature. (S)nake, catch (NAIL). Much easier when you don't think the final letter is an 'N'.
14. Easel - support for an artist. Comfort (EASE), (L)ove.
16. Damocles - toady of myth. Anagram (corrupt) of SAME COLD.
17. Opus - work. Drink (SUP) backwards after O.
20. Congo - African river. Argument against (CON), GO.
21. Ukraine - country. British (UK - anyone care to debate the differences between UK and Britain?), RAIN, wo(E).
22. Straighten - put right. Anagram (mould) of SHATTERING. Excellent anagrist.
DOWN
1. Fluff - double definition.
2. Heartwarming - cheering. Anagram (resolved) of NIGHTMARE WAR.
3. Emmy - TV award. Este(EM MY)thical.
4. Hiding - double definition.
5. Improved - picked up (often a Homophone indicator). Devil (IMP), wandered off (ROVED).
6. Compass point - north perhaps. Anagram (off) of I POP SCOTSMAN.
7. Reveal - show. Make merry (REVEL) taking in A. Great surface reading.
12. Blackout - loss of power. Loss (LACK) in a fight (BOUT). 'Knockout' was my far too quick biff.
13. Seduce - corrupt. Anagram (convert) of USED with church (CE). Mara keeping up the entertainment with two potential anagram indicators.
15. Nebula - cloud of gas and dust. Anagram (to disperse) of UNABLE. Lovely surface.
18. Stern - double definition.
19. Frog - amphibian. (R)ed in FOG.