I found this an educational, medium difficulty puzzle - anyone getting the three 13 letter answers straight away may find it easier. Completing the blog I was forced to stop and take count of the number of punctuation mark clues - 8 in all (with the last being a double-whammy). Excellent work from Orpheus giving us a lesson on the subject which hopefully will stand people in good stead when taking on the rigours of the 15x15.
ACROSS
1. Ball - wherewithal for game. Care required here to note that cry lustily audibly (a homophone of BAWL resulting in (getting) the requirement for many games. The 3rd letter is not checked by a crossing clue - did anyone bif BAWL?
4. Material - double definition - important and requirement for making clothes.
8. Tomahawk - weapon - not your every day weapon, granted. Made up from man (TOM) a (A) belligerent politician (HAWK).
9. Geek - social misfit. Run (R) is taken away from native of Athens (GrEEK).
10. Pathos - quality arousing pity. Ways (PATHS) to adopt old (O).
11. Number - exclusive group (a group or band of people, especially an exclusive group - e.g. he was not one of our number). The question mark indicates that there’s a play on words here - a local anaesthetic is a number which makes one numb.
12. Heartlessness - unfeeling nature. Another question mark pointing to a pun - a card player without a particular suit could be described as heart-less.
16. Truant - absentee. This question mark does nothing other than make the surface scan. Setters have full reign when it comes to adding superfluous punctuation marks but should provide one if it’s required as an indicator as in the previous two clues. Mostly loyal (TRUe), worker (ANT).
17. Chaste - virtuously abstinent. A homophone (reportedly) of pursued - chased.
19. Nook - shelter. Lack of approval (NO OK).
20. Implicit - understood. One (I) politician (MP) with allowed (LICIT) brining up the rear. The question mark being used to scan.
21. Sentence - a few sensible words. Yet another question mark this time doing duty to indicate that a sentence is commonly, but not always, pronounced by the judge at the end of a trial.
22. Need - require. Key (in music A-G this one's E) getting inside a study (DEN) backwards (flipping). The '!' is another punctuation mark to make the clue scan.
DOWN
2. Aroma - scent. 'Found in' often indicates that the answer is hiding in the clue but in this case it means that it is made up from a (A) and continental capital (ROMA - which is how it is known on the continent - in Italian).
3. Leatherjacket - burrowing larva. Looks like I’ll have to start counting these punctuation marks - this one shows that leather jackets are often but not necessarily worn by and so familiar to bikers.
4. Means - double definition.
5. Takings - earnings. Thanks (TA), college (KINGS).
6. Regimentation - disciplined treatment. Anagram (working) of MEN GET IN A RIOT. good clue as 'riot' or 'in a riot' could be an anagram indicator.
7. Ageless - apparently never growing old. Anagram (developed) of SEA LEGS.
10. Pah - expression of disgust. Homophone (heard) of father (PA).
13. Earlobe - part of organ. Nobleman (EARL) given award (OBE).
14. Latvian - European. Coming from (inside the clue) ei(LAT VIA N)ovgorod. A nicely relevant word play - our European would have to come a long way - it’s 2,580 miles by road from Eilat in Israel to Novgorod in NW Russia - then a further 362 miles to Latvia.
15. See - visit. Home Counties (SE for south-east) around Jun(E).
17. Copse - wooded area (technically a fenced wooded area to keep the deer from eating the new shoots on coppiced as opposed to pollarded trees). Police officers (COPS), (E)xplore.
18. Tripe - rubbish. And to finish us off - a clue with a double set of punctuation marks (aren’t we lucky!). The '!' is superfluous for scanning purposes. I hope by now you’ll realise by now that the '?' indicates that tripe could (but is not necessarily) from the stomach lining of an ox - cows and pigs are also potential tripe providers.
ACROSS
1. Ball - wherewithal for game. Care required here to note that cry lustily audibly (a homophone of BAWL resulting in (getting) the requirement for many games. The 3rd letter is not checked by a crossing clue - did anyone bif BAWL?
4. Material - double definition - important and requirement for making clothes.
8. Tomahawk - weapon - not your every day weapon, granted. Made up from man (TOM) a (A) belligerent politician (HAWK).
9. Geek - social misfit. Run (R) is taken away from native of Athens (GrEEK).
10. Pathos - quality arousing pity. Ways (PATHS) to adopt old (O).
11. Number - exclusive group (a group or band of people, especially an exclusive group - e.g. he was not one of our number). The question mark indicates that there’s a play on words here - a local anaesthetic is a number which makes one numb.
12. Heartlessness - unfeeling nature. Another question mark pointing to a pun - a card player without a particular suit could be described as heart-less.
16. Truant - absentee. This question mark does nothing other than make the surface scan. Setters have full reign when it comes to adding superfluous punctuation marks but should provide one if it’s required as an indicator as in the previous two clues. Mostly loyal (TRUe), worker (ANT).
17. Chaste - virtuously abstinent. A homophone (reportedly) of pursued - chased.
19. Nook - shelter. Lack of approval (NO OK).
20. Implicit - understood. One (I) politician (MP) with allowed (LICIT) brining up the rear. The question mark being used to scan.
21. Sentence - a few sensible words. Yet another question mark this time doing duty to indicate that a sentence is commonly, but not always, pronounced by the judge at the end of a trial.
22. Need - require. Key (in music A-G this one's E) getting inside a study (DEN) backwards (flipping). The '!' is another punctuation mark to make the clue scan.
DOWN
2. Aroma - scent. 'Found in' often indicates that the answer is hiding in the clue but in this case it means that it is made up from a (A) and continental capital (ROMA - which is how it is known on the continent - in Italian).
3. Leatherjacket - burrowing larva. Looks like I’ll have to start counting these punctuation marks - this one shows that leather jackets are often but not necessarily worn by and so familiar to bikers.
4. Means - double definition.
5. Takings - earnings. Thanks (TA), college (KINGS).
6. Regimentation - disciplined treatment. Anagram (working) of MEN GET IN A RIOT. good clue as 'riot' or 'in a riot' could be an anagram indicator.
7. Ageless - apparently never growing old. Anagram (developed) of SEA LEGS.
10. Pah - expression of disgust. Homophone (heard) of father (PA).
13. Earlobe - part of organ. Nobleman (EARL) given award (OBE).
14. Latvian - European. Coming from (inside the clue) ei(LAT VIA N)ovgorod. A nicely relevant word play - our European would have to come a long way - it’s 2,580 miles by road from Eilat in Israel to Novgorod in NW Russia - then a further 362 miles to Latvia.
15. See - visit. Home Counties (SE for south-east) around Jun(E).
17. Copse - wooded area (technically a fenced wooded area to keep the deer from eating the new shoots on coppiced as opposed to pollarded trees). Police officers (COPS), (E)xplore.
18. Tripe - rubbish. And to finish us off - a clue with a double set of punctuation marks (aren’t we lucky!). The '!' is superfluous for scanning purposes. I hope by now you’ll realise by now that the '?' indicates that tripe could (but is not necessarily) from the stomach lining of an ox - cows and pigs are also potential tripe providers.