Two early unknowns (1ac and 2dn (I was sure it would be Qatar) put me off to begin with, but the rest was straightforward and fair. I liked 6dn for the unlikelihood of medium-sized reversals producing a long word, but COD to 15dn (simple, but confusing!). All fun stuff.
Definitions underlined.
|
| Across |
| 1 | Jazz piece and a composition for sitar? (4) |
| RAGA - RAG (jazz piece) and A. |
| 4 | Yorkshire terrier cooled off, with something to drink (8) |
| AIREDALE - AIRED (cooled off) with ALE (something to drink). |
| 8 | Fifty savages destroyed US city (3,5) |
| LAS VEGAS - L (fifty) and an anagram of (destroyed) SAVAGES. |
| 9 | Talk a lot about eastern guru (4) |
| SAGE - GAS (talk a lot) reversed (about), then E (eastern). |
| 10 | Singular honour for Hardy's partner (6) |
| LAUREL - double definition. |
| 11 | Everything carried by well-built helots (3,3) |
| THE LOT - hidden in 9carried by) well-builT HELOTs. |
| 12 | Type of wrestling I do got me out of shape eventually (3,2,4,4) |
| ALL IN GOOD TIME - ALL IN (type of wrestling) with an anagram of (out of shape) I DO GOT ME. |
| 16 | Dreads writhing snakes (6) |
| ADDERS - anagram of (writhing) DREADS. |
| 17 | Policeman in centre of Wigan managing OK (6) |
| COPING - COP (policeman), IN and the central letter of wiGan. |
| 19 | Leaders of nations in Northern Europe — a smallish number (4) |
| NINE - first letters (leaders) of Nations In Northern Europe. |
| 20 | American relatives and I wanting a heavenly source of food (8) |
| AMBROSIA - AM (american), BROS (brothers, relatives) and I with A. |
| 21 | Tough king retaining the monarchy in the end (8) |
| LEATHERY - LEAR (king) surrounding (retaining) THE, followed by the last letter of (in the end) monarchY. |
| 22 | A large numberkilled (4) |
| SLEW - double definition. |
|
| Down |
| 2 | A question over sailor reaching a Middle East port (5) |
| AQABA - A, Q (question) above (over) AB (able-bodied, sailor) and A. |
| 3 | Tradesmen, I've gathered, ultimately want publicity (13) |
| ADVERTISEMENT - anagram of (gathered) TRADESMEN I’VE, then the last letter of (ultimately) wanT. |
| 4 | Treasure a northern girl, as posh people might say (5) |
| ANGEL - A, N (northern), and GEL (posh pronunciation of “gal” (girl)?) |
| 5 | Teacher turned up with German and Italian course (7) |
| RISOTTO - SIR (teacher) reversed (turned up) with OTTO (german male name). |
| 6 | Cutlery items busybody emphasised should be placed the other way up (13) |
| DESSERTSPOONS - SNOOP (busybody) and STRESSED (emphasised), all reversed (placed the other way up). |
| 7 | Comfort zone of the French newly-wed (7) |
| LEGROOM - LE (the, in French) and GROOM (newly-wed). |
| 10 | Meadow's sheltered part, you say? (3) |
| LEA - homophone of (you say) “lee” (sheltered part). |
| 13 | Opponent of innovation diluted rum (7) |
| LUDDITE - anagram of (rum) DILUTED. |
| 14 | Get very upset, with health resort bathed in blood (2,5) |
| GO SPARE - SPA (health resort) surrounded by (bathed in) GORE (blood). |
| 15 | Food item eaten by veggies? (3) |
| EGG - hidden in (eaten by) vEGGie. |
| 17 | Taxi driver around Westminster, say, losing direction (5) |
| CABBY - C (circa, around), and ABBeY (Westminster, for example) missing the ‘e’ (losing direction). |
| 18 | Innocent one hiding in part of church (5) |
| NAIVE - I (one) inside (hiding in) NAVE (part of church). |