Weekend Quick Cryptic 81 - 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 Sawbill'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 and tips...

Some hints and tips:

• 13A is not where you train
• 19A it's Sow the noun not the verb
• 3D is a homophone of "kids"

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 Pick up CV (6)
RESUME – Double definition.
4 Plant that lady bought upfront (4)
HERB – HER (that lady) Bought [up front].
8 Behind fence after start of tournament (8)
TRAILING – [start of] Tournament RAILING (fence).
9 Cab returning at eleven (4)
TAXI – AT [returning] -> TA, XI (eleven in Roman Numerals)
11 Sexual excitement regularly seen in Proust (3)
RUT – Alternate letters, [regularly seen], in pRoUsT.
12 Advertising repackaged German kit (9)
MARKETING – (German kit)* [repackaged].
13 When not running, perhaps trains here? (6)
SIDING – Cryptic definition. Where to find trains that aren’t running, not where you train when you’re not running 😊
15 A small seabird that's behind the boat (6)
ASTERN – A S (small) TERN (seabird).
18 State of recently made top? (3,6)
NEW JERSEY – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
19 Sow primarily poppies in garden? (3)
PIG – First letters of, [primarily], Poppies In Garden. Sow the noun not the verb!
20 A fan of certain tool boxes (4)
INTO – Hidden in certIN TOol [boxes].
21 Unsure the tan is working (8)
HESITANT – (the tan is)* [working].
22 Organ left for nobleman (4)
EARL – EAR (organ) L (left).
23 Small oak, say, beginning to thrive in road (6)
STREET – S (small) TREE (oak, say) [beginning to] Thrive.
 
Down
1 Respond on the subject of performance (5)
REACT – RE (on) ACT (subject of performance).
2 Amphibian in Alan's dream mutates (10)
SALAMANDER – (Alan’s dream)* [mutates].
3 Kids, we hear... they're down the pits (6)
MINERS – Sounds like MINORS (kids) [we hear].
5 Slippery vase I've broken (7)
EVASIVE – (vase I’ve)* [broken].
6 Existing creature (5)
BEING – Double definition.
7 Shops in Paris to restock (6)
STORES – Hidden in PariS TO REStock
10 My desire is to move around south east from north west location (10)
MERSEYSIDE -  (My desire)* [to move] around SE (south east).
14 We tread over drain (7)
DEWATER – (We tread)* [over].
16 Almost time to start scrapping late shifts? (6)
NIGHTS – NIGH (almost) T (time) [to start] Scrapping.
17 When dispatched get agreement (6)
ASSENT – AS (When) SENT (dispatched).
18 Number one in avenue is innocent (5)
NAÏVE – N (number), I (one) in AVE (avenue).
19 Place worker in factory (5)
PLANT – PL (place) ANT (worker).