Weekend Quick Cryptic 57 - Solution

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributors Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce Quick Cryptic crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here.

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints...

Some hints and tips:

• In 1A the enumeration of the wordplay isn't the same as the answer.
• 10A appears to have escaped from Weekend QC 56.
• "in vain" is a bit of an unusual anagrind indicator.
• You need to ignore the punctuation at 12D.

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution...

Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across

1          Motionless, fills cash register (5-5)

            STOCK STILL – STOCKS (fills) TILL (cash register).

7          Place of trial - criminals often unwillingly reach there first (5)

            COURT - Initial letters [first] of Criminals Often Unwillingly Reach There.

8          Fitness coach's shoe (7)

            TRAINER – Double definition.

10        Song caught here in Scotland (3)

            AYR – Sounds like [caught] AIR (song).

11        Top shelf's contents rearranged - they're popular with hedonists (9)

            FLESHPOTS – (Top shelf)* [contents rearranged].

13        This could be sticky - I'm cast badly (6)

            MASTIC – (I’m cast)* [badly].

14        Mercia, surprisingly, is a war zone (6)

            CRIMEA – (Mercia)* [surprisingly].

17        Take care of the Queen - set out to be most affectionate (9)

            TENDEREST – TEND (take care of) ER (queen) (set)* [out].

19        Back in Canberra there's a sailor (3)

            TAR – Reverse hidden [back in] in CanberRA There, reversed -> TAR.

20        It's not on - simpleton minced shellfish (7)

            LIMPETS – (simplet{on})* [not on] [minced].

22        Fruit - lemon cocktail? (5)

            MELON – (lemon)* [cocktail].

23        Dave's tried in vain to be made public (10)

            ADVERTISED – (Dave’s tried)* [in vain].

 

Down

1          Forces out puny chaps (7)

            SQUIRTS – Double definition.

2          It's too late for this 60's chart-topper (3,2,4)

            OUT OF TIME – Double definition. This hit by the Rolling Stones.

3          King chewed into headless little pet (6)

            KITTEN - K (King), {b}ITTEN (chewed into) [headless]. Shades of “Freddie Starr ate my hamster”.

4          Drink they oddly adored at first (3)

            TEA – ThEy  [oddly] A{dored} [at first].

5          Slow movement advanced zip (5)

            LENTO – LENT (advanced) 0 (zip).

6          Last camper rendered "Any Old Iron" (5,5)

            SCRAP METAL – (Last camper)* [rendered].

9          Take it easy - distinctive atmosphere books this eatery (10)

            RESTAURANT – REST (take it easy) AURA (distinctive atmosphere) NT (New Testament; books).

12        Dickens wrote "This Difficult Paper" (4,5)

            HARD TIMES – HARD (difficult) TIMES (newspaper). Very sneaky punctuation, Phil

15        Spotted crazy model taking in non-drinker (7)

            MOTTLED – [crazy] (model)* [taking in] TT (Teetotaller; non-drinker).

16        County : in short it could be somewhere to live (6)

            BEDSIT – BEDS (Bedfordshire; county) [in short], IT.

18        Damon is unsettled - he's a wanderer (5)

            NOMAD – (Damon)* [unsettled].

21        Sheep found in New England (3)

            EWE – [found in] NEW England.