This one took me 2 minutes over my target 10 because I had a complete blank on my last one in, 13ac, which on reflection now seems quite inexplicable. I thought this was mostly straightforward although the character from Greek legend may not be easy for some.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | French produce MP embraced by whip (9) |
| CAMEMBERT - MEMBER (MP - Member of Parliament) contained [embraced] by CAT (whip - cat-o'-nine-tails) | |
| 6 | Sweet potato, no starter (3) |
| PUD - {s}PUD (potato) [no starter]. 'Pud' short for 'pudding' aka 'afters' or, as here, the very non-U 'sweet'. | |
| 8 | Odd variety, by the way (7) |
| STRANGE - ST (way - street), RANGE (variety) | |
| 9 | Highest-ranked group in personnel I tested (5) |
| ELITE - Hidden in {personn}EL I TE{sted} | |
| 10 | I put shampoo liberally around head of poodle — muddy animal? (12) |
| HIPPOPOTAMUS - Anagram [liberally] of I PUT SHAMPOO containing [around] P{oodle} [head]. I'm not sure that the hippo was particularly associated in peoples' minds with mud before this song came out, but it surely has been ever since. It's generally overlooked that it was written by Flanders & Swann for the opera singer, Ian Wallace, who made the first commercial recording and popularised it, but in my opinion the F&S recording as performed in their revue 'At The Drop Of A Hat' has stood the test of time far better and still sounds great. | |
| 12 | Female relative— male different (6) |
| MOTHER - M (male), OTHER (different) | |
| 13 | Bill after Elizabeth (6) |
| POSTER - POST (after), ER (Elizabeth - HMQ). Why did I find this so hard! | |
| 16 | Kick the telly — might it shock the children? (4-2-3-3) |
| JACK-IN-THE-BOX - JACK-IN (kick - two slang expressions for 'give up'), THE, BOX (telly) | |
| 19 | Taken to court, last of source material (5) |
| SUEDE - SUED (taken to court), {sourc}E [last] | |
| 20 | 31 days of course initially has to be right (7) |
| OCTOBER - O{f} + C{ourse} [initially], TO, BE, R (right) | |
| 22 | Some say a king is bovine (3) |
| YAK - Hidden in [some] {sa}Y A K{ing} | |
| 23 | Matter resolved with hospital department: medical care (9) |
| TREATMENT - Anagram [resolved] of MATTER, ENT (hospital department - Ear Nose & Throat) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Actors / thrown (4) |
| CAST - Two meanings | |
| 2 | Red tram carrying half a dozen uphill (7) |
| MARXIST - TRAM containing SIX (half a dozen] all reversed [uphill]. Giving us 'tram' in the clue instead of, say, 'vehicle' reems remarkably generous of the setter, even for a Quickie. | |
| 3 | Soldiers from the platoon each finishing (3) |
| MEN - {fro}M + {th}E + {platoo}N [each finishing] | |
| 4 | Former lover abandoned, not entirely immune (6) |
| EXEMPT - EX (former lover), EMPT{y} (abandoned) [not entirely] | |
| 5 | Number new, not yet developed (6-3) |
| TWENTY-ONE - Anagram [developed] of NEW NOT YET | |
| 6 | Proper to accommodate a Trojan king (5) |
| PRIAM - PRIM (proper) containing [to accommodate] A. This King of Troy at the time of the Trojan war may not be known to all but the answer should be accessible from wordplay and checkers. | |
| 7 | One putting clothes on / sideboard (7) |
| DRESSER - Two meanings | |
| 11 | Identification carried by current leader (9) |
| PRESIDENT - ID (identification) contained [carried] by PRESENT (current) | |
| 12 | A joke in my dignified appearance (7) |
| MAJESTY - A + JEST (joke) in MY | |
| 14 | Difficulty beginning to trace foreign currency (7) |
| TROUBLE - T{race} [beginning], ROUBLE (foreign currency) | |
| 15 | In moat he swims (2,4) |
| AT HOME - Anagram [swims] of MOAT HE | |
| 17 | Lip— part of the face (5) |
| CHEEK - Two meanings | |
| 18 | Club welcoming rogue at first, ill-mannered child (4) |
| BRAT - BAT (club) containing [welcoming] R{ogue} [at first]. Those of a pedantic disposition may argue that a club is not a bat and/or vice versa but I don't intend to get into that again! | |
| 21 | Nip / nipper! (3) |
| TOT - Two meanings - small alcoholic drink / small child | |