I enjoyed this puzzle - some novel clues and lots of nice surface readings. Within the bounds of average difficulty, I'd say, almost coming witin 2 minutes of my target 10 mins. I particularly liked the 'match supporter' definition in 13d, and the 'two-thirds of the people' cryptic in 14ac. One or two bits of obscurity, for me at least - notably 16ac, where I hadn't heard of either the abbreviation or the answer. I'd vaguely heard of 4ac, but my guess as to what the architectural feature in question was got about as far as: is it something to do with a balustrade? Quite what I didn't actually venture. Turns out it's the decorative triangle bit above the entrance to a classical building (or part of the PVC moulding to the front door-frame in my last house, now that I think about it). But its secondary meaning is a base or pedestal for a statue or pillar. So, my guess, broadly speaking, was that a pediment is something to do with a row of pillars, and the answer is it can either be the crown or the base to a row of pillars - I'm chalking that up as a quite inspired guess (rather than a bad memory). Definitions underlined, and many thanks to Izetti.
| Across | |
| 1 | Old ruler introducing French friend to king AMIR: AMI (French friend) is introduced to R (king) |
| 4 | Architectural feature an obstruction? I'm put off PEDIMENT: impediment = an obstruction, remove (put off) I'm. |
| 8 | Hard outgrowth Ray found in wood HORNBEAM: HORN (hard outgrowth), BEAM (ray). Hornbeam, rather than the lesser-seen "cornbeam", which first popped into my head. |
| 9 | Nimble son to poke his nose in SPRY: S (son) to PRY (poke his nose in). |
| 10 | Holy mother runs into another woman MARY: R (runs) into MAY (another woman). |
| 11 | One female in music group is dismissed BANISHED: I SHE (one female) in BAND (music group). |
| 12 | Sort of tea served in higher balcony HERBAL: hidden in (served in) higHER BALcony. Technically a sort of tea; more accurately a nice smelling thing that tastes of hot water. |
| 14 | Two-thirds of the people in the old country THRACE: TH = 2/3 of "the"; RACE = people. |
| 16 | Charles sure upset attendant CHASSEUR: CHAS (Charles); anagram (upset) of SURE. "Chas." is a shorthand abbreviation, apparently, used in the days of yore when writing records of people was time-consuming and ink was expensive, rather than a nickname a la Chaz. And a chasseur, according to the OED, can be a hunter, a soldier, an attendant, or a white wine sauce: sauce chasseur - also known as hunter's sauce, presumably to avoid confusion with soldier's tipple, or servant's lip. |
| 18 | Quiet worker to show sign of exertion? PANT: P (quiet), ANT (worker). |
| 19 | Proper flowering plant, but not rose PRIM: primrose = flowering plant, remove the "rose". |
| 20 | Takes hold of Greek fruit GRAPPLES: Gr (Greek), APPLES (fruit). |
| 22 | Woman wants not so much about her — being not fat LEANNESS: ANNE (woman) wants LESS (not so much) to go around her. |
| 23 | Sale items— they may be selected at random LOTS: double definition, the first you bid for, the second you draw. |
| Down | |
| 2 | Canal fee makes one utter beastly noise with anger MOORAGE: MOO (utter beastly noise), RAGE (anger). "Makes one" used here means "gives you:", with a similar device in the next clue. |
| 3 | Strong drink — with head going, one gets aroused RANDY: brandy = strong drink, remove the head, and you get (one gets) the answer. I was initially looking for a noun for "one [who] gets aroused". Two nice uses of flowing linkwords, with the answer/definition "making" the cryptic in 2d and vice versa in this clue. |
| 4 | Top of pastry that is used for this? PIE: P = top of pastry, I.E. = that is. |
| 5 | Matron, I do fancy, is controlling type DOMINATOR: anagram (fancy) of MATRON I DO. |
| 6 | Stingy person goes around America, one handling things badly MISUSER: MISER (stingy person) goes around US (America). |
| 7 | Bottle among finer vessels NERVE: hidden in fiNER VEssles. |
| 11 | Bad gale buffeted the French flier BALD EAGLE: anagram (buffeted) of BAD GALE ; LE (the French) |
| 13 | Match supporter surprisingly absent, male staying in BEST MAN: anagram (surprisingly) of ABSENT ; M(ale) goes inside. Cracking cryptic definition of a best man! COD. |
| 15 | Capacity to be happy CONTENT: double definition. |
| 17 | Water ultimately coming in pipe for Arab? HORSE: R (wateR, ultimately) goes in HOSE (pipe). |
| 18 | The old man and friend from top bishop's office PAPAL: Pa (the old man) and pal (friend). |
| 21 | Unhappy, leader dropping to the floor flyers ADS: sad = unhappy, S (leader) dropping to the floor. And a nice little one to finish off. |