Once again we celebrate a ton-up as Flamande reaches his 100th QC today, so congratulations and thanks to him for this fine puzzle. I think only one other of the original setters is due to achieve this milestone in the near future having currently clocked up 99. This one took me 9 minutes.
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 | Son turned out decent, smelling sweet? (7) |
| SCENTED - S (son), anagram [turned out] of DECENT | |
| 5 | Pile of sheaves / appeared insecure? (5) |
| SHOOK - Two meanings. I thought at first that the setter had confused the answer with 'stook', as that's what I'd have called a 'pile of sheaves' in the sense of e.g. corn that's been harvested and bundled in the field, but Collins confirms this can also be a 'shook' or even a 'shock'. | |
| 8 | Monarchs, for example, creating feeling of anxiety (11) |
| BUTTERFLIES - Two meanings. The monarch butterfly is large and orange and black in colour. | |
| 10 | Meat flambé, with ends trimmed (4) |
| LAMB - {f}LAMB{é} [with ends trimmed] | |
| 11 | Two articles in hut, well-protected (8) |
| SHEATHED - A + THE (two articles) contained by [in] SHED (hut) | |
| 12 | Worship always has its place in religious education (6) |
| REVERE - EVER (always) contained by [has its place in] RE (religious education) | |
| 14 | We hear rent is dearer than before (6) |
| HIGHER - Sounds like [we hear] "hire" (rent) | |
| 16 | Terrible actor missing entrance? This person might have something to say (8) |
| DIRECTOR - DIRE (terrible), {a}CTOR [missing entrance]. The definition is &lit. | |
| 18 | Partly open a glass container (4) |
| AJAR - A, JAR (glass container). When is a door not a door? | |
| 20 | Publicising ruins gran visited (11) |
| ADVERTISING - Anagram [ruins] of GRAN VISITED | |
| 22 | Around second part of Lent, don't eat sumptuous meal (5) |
| FEAST - FAST (don't eat) contains [around] {l}E{nt} [second part of] | |
| 23 | Refused stewed prunes and custard in the end (7) |
| SPURNED - Anagram [stewed] of PRUNES, {custar}D [in the end] | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Horse runs over a dangerous snake (5) |
| COBRA - COB (horse), R (runs), A. A cob is a sturdy short-legged riding horse. | |
| 3 | Distinguished aristocrat defending Territorial Army (7) |
| NOTABLE - NOBLE (aristocrat) containing [defending] TA (Territorial Army). We know the TA doesn't exist any more but the abbreviation is still valid historically. | |
| 4 | First lady always lacks Republican backing (3) |
| EVE - EVE{r} (always) [lacks Republican backing]. 'Backing' refers to R as the last letter 'ever' rather than being a reversal indicator; a good example of misdirection by the setter. | |
| 6 | Unnamed male is leader of this robbery (5) |
| HEIST - HE (unnamed male), IS, T{his} [leader] | |
| 7 | Indecent picture introduced by old boy (7) |
| OBSCENE - OB (old boy), SCENE (picture) | |
| 9 | New student / giving more cheek (7) |
| FRESHER - Two meanings | |
| 11 | Singular set of clothing, including oddly twee pullover (7) |
| SWEATER - S (singular), WEAR (set of clothing) containing [including] T{w}E{e} [oddly] | |
| 13 | Move to another country, avoiding Greek capital and Dubai, say (7) |
| EMIRATE - EMI{g}RATE (move to another country) [avoiding Greek capital] | |
| 15 | Around Channel Islands, large unwieldy mass of ice (7) |
| GLACIER - Anagram [unwieldy] of LARGE containing [around] CI (Channel Islands) | |
| 17 | Former singer, English, is about fifty five (5) |
| ELVIS - E (English) + IS containing [about] LV (fifty five). We don't need 'former' just because he's dead. It helped that the King came up in Izetti's most recent puzzle published on 3rd May. | |
| 19 | Some unpopular guests clash verbally (5) |
| ARGUE - Hidden in [some] {unpopul}AR GUE{sts} | |
| 21 | Naughty child is much punished, heads revealed (3) |
| IMP - I{s} M{uch} P{unished} [heads revealed] | |