I would certainly have found this much harder were it not for the plentitude of double definitions, multi-word answers and anagrams (look out for the unusual indicator at 8dn) that helped me get a start in all quadrants. Not because of any ambiguity or obscurity, but as a result of well hidden definitions and smooth surfaces. As it is, I completed without the need or desire to pause.
My COD has to be 3dn for reasons of well-spotted anagram fodder and occupational allegiance. A thoroughly enjoyable crossword.
Definitions underlined.
|
| Across |
| 1 | Food store, where the setter has a feast to prepare (4,4) |
| MEAT SAFE - ME (the setter) and an anagram of (to prepare) A FEAST. |
| 5 | Switch hands back (4) |
| SWAP - reversal of (back) PAWS (hands). |
| 9 | Make outcontract (5) |
| CATCH - double definition. Make out in the sense of ‘glimpse’, and contract in that of contagion. |
| 10 | Charity rejected in tavern, a state (7) |
| INDIANA - AID (charity) backwards (rejected) inside INN (tavern) A. |
| 11 | Localrestriction (3) |
| BAR - double definition. |
| 12 | False reading, so put right (9) |
| ORGANISED - anagram of (false) READING SO. |
| 13 | New game in for puzzle (6) |
| ENIGMA - anagram of (new) GAME IN. |
| 15 | Very coldbeer (6) |
| BITTER - double definition. |
| 17 | Forty lies ruined autobiography (4,5) |
| LIFE STORY - anagram of (ruined) FORTY LIES. |
| 19 | Problem part being discussed (3) |
| SUM - homophone of (being discussed) “some” (part). |
| 20 | Get loan for cultivating fruit (7) |
| TANGELO - anagram of (for cultivating) GET LOAN. |
| 21 | Ring, region around end of Saturn (5) |
| ARENA - AREA (region) around last letter (end) of saturN. |
| 22 | Stone on two axes (4) |
| ONYX - ON with Y and X (two axes). |
| 23 | Drop off in allowance for slope (8) |
| GRADIENT - DIE (drop off) inside GRANT (allowance). |
|
| Down |
| 1 | Dark coat on wild bear (7) |
| MACABRE - MAC (coat) and an anagram of (wild) BEAR. |
| 2 | Change key with little hesitation (5) |
| ALTER - ALT (key, on a computer) and ER (little hesitation). |
| 3 | One bringing order to the classroom? (12) |
| SCHOOLMASTER - anagram of (bringing order to) THE CLASSROOM. |
| 4 | Casual affair, as steps taken in Scotland? (5) |
| FLING - double definition. |
| 6 | Something unknown twit has arranged (7) |
| WHATSIT - anagram of (arranged) TWIT HAS. |
| 7 | Penny put down for patterned fabric (5) |
| PLAID - P (penny) and LAID (put down). |
| 8 | Shimmying dart — nice tidy pass, perhaps? (8,4) |
| IDENTITY CARD - anagram of (shimmying) DART NICE TIDY. |
| 14 | Fashionable and complicated, being a child (7) |
| INFANCY - IN (fashionable) and FANCY (complicated). |
| 16 | Defence requiring inclination and skill (7) |
| RAMPART - RAMP (inclination) and ART (skill). |
| 17 | Little room to bury the treasure, for starters, in game of chance (5) |
| LOTTO - LOO (little room) surrounding (to bury) first letters of (for starters) The Treasure. |
| 18 | Stink is offensive at first, and grim (5) |
| ODOUR - first letter of (at first) Offensive and DOUR (grim). |
| 19 | Europeanroot (5) |
| SWEDE - double definition. |