Weekend Quick Cryptic 59 - 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 my 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:

• 12A is a little unusual - it is a triple with a definition, wordplay and another definition.
• 24A is more commonly known in the UK as a lime.
• 7D As there is a crisis in the huge rise in energy prices...

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

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

Across

1 Christmas tree that's neatly dressed (6)

SPRUCE – Double definition.

4 "Boy, that hurts", one weeps (6)

WILLOW – WILL (boy’s name) OW (that hurts).

8 Awkward place to be stuck up (3,4)

GUM TREE – Cryptic definition referring to the phrase “Stuck up a gum tree”.

10 Tree newspaper boss planted in estate? (5)

CEDAR – ED (newspaper boss) inside, [planted in] CAR (estate), the ? indicates a definition by example

11 Get hairpiece after time (4)

TWIG – WIG (hairpiece) [after] T (time).

12 "Horse box enthusiast" is a favourite old clue (8)

CHESTNUT – CHEST (box) NUT (enthusiast). CHESTNUT is commonly clued this way.

14 Rocky tomb at sea for this vessel (9)

STEAMBOAT – [Rocky] (tomb at sea)*. The only across answer that’s not thematic – I don’t think there’s a steamboat tree.

18 Spring-flowering plant from Hanworth mutated (8)

HAWTHORN – (Hanworth)* [mutated].

20 Long for baked dish in November? On the contrary (4)

PINE – In stead of the dish in November [on the contrary] it’ s N (November) [in] PIE (baked dish).

22 Tree found in central Derbyshire (5)

ALDER – Hidden [found] in centrAL DERbyshire.

23 Allures somehow with emblems of victory (7)

LAURELS – (Allures)* [somehow].

24 Left no end of space for tree (6)

LINDEN – L (left) [no end of] INDEN{t} (space, as in the indent at the start of the first line of a paragraph.).

25 Power unit left initially electrifying fencing material (6)

WATTLE – WATT (power unit) L (left) [initially] Electrifying.

 

Down

1 Overheard mentions of places of interest (6)

SIGHTS – sounds like [overheard] CITES (mentions).

2 Organised seminar on archaeological relics (7)

REMAINS – [Organised] (seminar)*.

3 Send off for means of identification (4)

CARD – Double definition. The first as in soccer and some other games where, when a referee CARDs a player, if it’s a red card they are sending them off.

5 Cut in operations incorporated removing head of strategy (8)

INCISION – INC (incorporated) {v}ISION (strategy) [removing head].

6 Like a plate piled high with some salade niçoise (5)

LADEN – Hidden in [some] saLADE Niçoise.

7 To start with, we all really must try hugging to generate heat (6)

WARMTH – Initial letters, [to start with], of We All Really Must Try Hugging.

9 Quickly passing border in record time heading for Latvia (9)

EPHEMERAL – HEM (birder) [in] EP (extended play record) ERA (time), [heading for] Latvia.

13 So here's a strange marine creature (3,5)

SEA HORSE – (So here’s a)* [strange].

15 Spear I'd found in river (7)

TRIDENT – I’D [found in] TRENT (river).

16 Controlling power of head of tyrannical personnel department over everyone (6)

THRALL – [Head of] Tyrannical HR (personnel department) ALL (everyone).

17 Tenant has not so much before mid-week (6)

LESSEE – LESS (not so much) [mid] wEEk.

19 Expand Caribbean animals' home (5)

WIDEN – WI (West Indies, Caribbean) DEN (animals’ home).

21 Aunt's pickled fish (4)

TUNA – (Aunt)* [pickled].