This is Tracy's 53rd puzzle and judging by my solving time of 6 minutes I'd say it's at the easier end of the scale. There are a couple of answers, maybe 11ac and 4dn, that perhaps will not be familiar to all. The first is hidden which helps, but the second, a double definition, may cause a few problems as one requires familiarity with a slang expression and the other is a bit specialised - no pun intended! Here we go...
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [indicators in square ones]
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [indicators in square ones]
Across | |
| 1 | Shoot a persistently annoying person in capital (8) |
| BUDAPEST - BUD (shoot), A, PEST (persistently annoying person) | |
| 5 | Notice / pimple (4) |
| SPOT - two definitions | |
| 8 | Breakaway movement stopping ruler somehow (8,5) |
| SPLINTER GROUP - Anagram [somehow] of STOPPING RULER | |
| 10 | Ordinary people from Italy, loosely (5) |
| LAITY - Anagram [loosely] of ITALY | |
| 11 | Appropriate / bit (7) |
| SNAFFLE - two definitions, a slang word for "appropriate" - "steal" , and "bit" - a piece of horse tack | |
| 12 | English girl after fine felt hat (6) |
| FEDORA - F (fine), E (English), DORA (girl) | |
| 13 | Fuss about daughter, much loved (6) |
| ADORED - ADO (fuss), RE (about), D (daughter) | |
| 16 | Disturb American soldier in a gallery (7) |
| AGITATE - A, GI (American soldier), TATE (gallery) | |
| 18 | Some latticework in room (5) |
| ATTIC - Hidden [some] in {l}ATTIC{ework} | |
| 20 | Overreactions bothered music school (13) |
| CONSERVATOIRE - Anagram [bothered] of OVERREACTIONS | |
| 21 | Parking skill displays character (4) |
| PART - P (parking), ART (skill) | |
| 22 | Film celebrity was right inside (4,4) |
| STAR WARS - STAR (celebrity), R (right) inside WAS | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Boy Lisa bowled over (5) |
| BASIL - LISA, B (bowled) reversed [over] | |
| 2 | Had an amorous relationship with duke, married (7) |
| DALLIED - D (duke), ALLIED (married) | |
| 3 | Girl with a new card, note — finding amusement here? (5,6) |
| PENNY ARCADE - PENNY (girl), A, anagram [new] of CARD, E (note) | |
| 4 | Exclamation of surprise from banshee, shouting (6) |
| SHEESH - Hidden [from] in {ban}SHEE SH{outing} | |
| 6 | Academic possessing old evidence (5) |
| PROOF - PROF (academic) containing [possessing] O (old) | |
| 7 | Best player, spinner, to get Derbyshire's opener? (3,4) |
| TOP SEED - TOP (spinner), SEE (get), D{erbyshire} [opener] | |
| 9 | One well qualified to get a mate? (11) |
| GRANDMASTER - Cryptic clue which could have been cross-referenced to 19dn | |
| 12 | Even better headgear (4,3) |
| FLAT CAP - FLAT (even) CAP (better) | |
| 14 | Wine stored up in canisters (7) |
| RETSINA - Hidden [stored] and reversed [up] in {c}ANISTER{s} | |
| 15 | Five to check about the Spanish material (6) |
| VELVET - V (five), EL (the, Spanish), VET (check) | |
| 17 | Victor losing head in ring (5) |
| INNER - {w}INNER (victor) [losing head]. It's the ring that's the division of a target next to the bull's eye, usually in darts and/or archery. | |
| 19 | Game / show (5) |
| CHESS - Two definitions. The show is the musical written by two of the ABBA crew and Tim Rice | |