Quick Cryptic 1057 by Izetti

A good challenge for which I wasn’t quite on the right wavelength, so found difficult. I was saved to some extent by a number of short double definitions which put a few checkers scattered around the grid. As usual from the QC, all seemed fair and fairly simple in retrospect. In my defence, I only know 10ac from solving crosswords, and I always struggle a bit with those clues where the definition part references the rest of the clue (e.g…this?). Last one in was 22dn as an example of the aforementioned. 6dn is even trickier as the definition is not at the end of the clue (something that would have surely fooled me were it not for the very generous signposting).

Having solved on my phone, I couldn’t see who the puzzle’s setter was, and I hadn’t even noticed Izetti’s (trademark?) theological reference. I had guessed by the end, however, owing to the abundance of neatly deceptive surface meanings that always lead me astray. Well played, sir.

I’ll be on holiday for the next couple of weeks, so if anybody is available for a swap that would be much appreciated. I need Wednesday 11th of April covering, and can reciprocate any time the following week. Let me know, and I’ll sort the paperwork with the men upstairs.

Definitions underlined.

Across
8	Admonish soldiers wanting to demonstrate (7)
	REPROVE - RE (Royal Engineers, soldiers) and PROVE (demonstrate).
9	The fellow coming in top is worth little (5)
	CHEAP - HE (the fellow) inside (coming in) CAP (top).
10	Saw commercial taking a long time (5)
	ADAGE - AD (commercial) and AGE (a long time).
11	Honesty of Rob overwhelmed by compassion (7)
	PROBITY - ROB inside (overwhelmed by) PITY (compassion).
12	Main store could provide this household item (5,4)
	STEAM IRON - anagram of (could provide) MAIN STORE.
14	Experttouch (3)
	DAB - double definition.
16	Juice the old man's knocked over (3)
	SAP - PA’S (father’s, the old man’s) reversed (knocked over).
18	People in government organising means test (9)
	STATESMEN - anagram of (organising) MEANS TEST.
21	Something very hard that's in a suit (7)
	DIAMOND - double definition.
22	Dissolute men— they get into scrapes (5)
	RAKES - double definition.
23	Female achieved success, collecting arts degree (5)
	WOMAN - WON (achieved success) surrounding (collecting) MA (Master of Arts, arts degree).
24	Company introducing various menus — what will diners do? (7)
	CONSUME - CO (company) with an anagram of (various) MENUS.

Down
1	A river running down to one American state and another (8)
	ARKANSAS - A, R (river), and KANSAS (one American state).
2	Record previous evidence of road-user's inexperience? (1-5)
	L-PLATE - LP (long playing, record) and LATE (previous).
3	Anvil maybe, blacksmith’s first one (4)
	BONE - fist letter of Blacksmith, then ONE.
4	Heading north, salesperson encountered anger (6)
	TEMPER - reversal of (heading north) REP (salesman) and MET (encountered).
5	Miser has to get a foreign article for nothing — what he must do? (8)
	SCROUNGE - SCROoGE (miser) with UN (a foreign article) in place of O (nothing).
6	Bow to convey greeting — backside becomes visible! (6)
	BEHIND - BEND (bow) containing (to convey) HI (greeting).
7	Nimble agent nabbing traitor finally (4)
	SPRY - SPY (agent) surrounding last letter of (finally) traitoR.
13	Music not corrected: get the number wrong (8)
	MISCOUNT - anagram of (corrected) MUSIC NOT.
15	Prohibition — one sent to outhouse is ostracised (8)
	BANISHED - BAN (prohibition), I (one), and SHED (outhouse).
17	Note added on charitable gifts in holy book (6)
	PSALMS - PS (post script, note) and ALMS (charitable gifts).
19	Kidnap sailor on vessel (6)
	ABDUCT - AB (able bodied, sailor) and DUCT (vessel).
20	Cosmeticsput together (4-2)
	MAKE-UP - double definition.
21	Descent from treeless upland (4)
	DOWN - double definition.
22	Sound from pig not good — it being this? (4)
	RUNT - gRUNT (sound from pig) missing (not) ‘g” (good).